Welcome to the Admissions Page for the UTC Physical Therapy Program.
The PTCAS application cycle for Fall 2012 admission is closed. The application cycle for Fall 2013 will open July 2012. All applicants will be required to create a new application for Fall 2013. PTCAS will not carry over information from the previous application cycle. All dates listed below refer to the Fall 2012 application cycle. Dates for the Fall 2013 application cycle will be posted as soon as they become available. Information will also be made available at the UTC PTCAS Program Web Site.
EARLY DECISION 2012:
UTC Physical Therapy is participating in the PTCAS early decision program.
Early decision is a binding option for PTCAS applicants who designate our program an ED candidate. Applicants may apply to only one ED program in PTCAS. In addition to the PTCAS application, applicants must arrange for PTCAS to receive all official U.S. transcripts and fee payment by August 15. If the application, transcripts, or fee arrive after the ED deadline, PTCAS will automatically change the applicant’s file from early decision status to “regular” status. Admission decisions for ED candidates will be made by September 27. If accepted by UTC, an ED applicant will not be permitted to apply to any other programs via PTCAS. If UTC denies or moves the applicant’s file to "regular" status, then the applicant will be allowed to apply to other programs in PTCAS for an additional fee ($35 each).
To be considered as an Early Decision candidate, applicants must submit all application materials to PTCAS by August 15, 2011. Early decision will be an option for the fall 2013 cycle. Dates will be posted as soon as they become availiable.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE GRE REVISED GENERAL TEST:
GRE test scores are valid for five years, however, all applicants for Fall 2013 and beyond are strongly encouraged to take the new Revised GRE General test.
Quick Links
Program Admissions:
- About Admission and PTCAS
- Application Deadlines
- Eligibility Requirements and Admission Contingencies
- DPT Brochure
Application Forms:
Helpful Links:
- UTC Graduate School Application
- Equivalency Charts
- Financial Aid
- GPA Calculator
- Converting Quarter Hours to Semester Hours
- Tuition and Fees
- Petition Forms
- Residency Classification
- Criminal Background Checks
Admissions News:
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Program Admissions and PTCAS
Our program accepts 30 students per academic year. Applicants are very competitive and have excelled in their undergraduate and prerequisite coursework. GRE scores along with science and cumulative GPAs are the primary factors used to determine admission- our program does not interview candidates. Our required minimum cumulative and science GPA is 3.0. However, the combined average GPAs for the classes of 2013 and 2014 were a 3.72 cumulative GPA and a 3.69 science GPA. There is no minimum GRE score required, but the combined average score for the classes of 2013 and 2014 was 1130.
Each year, we have approximately 250 qualified applications. A class of 30 students is admitted each fall semester. For the past three years (2009-11), the graduation rate from the program was 91%. For this same time period, 100% of our graduates have passed the physical therapy license examination and were employed in the profession.
Application Deadline - In order to provide the opportunity to receive notification of program admission as early as possible we have established a soft deadline of October 3, 2011 with a close date of November 14, 2011. The deadline for early decision candidates is August 15, 2011.
With a soft deadline you can still apply to the program after the deadline has passed. However we may give less or no consideration to applicants who apply after the soft deadline. It is possible that our program may move from a soft to a firm deadline at any point during the cycle.
Eligibility Requirements - Applicants must have the following to apply:
- Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0/4.0
- Minimum science grade point average of 3.0/4.0. The nine courses used to calculate the science GPA are:
- Biology I & II (or a second, higher-level biology course- 8 semester hours)
- Chemistry I & II (8 semester hours)
- Physics I & II (8 semester hours)
- Human Anatomy, Human Physiology (8 semester hours)
- Exercise Physiology (3 semester hours)
- Completed six of the nine science prerequisites listed above. (beginning with Fall 2012 applicants)
- Competitive GRE General Test Scores no more than five years old. The three sections required are verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. College Code 1831. There is no minimum score required, but the typical GRE score for accepted applicants is greater than 1000.
- The GRE test is changing in August 2011. Due to the delay in score reporting, applicants for Fall 2012 must take the GRE by July 31, 2011. Applicants for Fall 2013 and later are encouraged to take the Revised GRE.
- Two PTCAS references, including one from a licensed physical therapist.
- PT observation hours. See Application Instructions for details.
- Essential Functions- Physical therapy students must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodations, each of these essential functions in order to fully participate in our program (including clinical experiences) and successfully complete the requirements for a doctorate degree in physical therapy. Applicants are asked to certify that they are able to complete each of these essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations as part of the PTCAS application.
Admission Contingencies - Applicants must achieve the following for program admission:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution prior to beginning the professional program. Degree completion is not required to apply.
- Nine additional hours consisting of - Statistics (3 semester hours), Introduction to Psychology (3 semester hours), one additional 200 level (or above) Psychology course (3 semester hours) with no grade below a "C"
- Maintain a minimum of 3.0/4.0 cumulative GPA
- Maintain a minimum of 3.0/4.0 overall GPA for all remaining prerequisites with no grade below a "C"
- Provide evidence of completing all program prerequisites with a minimum grade of "C" prior to entering the professional program.
- Manually update fall course grades and In Progress courses in PTCAS. Provide a copy of all updated transcripts to PTCAS by the Academic Update deadline. Instructions for PTCAS Academic Update can be found on the PTCAS web site.
- Submit updated transcripts for fall and spring courses to the UTC Graduate School by June 1 and also in August, if taking summer courses.
- One course (1-3 hours) in Medical Terminology is strongly recommended. Accepted applicants who have not completed medical terminology will be required to pass a test during the first week of classes.
How To Apply
The application cycle for Fall 2013 will open in July 2012. Application instructions for 2013 will be available at that time.
2012 Application Instructions and Eligibility Requirements- This includes instructions for submitting supplemental materials. DO NOT submit supplemental materials (including transcripts and the UTC Graduate School application) unless requested to do so by the program.
Print and read both the 2012 Application Instructions and Eligibilty Requirements and the Prerequisite Checklist before completing your PTCAS Application. Should you have questions about this information after you have reviewed it, please contact us at 423.425.4747 or PT-Program@utc.edu. PDF files require free Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 (help).
After reading the Application Instructions, please login or create a new account with Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). "P-T-KAS" is a web-based centralized application service that will allow you to use one set of materials to apply to multiple PT programs. Do not begin your application until July 5, 2011, when thy new cycle opens.
Click Here For PTCAS General Instructions and Important Information
Click Here For Application Status Definitions and other FAQs about PTCAS
Click Here For Our Program Requirement Listed on the PTCAS Web Site
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Helpful Links
UTC Graduate School Application
Equivalency Charts - Use this link to find course equivalents. Please note that ALL science courses must be appropriate for majors in that discipline. While a course may transfer as an equivalent for the purposes of an undergraduate degree, undergraduate science courses that are designated as courses for non-majors are not accepted as prerequisites for entry into the DPT program. Please contact the department with questions regarding the appropriateness of courses if you have questions. You may also contact the department for equivalency information for specific schools.
GPA Calculator- Calculate your Science GPA (Biology I, Biology II, Chemistry I, Chemistry II, Physics I, Physics II, Anatomy, Physiology and Exercise Physiology) and determine the grades needed in your remaining courses to raise your GPA.
Converting Quarter Hours to Semester Hours
Financial Aid - Here you will find program specific financial aid information and a link to the UTC Financial Aid web site.
Tuition & Fees
Petition Forms
- General Education Petition Form - Used for consideration of a course to substitution for a prerequisite. Use this form only if the program requests you petition a course.
In-State and Out-of-State Classification
Regional Tuition Credit
- Regional Tuition Credit- for entry-level DPT students who are residents of Catoosa, Dade, Fannin, Murray, Walker, and Whitfield counties in Georgia and Jackson county in Alabama. Eligible students pay a tuition rate equal to in-house fees plus 25 percent of out of state tuition. Current regional tuition rates are available from the Bursar's Office.
Criminal Background Checks
Our Department requires criminal background checks and/or drug tests for all enrolled students, in order to verify an individual’s suitability to participate in experiential education rotations and to ensure patient safety.
Procedure for obtaining an approved Level 2 Criminal Background Check
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Admissions News
APTA New Release
PHYSICAL THERAPY: A CAREER THAT FITS YOUR FUTURE
"Alexandria, VA – For Americans looking for a rewarding career in a struggling job market and down economy, a career in physical therapy could be the perfect answer. Boasting plentiful job openings, strong job security, flexibility and a high satisfaction rating among those working in the field, a career in physical therapy has been ranked among the best jobs in America by major publications, including CNNMoney.com, Forbes, and US News & World Report."...
Click Here to Read Full Release
Filing a complaint with CAPTE (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education)
If you have a concern about accreditation status or wish to express a concern about accreditation, you are encouraged to contact CAPTE.
