Prerequisites and Admission Requirements

The Department of Physical therapy takes a holistic approach to admissions, considering both academic (GPA and GRE) and non-academic factors. This is a change from previous application cycles. Applicants should pay close attention to both PTCAS and program specific questions and answer these sections carefully and completely.

The program administers a mission-focused application assessment. Competitive applicants have excelled academically with strong GPAs (cumulative and science prerequisite) and GRE scores. Successful applicants are well-rounded individuals exhibiting characteristics such as excellent communication and leadership skills, a strong work ethic, and successful experience with working as a member of a team. We value individual life experiences that can enrich the graduate educational experience. Our program does not interview candidates. We enroll 38 students each fall.

Our program requires a total of 44 hours of prerequisite coursework. Specific courses are outlined below along with additional admission eligibility requirements specific to our program. If you have additional questions regarding prerequisite coursework or admission eligibility requirements, please visit the FAQ section of our website. For a listing of courses from UTC and several other area schools, please visit the Prerequisite Equivalency Checklist linked below. After reviewing this page and the related sections of our web page, please contact the program coordinator at [email protected] with any admissions questions.

Prerequisite Equivalency Checklist

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Prerequisite Coursework

There are twelve required prerequisite courses: All twelve prerequisites must be completed prior to entering the program.

Biology I & II
Human Anatomy / A&P I
Human Physiology/ A&P II
Chemistry I & II
Physics I & II (algebra/ trig based is acceptable.)
Exercise Physiology
Statistics
Introduction to Psychology
One additional 200 level (or above) Psychology course (Any course with a PSY prefix or psychology in the title will qualify with the exception of psychological statistics.)
All prerequisites must receive a grade of C or better. A grade of C- is not accepted, and the course must be repeated before applying.
Online courses are accepted
Applicants should complete either A&P I and II or Human Anatomy and Human Physiology, not a combination of the two.
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 four-year schools. We allow up to three repeated courses where we take the second grade. We count the first three repeats taken, regardless of the course. After that we take both grades in the GPA calculations. We do not count Ws as a repeat.
Non-US Institutions- Degrees from non-US institutions will be considered with a WES evaluation sent to PTCAS. However, GPAs will be calculated solely on US coursework from regionally accredited institutions.

Admission Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must have the following to apply:

Minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.2/4.0
Minimum science prerequisite grade point average of 3.2/4.0
Nine of the twelve prerequisite courses are used to calculate the science prerequisite GPA. These nine courses are:
- Biology I & II with lab (or a second, higher-level biology course; 8 semester hours/ 12 quarter hours total)
- Chemistry I & II with lab (8 semester hours / 12 quarter hours total)
- Physics I & II with lab (8 semester hours / 12 quarter hours total)
- Human Anatomy / A&P I with lab (4 semester / 6 quarter hours)
- Human Physiology / A&P II with lab (4 semester/ 6 quarter hours)
- Exercise Physiology (3 semester/ 5 quarter hours)
- These courses should be appropriate for majors in that discipline. Applicants should have either combined Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs or separate Human Anatomy & Human Physiology courses with labs (8 semester hours / 12 quarter hours total). Online courses are acceptable.
Completed six of the nine science prerequisites listed above. (Grades/ credit must be reflected on transcripts sent to PTCAS.) Any remaining prerequisites must be finished by the time classes start in August.
Statistics and the two psychology prerequisites do not have to be completed at the time of application.
Competitive GRE General Test Scores no more than five years old. The GRE is a significant part of the admissions decision. The three sections required are verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing. Each section is evaluated independently, using the highest score for each section, regardless of test date. Be sure to use the UTC PTCAS Code 0464.
A minimum 3.0 analytical writing score is required.
There is no minimum verbal and quantitative score required, but the score is weighted heavily as part of the admissions process. The analytical writing score is also factored into the admissions decision.
You are permitted to take the GRE multiple times, but applications are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed until an official GRE score is reported through the program's PTCAS GRE code- 0464. New scores may be updated after the application is submitted.
DO NOT use the University or program GRE code; scores must be reported through PTCAS.
Two PTCAS references: We require two references. We are interested in references that reflect on the candidate’s personal characteristics as they relate to communication, work ethic, leadership, teamwork, and resiliency, and how these characteristics support the candidate in becoming a strong physical therapist. One reference from a US licensed physical therapist is required. Specifics regarding accepted references are outlined on our PTCAS program page.
The UTC DPT program requires verified observation hours. However, we do not have a minimum number of required or recommended hours. The number of verified hours is not taken into consideration in the admission decision. We encourage applicants to seek out observation hours and become knowledgeable about the profession before applying. Applicants are encouraged to research the physical therapy profession through alternate resources, including the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), including Becoming a PT and the APTA’s Academies/Sections, and/or on our web page, About Physical Therapy.
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 as a PT student with or without reasonable accommodations as part of the PTCAS application.

The following links may also be helpful:

GPA Calculator
Raise Your GPA Calculator - Use this link to help determine what you need in order to raise your GPA to a specific number or to help predict your GPA at the end of the semester.
Converting Quarter Hours to Semester Hours
Equivalency Charts - Use this link or the prerequisite checklist 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. The equivalency charts are only a guide, as the program looks at whether a course is an appropriate prerequisite for the DPT program, and the course is not being transferred in for undergraduate credit. Please contact the admissions/ program coordinator at [email protected] with questions regarding the appropriateness of courses if you have questions. She can also provide equivalency information for specific schools. If you have questions about multiple courses, request a transcript evaluation.