Doctoral Admissions
Doctor of Physical Therapy Admission Requirements
Please note: These requirements are effective for students applying to enter the program in May 2026 or later.
Click here to be directed to the PT CAS application site.
In addition to the general admission requirements for UMMC and SHRP, candidates seeking admission into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Provide evidence of observation in a minimum of two (2) physical therapy clinical departments or practices for total of 40 hours. Click here for the form.
- Applicants are required to provide evidence of PT observation in a minimum of two physical therapy clinical departments or practices for a total of 40 hours. Additional hours and sites are considered beneficial to enhance the applicant's knowledge of the profession. A maximum of 20 hours may be used from any one site. Hours earned through employment will not be accepted and no more than 20 hours total can be applied to the observation requirement from hours earned during internship experiences. A minimum of 8 observation hours must be completed in the current year of the application and documentation must be received by the application deadline. Applicants will document information for each observation site on the provided form. The observation form will be uploaded with the application.
- Past observation hours may be placed on curriculum vitae.
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
- An overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale by the application deadline and prior to enrollment. Applicants accepted usually have a higher than minimum grade point average.
- A minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for prerequisite courses by the application deadline and prior to enrollment. Applicants accepted usually have a higher than minimum grade point average.
- Complete all prerequisite courses with the following stipulations. Students should have completed at least four (4) of the eight (8) prerequisite courses by the application deadline. Students must achieve a grade of "C" or better on each prerequisite course with a minimum prerequisite average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;
- An official report of Graduate Record Examination scores that includes verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing scores. Official scores should be sent to the UMMC PTCAS code 1858.
- Submit a resume that includes (1) career objective; (2) educational history; (3) work history; (4) community service; (5) honors and activities
| Prerequisite Courses* | Number of Courses | Semester Hours |
| Statistics 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Biology with Lab | 2 | 8 |
| Chemistry with Lab | 2 | 8 |
| Physics with Lab | 2 | 6-8 |
| Advanced Physical or Biological Science 2 | 1 | 3-5 |
| Total Prerequisites | 8 | 28-32 |
*Science survey courses designed for non-science majors are not acceptable for a required course. Science courses with lab that count for science major credit are considered appropriate. Normally, required science courses must have been taken in the last ten years. All physical or biological sciences listed at a particular college or university do not necessarily satisfy the prerequisite requirements. Combined Human Anatomy and Physiology is not a prerequisite and will not be accepted as a prerequisite course. Please consult with the UMMC physical therapy pre-admissions counselor, Dr. Joy Kuebler, for clarification.
1The statistics course may not be a business statistics course. Graduate-level courses will not be used to meet prerequisite requirements.
2Must be 300/3000 or 400/4000 level undergraduate courses and taken at a senior college. Associated labs, whether incorporated or offered separately, must also be completed. Courses must be taken in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. Graduate-level courses will not be used to meet prerequisite requirements.
Independent study, directed study, or history courses are not accepted as pre-requisite courses and do not meet the requirements of the DPT program.
Due to the impacts of COVID-19, many universities implemented grading policies for the Spring 2020 semester that included the option of pass/fail designations. The Department of Physical Therapy requires a letter grade (A, B, C) for all prerequisite courses and strongly encourages the use of letter grades for all coursework completed. Please contact the Department with questions.