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DPT Application Instructions

These instructions are applicable for students applying to enter in May 2025.  Instructions for future application cycles will be posted/updated prior to July 1st of each year. 

All application documents and the application fees must be received by the Office of Enrollment Management by October 1, 2024 for summer admission, while final fall transcripts must be received by Friday, January 17, 2025.  

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS carefully prior to completing your application to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. 

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1. Applications must be submitted online. Once you have read the instructions, you may follow the link from the PT website under Application Procedure. You will be brought to a new screen. The new screen will have an instructional video (see link in first paragraph) and you will need to create an account. Once your account is created, you will receive a verification email that must be completed prior to proceeding to the application. You will click "Admission Application Home" then "Apply Now" to begin the application. Once on the application screen, fill in the following:

   Academic Level – Graduate
   Program of Study – Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
   Start Term – 2025-2026 Summer Twelve Week
   Campus – Main Campus Jackson
   Applicant Type – Graduate

2. Specific instructions for completing and/or submitting all supporting documentation are provided after submission of the initial information. Each required item will be an action item you can view by clicking the link to your DPT application when signed in to your account. The specific instructions for each item can be viewed by clicking the action item link.

3. To facilitate the review process, applicants should submit the admission application, application fee, supporting documents, and transcripts as early as possible. The application is not presented to the Physical Therapy Admissions Committee until the Office of Enrollment Management at the University of Mississippi Medical Center receives:

• Completed application with all required documentation.

  • All parts of the application must be answered completely and correctly.

  • Applicant is responsible for promptly notifying the Office of Enrollment Management of any changes in contact information including change of address, telephone number, or e-mail address.

• Payment of $25.00 non-refundable application fee upon submission of the online application.

• Applicants accepted into the program will be assessed a non-refundable, $300 enrollment fee, which will be applied to the first year tuition.   

• Official transcripts of all college or professional work attempted, including summer sessions, sent directly by  the registrar of each college or university attended to the Office of Enrollment Management, University of  Mississippi Medical Center.

  • Request all transcripts at the time application to the program is made. Do not wait until the end of the current grading period. Please maintain a copy of the request for the transcript in the event the document is not received by the Office of Enrollment Management at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  

  • The transcripts submitted at the time of application should have the courses and grades earned up to the time application is made. 

  • Submit additional transcripts at the completion of each quarter or semester to reflect current grades. 

    • A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for prerequisite courses. (GPA calculations will not take into consideration +/- grades modifiers, e.g. B+ will be calculated as a 3.00)

    • Students should have completed or be enrolled in atleast five (5) 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

    • Applicants accepted for admission must successfully complete all prerequisite courses by the end of the subsequent spring semester, with final grades documented by the official transcript.

  • If enrolled in classes during the fall semester, final fall transcripts must be received in the Office of Enrollment Management no later than January 17, 2025. Request the final fall transcript from your registrar, at the time application is submitted to UMMC, with instructions to send after fall grades are posted.  

  • Admitted students must submitspring 2025 transcripts if any coursework was taken during that semester. Transcripts sent that reflect your final semester of coursework must document receipt of a baccalaureate degree. Final transcripts must be received by May 23, 2025. Courses taken in between the spring and summer semester will not be considered if the course is not completed by the transcript deadline.  

    • Due to the impacts of COVID-19, many universities implemented grading policies for the Spring 2020 semester that include 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. 

  • Instructions for sending transcripts:

    • If the sending school uses Parchment, then official transcripts should be sent to "UMMC All Admissions."

    • If the sending school uses another electronic transcript service that requires an email address, official transcript should be sent to transcripts@umc.edu.

    • If the sending school will mail the official transcript, it should be mailed to:

      Office of Enrollment Management, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State St, Jackson, MS 39216

• Personal Curriculum Vitae (CV) (type CV as a Word document; upload CV from a saved file). The personal CV may be a maximum of 3 single pages and should include:

  • Career Objective: anticipated plans following graduation including type and general location of employment setting, patient population, etc.

  • Educational History: educational institutions attend after high school, major/minor, date of graduation or anticipated graduation. 

  • Work History: employer, dates of employment, brief description of duties and responsibilities

  • Community Service Activities: dates of service, brief description of service activities and specific roles served

  • Honors, Scholarships, and Awards: brief description, criteria for selection of recipients.

  • Organizational Memberships: include a brief description, level of participation, committee membership, specific roles and responsibilities (including any leadership roles), etc.

  • Other Extracurricular Activities: e.g., member of a collegiate sports team, band, student government, social organizations, etc.

• Observational Forms: Are available on the PT website under the Admission Requirements tab. These forms must be printed. Make additional copies as you will need a copy for each clinical observation site. Please include your name and application number on each form. Please upload your completed observation forms for the DPT program to your application in WorkDay.

  • A minimum of two completed observation forms must be submitted. The purpose of the observation hours is exposure to a variety of physical therapy treatment settings, patient populations, and age ranges, i.e., the full scope of physical therapy practice.

  • At least two different Physical Therapy departments or practices must be used for a total of at least 40 hours of observation. However, selection of a variety of clinical sites is preferred. A maximum of 20 hours may be used from any one site.

•  References and reference letters are not requested and should not be included.

•  Plan of Study. Within the admission application, you will be asked to include a "plan of study". This should include any courses in which you are currently enrolled and/or plan to enroll in prior to starting the PT program. 

  • If you do not plan to be in school, please mark "no" when on the question of whether you are taking courses in the year prior to enrollment.  

  • Application for admission to the University of Mississippi Medical Center is evaluated on the basis of transcripts and the courses in progress or planned, as indicated on the Plan of Study form.  

    • Notify the Office of Enrollment Management if the plan of study is altered in any For example, the Office of Enrollment Management must be notified in writing if a course is substituted, dropped, or added. Failure to notify the Office of Enrollment Management may affect review of the application and acceptance to the program.

• Application Essay (upload essay from a saved file and upload to the online application).

  • The essay should be typed and limited to only one single page ( single or double spaced is acceptable ) 

  • Topic: “Mississippi consistently ranks among the unhealthiest states in the nation. How have health disparities been evident in your life/community? How will you use these experiences and a DPT from UMMC to help combat Mississippi’s health challenges?”

• Official report of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.

  • The report must include verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing scores.

  • Reports must be sent directly from the testing agency to the Office of Enrollment Management, University of Mississippi Medical Center (code 1857). Personal or faxed copies are not acceptable.  

  • Information concerning the GRE can be obtained at telephone numbers (800)-473-2255 or 1-443-751-4820, or online at http://www.ets.org/gre

  • Applicants should take the GRE at least one month prior to the application deadline in order for the Office of Enrollment Management to receive the results. The applicant is not considered for admission to the program if the official GRE report is received by the Office of Enrollment Management after the application deadline.

4. Only applications submitted online are accepted.

5. If an applicant fails to complete the application, is accepted and fails to enroll, or is not accepted, a new application including all forms, application fee, support documentation, and transcripts must be submitted to be considered for a subsequent enrollment date. No forms or documentation from a previous application will be accepted toward application for a subsequent enrollment.
   

6. The Admissions Committee may, at its discretion, change the official class size, make additional class openings available, or extend the application deadline without prior notice. The Office of Enrollment Management may be contacted at (601) 984-1080 after March 1, 2025 to determine whether any changes have been made. 

DEADLINES FOR SUBMITTING APPLICATION AND ALL DOCUMENTATION

The application, application fee, all supporting documents, and all current transcripts must be received in the Office of Enrollment Management by October 1, 2024.  

Final fall transcripts must be received by January 17, 2025.

ACADEMIC ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Click Here to view the Academic Admission Requirements for the DPT program. 

Note: Admission to the UMMC Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program is on a competitive basis.  Meeting qualifications does not ensure admission.  

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Mail addressed to the University of Mississippi Medical Center may never reach the office for which it is intended unless that office is included in the address. Please address all correspondence relative to applications and have all transcripts sent to the Office of Enrollment Management of the University of Mississippi Medical Center at the following address:
   
   Office of Enrollment Management
   University of Mississippi Medical Center
   2500 North State Street
   Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505 

Instructions for sending transcripts:

• If the sending school uses Parchment, then official transcripts should be sent to "UMMC All Admissions."

• If the sending school uses another electronic transcript service that requires an email address, official transcript should be sent to transcripts@umc.edu.

• If the sending school will mail the official transcript, it should be mailed to the Office of Enrollment Management at the address shown above.

2. Use your full and complete name as it appears on your birth certificate, including legal name change as applicable. In the online application for admission, please indicate your correct contact information (mailing address, e-mail, and phone) for receiving mail from the Office of Enrollment Management and the Department of Physical Therapy. Promptly notify the Office of Enrollment Management and the Department of Physical Therapy of any changes in your contact information.  

3. All transcripts submitted in support of an applicant become the sole property of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Transcripts cannot be returned to an applicant, used in subsequent applications, or forwarded to another school or individual. To be official, transcripts must be sent by the originating school directly to the Office of Enrollment Management at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Do not send them in yourself. Should hand-delivery be necessary, the official transcript must be delivered in a sealed envelope with your school’s official seal and signature, and must be received by UMMC’s Office of Enrollment Management prior to the transcript deadline. 

4. The School of Health Related Professions has established essential functions and technical standards of students for enrollment and participation in the Physical Therapy education program. To review these essential functions and technical standards, please visit our website.  

5. Verbal and written communication skills are vital to success in the academic programs in the School of Health Related Professions; therefore, applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination and to demonstrate competence in written and spoken English. Information on the TOEFL examination may be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ 08540. 

6. Selection of applicants is made on a competitive basis. The number of students admitted to the physical therapy program is dependent upon the educational resources available to support the program. 

7. Mississippi Law requires all health care workers, including students, to have completed criminal history background checks. All UMMC students who will participate in patient care activities are required to successfully complete a criminal history background check, including fingerprinting, prior to beginning clinical activities. Admitted students will receive information about the UMMC process for completing the criminal history background checks from the School of Health Related Professions prior to enrollment. Applicants are advised that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s eligibility to sit for certification, registration, or licensure examinations. Affected applicants should contact the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy at 601-939-5124.

 NOTIFICATION OF ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE DECISIONS

1. Written notification will be sent to applicants through email regarding selection for an interview. Applicants must be granted an interview to be considered for admission.

2. All applicants selected for an interview will receive notification of acceptance or denial of admission.

3. Prior to registration in May of 2025, admitted students must have submitted all required documentation to the appropriate office as indicated below by May 23, 2025:

   1. final transcript documenting baccalaureate degree to the Office of Enrollment Management

   2. all documents required for enrollment by the Office of Enrollment Management

   3. all documents required for enrollment by the Office of Student and Employee Health

PROGRAM OVERVIEW, FEES, AND EXPENSES

The professional program is 36 months in duration, beginning in the summer semester. While uncommon, it may take longer than 36 months to complete the curriculum due to the availability of clinical sites. Learning opportunities include lecture, practical laboratory activities, and clinical education experiences. Learning activities other than clinical education experiences are conducted on the University of Mississippi Medical Center campus.

Students are required to spend 8 weeks of the second fall semester, 8 weeks of the third summer semester, and all of the spring semester of the third year in full-time clinical education experiences in Mississippi and in at least one other state. Please note that all students must go out of state for at least one eight-week clinical education experience, and out of the Jackson metropolitan area for another.Students should begin planning accordingly early in academic program. Although some clinical institutions may offer a small stipend or room and board, students should be prepared to provide their own transportation and living and other incidental expenses for clinical education during these semesters.

In addition to tuition, fees, health insurance, and professional insurance, students should be prepared to spend $3000-$4000 for necessary books, supplies, and uniforms. Students will be required to buy laptop computers and/or wireless handheld personal data assistance devices that will be compatible with the campus computer network.

Tuition and fees are subject to change without prior notice. Information on Tuition and Fees may be found on the website.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Melanie Lauderdale, PT, DPT, EdD
Professor and Chair
Department of Physical Therapy
School of Health Related Professions
University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505
601-984-6330

Joy C. Kuebler, PT, MSPT, DPT
Professor and Pre-Admission Counselor
Department of Physical Therapy
School of Health Related Professions
University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39216-4505
601-984-5587