Physical Therapy Pathway (~38 credits of Math/Science courses)

A physical therapist is a healthcare professional who helps people improve movement and manage pain, often after an injury or illness. They use various techniques to help patients restore function, reduce pain, and prevent future injury. Physical therapists examine, diagnose, and treat individuals of all ages. They practice in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, people’s homes, schools, sports and fitness facilities, workplaces, and nursing homes.

The graduate degree in physical therapy most appropriate for students to pursue after completing a Baccalaureate degree is the Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT). DPT programs are highly competitive; they are typically three-year programs, starting in the summer. Most programs accept students on a rolling admissions schedule, and the applications open in July. This means that programs review applications and fill the incoming cohort as applications are received; students who apply to the program earlier have a competitive advantage for gaining admission.

The following courses will satisfy the pre-requisites for most physical therapy doctoral programs. It is important for students to determine the specific requirements for each physical therapy school they wish to apply to, in consultation with a pre-health advisor. Most physical therapy programs require the following courses, along with typical General Education requirements (i.e. English Comp or Writing):

Courses Required of All DPT Programs:

• BIO 103: General Biology 1
• BIO 105/106: Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2
• CHE 110/111: General Chemistry 1 & 2
• PHY 120/121: General Physics 1 & 2
• MAT 120: Elementary Statistics
• Precalc or Higher Math: MAT 133 Precalculus or MAT 181 Calculus 1 Recommended
• PSY 100: Intro to Psychology

Recommended Courses & Courses Required by Some DPT Programs:

• BIO 104: General Biology 2
• PSY Elective: 3-6 Credits (Developmental Psych Recommended)
• HPX 314: Exercise Physiology
• HPX 318: Exercise Kinesiology

Recommended Undergraduate Degree Programs:

Students can choose any undergraduate degree major they wish and still apply to a DPT program as long as they complete the prerequisite coursework required to apply. Many students pursuing DPT programs choose to declare the following majors at WCSU, as degree requirements align with completion of DPT prerequisite coursework: BS in Public Health, Allied Health or BS in Biology.

WCSU Articulation Agreement:

The WCSU Health Promotion and Exercise Sciences (HPX) department has an on-going articulation agreement with The University of Hartford (UHart) DPT program. UHart has agreed to reserve 4 seats in each year’s DPT admissions cohort for students who graduate from the BS in Public Health, Allied Health program at WCSU. To be eligible, students must meet prerequisite coursework with a 3.2 or higher GPA, complete the public health internship in a physical therapy setting, and they must apply directly to the UHart DPT program. The application fee will be waived for these students.

Other Requirements:

Students who intend to apply to physical therapy programs should take the GRE (graduate record examination) prior to applying. The GRE measures three areas in verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing. Most physical therapy programs require the GRE.

Applicants must have between 10-200 hours of clinical experience in a variety of physical therapy settings, including in-patient and out-patient settings. This can be in a volunteer or paid capacity.

Grades:
Physical therapy programs require a minimum GPA of 3.2 to be considered. The average GPA for accepted students at many programs is 3.5 or above, and most programs expect a grade of B- or above on all prerequisite coursework.

For more information see the Pre-Physical Therapy document

For More Information About Physical Therapy Careers & Graduate Programs, Visit:
American Physical Therapy Association

Physical Therapy Central Application System (PTCAS)