Home arrow Pre-Health Advising arrow Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Physical Therapy

General Information

A physical therapist (PT) is a healthcare professional.   Physical therapists commonly provide non-invasive treatment for musculoskeletal injuries and diseases, but may be involved in treatment of other body systems as well.   In addition to treatment of existing problems, they may also provide therapies and strategies to maintain function and/or prevent future injury from occurring.   Most PTs are found in primary care settings, such as hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes.   There are also options to specialize in a variety of subspecialties such as orthopedics, pediatrics, geriatrics, cardiology, sports medicine, and neurology.   The PT field is rapidly growing as demand steadily increases and interest in the profession expands.   Many people are attracted to the ability to provide healthcare and earn a good salary (average salary ~$68,000).  

Physical therapy programs award either the Masters in Physical Therapy (MPT) or Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.   The current trend is towards the doctorate, and it is estimated that by 2009, 99% of programs will be accredited to offer the DPT.

Following graduation from an accredited program, all states require passing a state licensing exam before a physical therapist can begin practice within that state.   Regular continuing education is usually required to maintain a valid license.  

There are currently 6 accredited PT programs in North Carolina:

Requirements

The following list summarizes the typical requirements for entry into an accredited PT program:

1. Complete a bachelor's degree

PT programs are graduate programs, therefore the student must first finish a bachelor's degree.   There is no special preference for BA vs BS degrees, or for any particular undergraduate major.    Most pre-PT students at UNCC major in biology or kinesiology, but other departments are also represented.

2. Complete the prerequisite coursework

Although there is a common core of classes that most PT programs require, each PT program has the freedom to add classes to the common core and/or control the level of the coursework (ie, majors-level vs non-majors level courses).   There will usually be a minimum GPA necessary to apply to the PT program (see school websites for the minimum GPA requirements).

3. Take the admissions test

The standard admissions test for most PT programs is the GRE General exam.   There will usually be a minimum score necessary to apply to the PT program (see school websites for the minimum score requirements).   Most programs have time limits on GRE scores; typically, scores must be current within the last 5 years.   Visit   http://www.gre.org/  for more information and also to register for the exam.

4. Become familiar with the practice and profession of Physical Therapy:

It is essential to be familiar with the practice of physical therapy and understand the profession and its demands.   Some PT programs even require a minimum amount of experience hours in physical therapy settings.   Successful applicants usually acquire a broad background shadowing/observing/assisting in locations where physical therapists work, frequently exceeding 100 hours of experience.  It is recommended to see physical therapy practiced in a variety of settings and specialties, to broaden knowledge of the profession and diversity within the profession.

5. Letters of Reference from licensed, practicing PTs

1-2 letters of reference from licensed PTs that have directly supervised you (as an employee, volunteer, or observer) may be requested.   The PT programs expect you to be familiar with the PT profession, including issues facing the profession, the ethics of practice, and the daily challenges of practice.   Shadowing/observing licensed PTs in a variety of clinical settings is strongly encouraged to gain this professional knowledge.

6. Community Service:

Some community service is recommended.   Community service does not have to be health-related.

 PRE-PHYSICAL THERAPY PREREQUISITE COURSES

75% of PT programs require the following “core” of classes:

  • 2 courses in Anatomy & Physiology
  • 2 courses in physics
  • 2 courses in general chemistry
  • 1 course in statistics
  • 1 course in biology
  • 1 course in psychology

  

NC Physical Therapy Programs: Current Prerequisites

 

Duke

ECU

Elon

UNC

WCU

WSSU

Biology

2 sem

1-2 sem +

 

1 sem +

 

2 sem +

Human Anat

1 sem

1-2 sem +

 

1 sem

1 sem +

1 sem

Human Phys

1 sem

1-2 sem +

 

1 sem

1 sem +

1 sem

Gen Chem

2 sem

2 sem +

 

1 sem +

2 sem +

2 sem +

Physics

2 sem

2 sem +

 

2 sem +

2 sem +

2 sem +

Statistics

1 sem

1 sem

 

1 sem

1 sem

1 sem

Math

 

1 sem

       

Psychology

2 sem

2 sem

1 sem

1 sem

 

2 sem

Social Sciences

       

2 sem

1 sem

Social Sci & Humanities

9 hrs

         

Science Courses

   

6 sem +

     

Exercise Physiology

     

1 sem

   

+ = with lab

IMPORTANT SCHOOL NOTES:

DUKE:  may substitute vertebrate anatomy & physiology for human A&P

  Chemistry:  a course in organic and/or biochemistry is recommended

 Biology: MUST include at least 1 upper-division biology course (3000 or 4000 level) and should be     body-oriented (ie, no plant/insect/ecology)

 

ELON:  Choose 6 science courses (with labs) from: biology, chemistry, Human A&P, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, biomechanics, pathology, or physics.

 

UNC:  may substitute the combination of comparative vertebrate anatomy + animal physiology for human A&P.   Also, a single combined human A&P course will meet the anatomy and physiology requirement.

Recommended: histology, immunology, biomechanics, motor learning, business administration, genetics, Spanish, sociology, other psychology courses, public health.

 

ECU:  general chemistry MUST be majors-level (CHEM 1251,1252)

Biology requirement: Total of 12 hours, which MUST include one of the following options: 

  • 8 hours of biology plus 1 semester of human or mammalian physiology with lab
       OR
  • 4 hours of biology plus 2 semesters of Human Anatomy & Physiology (with labs)

Math requirement: college algebra or higher

 

WCU:  Anatomy course MUST be human only

 

WSSU:  Psychology requirement must include General Psychology plus a choice of either Abnormal Psych or Developmental Psych

Biology requirement MUST include 1 semester General Bio (w/lab) and either 1 semester of an upper-level biology (3000 or 4000-level)  OR  Exercise Physiology (KNES 3280)

Admissions Process

There are 2-3 steps for admission: the primary application, the secondary (supplemental) application, and the interview.

1. Primary Application

The primary application process often involves 2 separate applications; the student must apply to the graduate school of the parent institution, and also apply directly to the Physical Therapy program itself.    The student must be accepted by both the graduate school and the PT program in order to begin official enrollment into the PT curriculum. You must contact the PT school directly for the necessary applications.   Some schools post their applications online.

Graduate school applications, if required, are usually obtained directly from the parent institution's graduate school admissions office.

  In August 2008, an online application service (Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service, PTCAS) opened.  Approximately 1/3 of the PT programs participated in the first year.  If a program is using PTCAS, you must apply to the school through PTCAS.  For a list of participating schools, and other instructions, visit the PTCAS website.

2. Secondary Application

Each PT program will handle this stage differently. Typically, the 'secondary' will request more information, including short essays, and an additional fee.   Not all schools use a secondary application.

3. Interview

After processing primary and secondary applications, the top applicants will be invited for an interview.   This is the final step of the admissions process.   Following the interview, an applicant may be accepted, rejected, or placed on a waiting list.   Some schools do not require interviews.

 

 Resources & Links

 

2004 National Entry Statistics:

16,013 matriculants

 

3.3 mean overall GPA

 

24.3 yrs mean age