Physical Therapy undergraduate preparation

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

The Physical Therapy Program offered by the School of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy is a post-baccalaureate graduate program leading to Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (DPT). The program is designed to educate an entry-level physical therapist. That is, the graduate student studies to enter the profession and does not study a specialty within the profession.

A baccalaureate degree is prerequisite for matriculation to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Students may prepare themselves for graduate work in physical therapy while following any undergraduate major. Diversity of educational background is desirable among potential physical therapists. A broad-based undergraduate education is an integral part of physical therapy education. Although any undergraduate degree may lead to the successful study of physical therapy, the student must demonstrate appropriate mastery of the prerequisite courses, which are CHEM 110 (Fundamental Chemistry I); either CHEM 111 (Fundamental Chemistry II) or CHEM 230 (Chemical Analysis and Equilibrium); PHYS 111/112 (General College Physics); EXSC 221/222 (Anatomy and Physiology); MATH 160 (Elements of Applied Statistics) or equivalent; and any one of CSOC 206 (Deviance and Social Control), CSOC 370 (Disability, Identity, and Power), PSYC 101 (Introduction to Psychology), or PSYC 295 (Abnormal Psychology) or equivalent. (Please note that EXSC 221 carries a prerequisite of BIOL 111 or equivalent.) All prerequisites must be completed prior to enrollment in the Physical Therapy Program. Students who have completed prerequisite coursework more than 10 years prior to enrollment in the Physical Therapy Program should submit a letter explaining how they have kept the prerequisite knowledge current.

Please note that many more applications are received for each class than there are spaces available and that admission to the University of Puget Sound does not guarantee admission to the Physical Therapy Program. However, applicants who have been or who will be granted an undergraduate degree from Puget Sound and who are competitive within the applicant pool are offered admission prior to transfer students.

For information concerning application procedures and acceptance to degree candidacy, see the Department of Physical Therapy website at http://www.ups.edu/pt/. For information on the completion of degree requirements for the graduate program in Physical Therapy see the Graduate Bulletin. The course sequence for the DPT and course offerings are described in both resources.