Admission Requirements

Enrollment in each program is limited and competitive. The admissions committee of each program, composed of program faculty and administration, evaluates the qualifications of each applicant and makes the final selections for admission.

Required Degree:

You must have a bachelor’s degree, in any field, from a regionally accredited institution prior to Orientation in August. All applicants are required to present a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) at time of application submission. For further information on how various grade point averages are calculated, see the Application Instructions published by Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) for the current admissions cycle.

Required Courses:

The following prerequisite course work must be completed by July 15 preceding the intended fall semester date of enrollment. Required courses must be taken for letter grades. Credits for courses in which grades below “C-“ were received, are not accepted in fulfillment of the individual course prerequisites listed below. [Exceptions to this policy due to COVID-19]

• One course of human anatomy with lab – 4 sem hours
• One course of human physiology with lab– 4 sem hours
  • The anatomy and physiology requirements can be fulfilled by a series of two courses of combined anatomy and physiology.
  • Exercise physiology does not fulfill the human physiology requirement.
  • If labs are not offered in anatomy and physiology at your institution, please include a course description for review by the admissions committee.
  • No online labs will be accepted.*
  Chemistry: 8 semester hours
  • Each course must include a lab. No online labs will be accepted.*
  • A two-semester chemistry sequence is required. Courses designed for science or health science majors are preferred. (Example: General Chemistry I and II, or one semester of General Chemistry and either Organic or Biochemistry.)
  Physics: 8 semester hours
  • Each course must include a lab. No online labs will be accepted.*
  • A two-semester physics sequence is required. Courses must include mechanics, heat, light, sound and electricity. Physical Science will not fulfill this requirement.
  Statistics: 1 course Statistics: 1 course Psychology: 1 course
  • One course in either Abnormal or Developmental/Life Span Psychology.
  Social sciences: 1 course
  • One course from any of the following departments/subjects: anthropology, community health, criminal justice, cultural geography, ethnic studies, human sexuality, marriage/family, personal health, psychology (course taken in addition to psychology requirement above), social science, social work, sociology, or women’s studies.
  Highly recommended (not required) courses
  • One writing intensive course in any area.

  Required course work graded Pass/ Fail or credit obtained by CLEP Examination or Advanced Placement (AP) will not be accepted for any of the listed prerequisites.

  *Exception to this policy due to COVID-19: Online prerequisite labs taken during the Spring & Summer 2020 academic terms and the 2020-2021 academic year will be accepted.

  Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

  The General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (verbal, quantitative and analytical writing) is required. Scores must be sent using the UNMC Physical Therapy Education Program Institution Code 7752, and received by the application materials deadline.

  References

  Three (3) References/ Letters of Recommendation are required to be received in PTCAS by the application deadline. Applicants will provide the email addresses of the recommenders. Recommenders will submit their reference online through the application. References from friends or family members will not be accepted.

  NOTE: There are no formal requirements for volunteer, observation, or employment experiences in the field of physical therapy; however, as with all career choices, a broad exposure to the field is encouraged. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to professional development and service. Preference is given to Nebraska residents. Questions regarding residency status should be directed to the Office of Academic Records 402-559-6468.

  Other Admissions Tracks

  • Global Health Opportunities Program DPT Admissions Track
  • See our Pathway Programs for additional admissions tracks.