Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program (DPT), an applicant must have participated in the competitive admissions process and must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally-accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university which would be completed prior to matriculation to the Physical Therapy program. The minimum overall grade point average (GPA) required to be considered for admission is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. All enrolled students must meet the program's minimum Health and Technical Standards to participate in the program.

Prerequisite Coursework

The minimum prerequisite coursework requirements cannot be waived and must be completed or in progress by the posted application deadline(s) from a regionally-accredited U.S. college or university or Canadian equivalent. Exceptions are not permitted. Prerequisite coursework must be satisfied with a grade of “C” or higher (2.0 on a 4.0 scale). A single course cannot be used simultaneously to meet more than one course prerequisite. All coursework completed by the applicant will be considered in the admissions process.

General Course Requirements	HOURS
Psychology (General or Introductory)	6
Science Course Requirements
Biology (with lab)	8
Chemistry (with lab)	8
Physics	8

Coursework is converted to semester credit hours when determining if minimum prerequisite requirements have been met. Meeting the prerequisite requirements generally calls for completion of courses designed for science majors; courses offered for non-science majors do not typically satisfy the prerequisite requirements of biology, chemistry and physics. Credit for coursework obtained through distance learning or online courses will be recognized as meeting prerequisite requirements as long as course credit is awarded from a regionally-accredited U.S. college or university or Canadian equivalent.

Foreign Coursework

The program will not accept course work obtained at foreign institutions except Canada.

Transcripts

Official transcripts from each institution attended used for evaluation in the admissions process must be submitted to the School of Health Professions Admissions and Recruitment Office in order for the application to be considered complete.

Upon acceptance of an offer of admission, applicants must request that final official transcripts from each institution previously attended be sent directly to the School of Health Professions Admissions and Recruitment Office. Final transcripts must list all courses including those that were in progress between initial application and final matriculation into the program.

Prerequisite Coursework Substitution

Prospective applicants seeking substitution for prerequisite coursework should submit their request via e-mail to:

PTAdmissions@unthsc.edu

or by regular mail to:

University of North Texas Health Science Center
School of Health Professions
Admissions and Recruitment
3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699
Phone: (817) 735-2003 Fax: (817) 735-2529
Email: PTAdmissions@unthsc.edu

A catalog course description or course syllabus from the college or university where the course was completed must be submitted with the request. If a catalog course description is not available, a letter from the academic department that offered the original course describing the content and nature of the course may be substituted. Coursework substitutions and content hours must be equivalent or comparable to the prerequisite. Substitutions are approved on an individual basis. The program reserves the right to approve or deny any prerequisite course substitution requests.

Important Dates

May 1, 2012 - Application Opens
October 1, 2012 - Priority deadline
Mid November 2012 - Early Interviews begin
January 15, 2013 - Application closes
January 1 - March 1, 2013 - Admission Interviews

Applicant Selection

In reviewing applications for interview selection and acceptance, many factors are taken into consideration. These factors include but are not limited to:

• Academic background
• PT mentorship/shadowing experiences
• Understanding of the role of PT
• Two letters of reference (or support)
• Community Service
• Honors, achievements and awards
• Other life experiences and extracurricular activities;
• Applicant's personal interview.

Although an applicant's entire academic record is considered, this alone does not ensure acceptance. While prior experience in a health care setting is not required, this experience is considered a beneficial attribute and viewed positively by the Admissions Committee. PT mentorship and shadowing experiences are not required, but are highly encouraged. Letters of reference from a physical therapist or physician are required. Evidence of personal integrity, maturity, motivation, communication skills, interpersonal skills, critical thinking skills, writing ability, dedication and the ability to work with others are additional factors that will be considered. These qualities are evaluated by several means, including letters of reference, the scope and nature of extracurricular activities (including work and volunteer experience), the scope and breadth of prior education and through the interview process.

Selected applicants will be invited to the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth for an admissions interview. Interviews generally take place on campus from November to April. Interviewing may end sooner if the class has been filled. Candidates who are invited to interview will be contacted by phone or email. Declining an invitation or failing to appear for a scheduled interview will result in a withdrawal of your application. Early submission of your application may increase your chances of interview selection. Interview results are confidential and are considered in the competitive selection processes.

Transfer Policy

The program does not admit transfer students from other physical therapy programs.

Accreditation Notice

UNTHSC has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association (1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org). Candidacy is not an accreditation status nor does it assure eventual accreditation. Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program is progressing toward accreditation.

Dual Degree Opportunities

UNTHSC also offers numerous dual degree opportunities bridging the MPAS and DO degrees with the MPH, MHA, MS and PhD degrees within the School of Public Health and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Future dual degree opportunities will also be offered to students pursuing the DPT and PharmD degrees. For details, please see the section on the Multidisciplinary Programs within this catalog.

This page last modified April 30, 2012

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