Doctor of Physical Therapy – Admission Requirements
Program Admission and Prerequisites
Students applying to the DPT Program should have the requisite skills and demonstrated potential to navigate the academic rigors of an accelerated and hybrid model of DPT education. Students should be mature adult learners with the ability, initiative, and flexibility to learn and work independently and collectively in online, onsite, and clinical environments. Additionally, students should have a reasonable level of technology literacy prior to the start of classes. These demonstrable attributes prepare students for the demands of a challenging blended-learning curriculum and a dynamic profession.
Admission Requirements
- In order to be considered for admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at South College, the following criteria must be met:
- Complete a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution prior to classes beginning. Admission may be granted pending completion of the degree.
- Complete all required prerequisite courses with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) and prerequisite course GPA of 3.00 or greater on a 4.00 scale.
- Grades below “C-” in prerequisite courses will not be accepted.
- If a prerequisite course is repeated, the credit hours assigned to the course may be counted only once in fulfilling the required number of hours. The prerequisite GPA will be determined using the highest course grade achieved; however, both grades will be calculated into the cumulative GPA.
- If cumulative GPA is less than 3.00 on a 4.00 scale, an applicant may still be eligible for admission if a cumulative GPA of greater than 3.50 has been achieved over the last 60 semester or 90 quarter hour credits of coursework.
- Submission of two (2) references; one from a licensed physical therapist, academic advisor/professor, OR supervisor/employer and one from someone of the applicant’s choice. References cannot consist of family, friends, clergy, or politicians.
- Completion of a minimum of fifty (50) hours of volunteer or work experience with a licensed physical therapist is recommended, but not required
- For all applicants for whom English is not their first language or those who have completed a degree and prerequisite courses in a foreign country, demonstration of English language proficiency is required through completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- Successful completion of an admission interview. Applicants are selected for interviews based on a holistic evaluation of their application and supporting documents.
- Ability to fulfill the Technical Standards for admission outlined on the DPT website.
- Complete an approved Criminal Background Check (CBC) prior to matriculation.
- Due to the way that our program is classified according to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, our students are not eligible for educational visas. Accordingly, we are only able to admit applicants who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Admission Prerequisites*
- Biology with laboratory recommended (8 quarter hours/6 semester hours);
- General Chemistry with laboratory (12 quarter hours/8 semester hours);
- General Physics with laboratory (12 quarter hours/8 semester hours);
- Human Anatomy and Physiology with laboratory (12 quarter hours/8 semester hours)**;
- Statistics (4.5 quarter hours/3 semester hours);
- General Psychology (4.5 quarter hours/3 semester hours)
- Upper Level Psychology (4.5 quarter hours/3 semester hours)
- English Composition or Writing (4.5 quarter hours/3 semester hours).
**Applicants must complete Anatomy and Physiology courses within the last 5 years prior to application or demonstrate ongoing work experiences that have kept this knowledge current (e.g. physical therapist assistant, athletic trainer, etc.). All remaining letter-graded prerequisite coursework is acceptable no matter when the coursework was completed. However, we strongly recommend that applicants take refresher courses as needed to fully prepare themselves for our accelerated DPT program.
Advanced Placement and Transfer Credit
All courses required for the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program, both didactic and clinical, must be completed at South College. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at South College does not grant advanced placement, credit for experiential learning, or transfer credits from another program or institution.