Preparing for Admission to a Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy Program
To meet accreditation standards, all physical therapy graduate programs must lead to a doctorate degree in physical therapy (DPT).
Most programs have transitioned to doctorate programs, but a few schools still offer a master’s degree. If you are seeking admission to a physical therapy graduate program, you need to complete a bachelor’s degree in any field, plus the prerequisite coursework listed below.
While many of these courses are not required for occupational therapy, following the Pre-Physical Therapy track makes students strongly competitive for a master’s in occupational therapy (MOT). There are doctorate programs in OT called the OTD, as well.
The main pre-physical therapy and pre-occupational therapy track is the BS in Applied Human Sciences. You should contact individual PT and OT schools for their admissions requirements or consult the or websites.
General Biology |
BIO 2101, 2102, 2103 |
15 |
Human Anatomy and Physiology |
BIO 2129, 2130 |
10 |
General Microbiology |
BIO 3351 |
5 |
General Chemistry |
CHM 1211, 1212 |
10 |
Survey of Organic Chemistry |
CHM 1330 |
5 |
Introductory Inorganic Chemistry |
CHM 2540 |
5 |
General Physics |
PHY 1101, 1102, 1103 |
15 |
Statistics |
MAT 2360 |
5 |
General Psychology |
PSY 1180 |
5 |
Life Span or Developmental Psychology |
PSY 2470 or 4420 |
5 |
Abnormal Behavior |
PSY 3360 |
5 |
Biomechanics |
PE 3570 |
5 |
Exercise Physiology |
PE 3580 |
5 |
Total |
|
95 |
Suggested additional courses include human nutrition, communication, and two courses in English. Check the requirements of the individual schools that interest you.