Preparation for Physical Therapy Programs
Academic Preparation
What you'll need
- a Bachelor’s degree
- any major is appropriate, so study something you love!
- completion of prerequisite classes
- vary from school to school
- the most common classes are outlined below
Extracurricular Preparation
What you'll need
Experiences that develop and demonstrate skills in
- communication
- leadership
- community service
- research
- familiarity with the profession
Extracurricular Activities
- Make sure you have contact information for supervisors and physicians you work with or shadow in case you need a recommendation letter. Try to keep an open relationship with them after you discontinue activities.
- Keep a record of all hours of service and experiences. The PreHealth Planner Spreadsheet can help with this.
- Writing reflections on each activity in a journal will be helpful when you write your personal statement.
Observation and Clinical Experience with Physical Therapists
This should be one of your first experiences as a PrePT student. Observing Licensed Physical Therapists working in different environments will help you understand the profession. Shadowing also help you get to know PTs. This is important as many programs require at least one recommendation letter from a PT. Many students find shadowing opportunities through volunteer experiences at medical facilities private facilities and wellness clinics.
Interacting well with sick people is one of the key indicators of a successful healthcare provider. In order to gain experience providing direct “hands-on” with patients, most students obtain a job as a PT Aide in hospitals, nursing homes or hospice care after volunteering several months at these facilities.
(UUPT suggests students shadow aminimum of 100 hours, but the average number of observation hours among matriculated students to their program is 250 hours with 1-2 different PTs.)
Community Service
Since you are preparing for a humanitarian profession, it is important to demonstrate compassion, and interact with people from different backgrounds from your own. This will strengthen your interpersonal and communication skills. This does not have to be only in a medical field.
Leadership Experience
As a physical therapist, you will be a leader and team member in many ways – with your patients, your staff, your colleagues, and in your community. Examples includes offices held in organizations, committee work; leadership in church activities; coordinating a project; managing, training, supervising at work or in other activities; teaching experience of any kind; coaching, peer counseling or mentoring, etc.
For University of Utah PT program (UUPT), leadership is considered equally important as observing PTs.
PrePhysical Therapy Coursework
This guide is designed for applying to a range of PT programs. It is not a comprehensive list. Requirements may vary by school so applicants should look closely at what is required at the schools at which they are applying. The following list indicates the most commonly classes required or recommended by PT programs in the west and the top ten schools that University of Utah graduates attend. Prerequisite coursework is subject to change without notice. See a preprofessional advisor for more information.
AP & IB Credit
Students with Advance Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits in science or math should meet with a preprofessional advisor in order to discuss AP in relation to prerequisite classes. Those awarded hours may or may not be accepted to complete prerequisite coursework. Check each program’s requirements online. For example, The University of Utah PT program (UUPT) will not accept AP/IB credit for any prerequisite.
Community College Credits
PT schools vary on their view of prerequisite classes taken at Community Colleges. Some accept them but look on them with some disfavor, other schools readily accept them. Students should be aware of this when planning their education.
There are a number of very good reasons for students to begin their college education at a Community College, so we have some recommendations for those who wish to do so. In general it is okay to take the following classes at the Salt Lake Community College.
MATH 1050 College Algebra and anything below
MATH 1060 Trigonometry
BIOL 1610 & 1615 General Biology 1 labs in place of BIOL 1210 at the U of U
CHEM 1210 & 1215 General Chemistry 1 with lab
ENGL 1010 and 2010
- CLEP Credit & Correspondence Study—Credits may or may not be accepted as completed prerequisite coursework. Check each program’s requirements online.
- Online Courses—Depends on program. Ask programs you are considering applying to directly.
- Withdrawals— W’s should be used only for emergencies, although W’s will not affect GPA.
- GPA— Most PT programs require minimum overall AND prerequisite GPA of 3.0. Competitive
applicants for most programs have 3.5 or higher in both the overall and prerequisite
GPA.
- UUPT requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 for both cumulative and prerequisite GPA to apply.
- Minimum Course Grade Requirement— Most programs set a minimum grade requirement for prerequisite courses of C or better.
- Grade Expiration— Many programs require certain prerequisite courses to be completed within 5 to 7 years
of entering a PT program. Check each program’s requirements for more information.
- UUPT requires biological sciences, anatomy, physiology, physics, chemistry courses (all with appropriate labs) to be taken within 7 years, and psychology and math courses within 10 years.
- Repeated Courses— PTCAS will include all of the grades if you repeat, but how each PT program views
repeated courses varies.
- UUPT will take the better grades only in prerequisite courses. However, many programs, including UUPT will consider your performance in each class and the frequency of repeats. It is better to take it once and do well.
Science Courses
Do your research and verify what is required with each program you wish to apply to.
- BIOL 1610, Fundamentals of Biology (3 credits) Formerly BIOL 1210
- Even if not required, this is the prerequisite for most biology classes
- BIOL 2325, Human Anatomy (4 credits) Prerequisite BIOL 1610
- Anatomy required by UUPT
- BIOL 2420 Human Physiology (4 credits) Lab 2425 (1 credit) Prerequisites BIOL 1610 and CHEM 1210
- Both lecture and lab required by UUPT
- KINES 3091 Exercise Physiology (3 credits) Prerequisite BIOL 2325, BIOL 2420, and MATH 1050
- Required by UUPT
Do your research and verify what is required with each program you wish to apply to.
In order to take the proper math class, you must have ACT, SAT or math placement test scores, or successfully pass a prerequisite math course. Some students will need MATH 0980 or MATH 1010 before starting the PrePT Math sequence.
- MATH 1050 College Algebra (4 credits) Prerequisite MATH 1010 or placement
- Even if not required, this is a recommended prerequisite for general chemistry
- MATH 1060 Trigonometry (4 credits) Prerequisite MATH 1050 or placement
- Even if not required, this is a recommended prerequisite for general physics
- Math 1070 Statistics (3 credits) Prerequisite MATH 1010 or placement
- For UUPT (and possibly other programs), other statistics classes can be accepted if a couse includes both descriptive and inferential statitcs (ie. hypothesis testing, t-test, analysis of variance, regression, confidence intervals
- Required by UUPT
Do your research and verify what is required with each program you wish to apply to.
UofU PT Program (UUPT) requires any 1 years sequence of chemistry. However, many schools have more specific requirements
- CHEM 1210 General Chemistry I (4 credits) Prerequisite MATH 1050 or math placement
- Lab CHEM 1215 (1 credit)
- CHEM 1220 General Chemistry 2 (4 credits) Prerequisite CHEM 1210
- Lab CHEM 1225 (1 credit)
- CHEM 2310 Organic Chemistry I (4 credits) Prerequisite CHEM 1220
- Lab 2315 (2 credits)
- May be required by Some Schools
Do your research and verify what is required with each program you wish to apply to.
UUPT Required
One year of Physics w/ labs required; students have two series to choose from. Algebra/trig-based physics, or calculus based physics.
Please consult with both your major and PPA advisor to determine the correct lecture and lab sequence.
- PHYS 2010 General Physics I (4 credits) Prerequisite MATH 1060
- Lab PHYS 2015 (1 credit)
- PHYS 2020 General Physics II (4 credits) Prerequisite PHYS 2010
- Lab PHYS 2025 (1 credit)
OR
- PHYS 2210 Physics for Scientists and EngineersI (4 credits) Prerequisite MATH 1210
- Lab PHYS 2015 or2215 (1 credit)
- PHYS 2220 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (4 credits) Prerequisite MATH 1220 and PHYS 2210
- Lab PHYS 2025 or 2225 (1 credit)
Non-Science Course Requirements
REQUIRED BY MOST SCHOOLS
- 1-2 Psychology courses (Usually PSY 1010 + Upper Division course such as Abnormal or Developmental Psychology)
UUPT only requires one psychology course; no preference of which
REQUIRED OR RECOMMENDED BY SOME SCHOOLS
- One Sociology course
- Current First Aid and CPR Certification before matriculation.
OPTIONAL PREPARATORY COURSES FOR MATH, CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
- CHEM 1200: Preparation for College Chemistry (3 credits) Usually offered online. Check class schedule for more information
- CHEM 1208: Introduction to the Periodic Table (1 credit) Offered online between semesters for 2 weeks
- CHEM 2308: Introduction to Organic Chemistry (1 credit) Offered online between semesters for 2 weeks.
OPTIONAL COURSES FOR EXPLORING HEALTHCARE
- PH TH 1010: Foundations of PT (2 credits)
- LEAP 1100: Health Professions LEAP (3 credits), 2 semester seminar course for those considering health professions. For more information, visit https://leap.utah.edu/program-options/healthprofessions.php
- H EDU 1020: Introduction to Health Profession (3 credits)
Prepare for Letters of Recommendation
Types of Letters Required
Requirements for letters vary between schools, so research schools early and know what you need. Generally, you will need one letter from each of the following people. Plan ahead! Get to know people from these categories so they can write excellent letters for you. The PT Application Service, PTCAS, limits applicants to 4 letters, but most programs require 3 letters.
- Physical Therapists you shadowed
- Professor (usually Science)
- Any Supervisor (usually employment)
- Other professor (Possibly a professor in your major. UUPT may accept a letter from an athletic coach.)
Get to Know Your Professors!
How to Establish this Relationship
A key to a good letter is the establishment of a relationship between student and professor based on shared academic interests.
- Ask thoughtful questions and show genuine interest
- Delve deeper into concepts presented in lectures
- Share your academic and career goals
- Ask for recommendations for additional reading
- Inquire about their areas of interest and research
During the Semester
Tell professors at the beginning of the semester that you would like them to keep an eye on your performance in class. It will give them a longer observational window. Visit their offices regularly!
End of Semester
If you do well in your class, ask them if they would be willing to write you an excellent letter of recommendation when you are ready to apply.
Ask about Opportunities
After you have gotten to know professors, ask about further opportunities, e.g., teaching assistantships, individual research projects, etc
Resources
Downloadable Resources
PreHealth PlannerKeep track of your activities, and your research on medical schools.
Student Groups
Campus Connect find more than 200 student organizations at the U
Helpful Websites
- American Physical Therapy Association Find PT programs in the nation.
- Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (Provo, UT) Physical Therapy Program