The UT Martin Pre-Physical Therapy Plan is designed to prepare students for application to a graduate physical therapy program. By following the Pre-Physical Therapy Plan recommendations, students will be eligible for admission into most Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) programs; however, the undergraduate courses required for admission vary substantially from one institution to the next. The courses listed below are intended only as a guideline and students are strongly encouraged to review the requirements for their school(s) of choice as they vary from school to school. Additionally, the Pre-Physical Therapy Plan is not a major and does not fulfill the requirements for a baccalaureate degree at UT Martin. The courses listed below are recommendations and are not required for degree completion unless also listed under the student’s chosen major.
Most D.P.T. programs require applicants to earn a baccalaureate degree before matriculation into the professional program. The Biology-Organismal Biology Concentration as well as the Health and Human Performance: Exercise Science majors include many of the courses listed below; however, students may choose to major in any subject area they wish as long as they also complete the courses required by their chosen D.P.T. program(s).
For most D.P.T. programs:
- Students must have earned a bachelor’s degree prior to admission.
- Applicants must demonstrate that all required course work will be completed with a grade of C or better prior to admission.
- Applicants must complete the General Record Examination (GRE) and meet the technical skills as defined by the professional school.
- Applicants are expected to have some knowledge of the field from direct observations as part of their pre-professional experiences. Some professional schools require documentation of observation prior to admission.
- Applicants should submit their application directly to each physical therapy school or through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) in the summer or fall of the year preceding the desired admission date.
At a minimum, most Physical Therapy schools require:
- 8 hours of biology
- 8 hours of chemistry
- 3 hours of statistics
- 8 hours of anatomy and physiology
- 8 hours of physics
- 3 hours of psychology
In addition to the courses listed above, most physical therapy schools require additional humanities and/or social science electives. The requirements for those electives vary widely. Students should check with their school(s) of choice to determine how many elective hours are required and if they need to be in a specific area. For example, some schools allow electives to be chosen from any humanities or social sciences area while others more specifically require electives from behavioral sciences.
While not an exhaustive list, the following courses are recommended for students considering applying to Physical Therapy school. As noted above, the requirements for the different Physical Therapy schools vary widely. Students should always check with their adviser and/or school(s) of choice before deciding which classes to take. Additionally, students may wish to take additional upper division psychology courses as well as courses in foreign language, political science, humanities, art history, philosophy, logic, English literature, history, fine arts, and religion.