Application Requirements 

• U.S. bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) awarded by an accredited college or university, or is expected to be awarded within one term of enrollment.
  • We do not require a specific undergraduate major or minor of study.
• Transcripts from all attended higher education institutions
• Two letters of recommendation
  • At least one from an academic source (e.g., instructor within your major/minor area of study or from one of your prerequisite courses, academic advisor)
  • And, at least one from a coach, employer/supervisor, or other supervising source who has observed your professional behavior
• Responses to application essay questions
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in prerequisite coursework
  • Online courses are accepted, in-person courses are highly recommended.
  • All prerequisite courses must be completed with grades of “C” or better prior to enrollment.
  • There is no credit hour limit on grade forgiveness for repeated prerequisite courses. 
• Competitive GRE score on verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections
• Minimum of 40 clinical observation hours in a physical therapy practice setting.
  • Experience in a variety of physical therapy practice settings is highly recommended (hospital-based, outpatient orthopedics, pediatrics, skilled nursing facility, aquatics, etc.).

Technical Standards and Essential Functions Information and Agreement

Transfer Credit Statement: The DPT program does not accept any transfer credit from any other DPT program at this time. 

View the Technical Standards and Essential Functions Agreement Here

Additional Requirements for International Applicants

Transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services (an approved credentialing agency) if courses were completed at an institution outside of the United States. Documentation must include the U.S. equivalency of course names, grades and credits.

International students must provide evidence of English Language Proficiency (ELP) through one of following:

• Citizenship from an approved English-speaking country
• Baccalaureate or master’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution, or institution in an approved English-speaking country
• Successful completion of an Intensive English Language course through the University of Memphis IEI program
• Completion of an English Proficiency Exam
  • Test scores expire after two years. Tests must be taken within two years prior to applying.
  • TOEFL - minimum acceptable score: 550 on in-person test, 80 on online test
  • IELTS (academic) - minimum acceptable score: 6.5 overall
  • PTE (Pearson Test of English) - minimum acceptable score: 59
  • DET (Duolingo English Test) - minimum acceptable score: 110

Prerequisites

Biological Sciences (8 credit hours)

• Includes lecture and lab instruction
• Course content should include topics such as cell structure, cell function, heredity, development, evolution and ecology.

Anatomy & Physiology (8 credit hours)

• Includes lecture and lab instruction
• Human, mammalian or vertebrate anatomy and physiology (A&P); combined or separate A&P courses are acceptable based on course syllabus
• Should be provided by the biology or anatomy department

Chemistry (8 credit hours)

• Includes lecture and lab instruction
• Course content should include topics such as laws of chemistry, atomic theory and bonding, ionic and molecular compounds, states of matter, oxidation-reduction reactions, acid-based reactions, thermodynamics and chemical equilibrium.

Physics (8 credit hours)

• Includes lecture and lab instruction
• Course content should include topics such as mechanics, heat, sound, magnetism, electricity, light and modern physics.

Behavioral Sciences (6 credit hours)

• Must include one course in general/introductory psychology
• Additional course may include psychology, sociology, anthropology or other areas that focus on human behavior (Life Span Psychology, Child Psychology, Social Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Psyc Learning/Memory, Health Psychology, Multicultural Psychology, Sociology of Poverty, Sociology of Aging and the Life Course, Medical Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Psychological Aspects of Exercise, Health & Lifestyle Counseling)
• AP/CLEP credit accepted

Statistics (3 credit hours)

• May be taken in any department; content should include utilization and interpretation of statistical methods, frequency distributions, central tendency, linear regression, probability, hypothesis testing via t-test and chi-square
• AP/CLEP credit accepted

Math (3 credit hours)

• Level of pre-calculus or higher
• AP/CLEP credit accepted
• Precalculus is typically the standard prerequisite for General Physics I and II. However, some institutions may require a different prerequisite mathematics course or course series, such as an Algebra and Trigonometry course series, as outlined in their academic catalog. If your institution follows a different prerequisite structure, we are happy to review documentation confirming that the math course you completed satisfies the prerequisite for Physics I at your school. Please submit official documentation (i.e., academic catalog) along with a transcript showing successful completion of both the prerequisite math course and Physics I course.

Technology Requirements 

Students are required to have a laptop computer that can support the software and resources used by the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. 

The minimum system requirements for a PC or Mac laptop computer are listed below. System performance (processing speed and available RAM) will vary based upon installed software, actively running software/applications, and internet speed. Therefore, each student should ensure his/her laptop, internet speed/capacity, and webcam can support the technology programs and resources used throughout the DPT Program. Though not required, a quality protective carrying case and warranty are recommended for your system.

Additional Notes: Students are required to have their laptop computer charged and available at orientation and with them when attending all DPT program onsite activities. Tablets (e.g. iPad, Chromebook) may be used at student discretion during lab activities, but are not a substitute for laptop computers when taking required onsite examinations.