Physical Therapy Pre-Professional Program Requirements
The following outlines the entrance requirements for the three accredited Physical Therapy programs in the state of Indiana. No two physical therapy programs have exactly the same entrance requirements, so you will need to determine the specific entrance requirements for each physical therapy school you plan to apply to, and make sure that you incorporate all required courses into your degree program.
A Bachelor's degree is required prior to admission to physical therapy school, which leads to a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Students may major in any subject, but the most common majors are Biology and Psychology due to the overlap between the degree requirements and entrance requirements for physical therapy school. When choosing a major, you should choose a subject area that allows you the potential to pursue other career options as well as physical therapy.
Specific coursework that must be completed prior to admission to each Indiana physical therapy school is listed in the campus bulletin. Once you have declared a major, you will need to be advised by an academic advisor in that department regarding the requirements for a Bachelor's degree in that subject. You must include the courses as part of your curriculum no matter what degree you choose to pursue; each science course must be for science majors, not general education or survey courses, and must include both a lecture and laboratory component except as listed. Please check the current Bulletin for information about Math Placement Level requirements and other pre-requisites for these courses.
Minimum 3.0 GPA, both cumulative (overall) and specifically in math and science coursework. Minimum of sixty hours of observation required. Applications are accepted until October 1st for matriculation the following fall at IUPUI; please check the Doctor of Physical Therapy Requirements page for specific application deadlines each year as well as additional information.
Most physical therapy programs require that you complete a specified number of hours of observation of licensed physical therapists prior to applying for admission; see the individual program websites for the number of hours required and any requirements regarding the setting(s) in which the observations take place. "If you are applying to a program that requires verification of your observation hours by the physical therapist you observed, this can be done electronically through the American Physical Therapy Association website or on a paper form that you can download here. Additional information about physical therapy, including a list of every accredited physical therapy program in the U.S., can be found at the American Physical Therapy Association website. Students interested in completing pre-physical therapy course work at IU South Bend should contact the Department of Biological Sciences soon after admission to discuss an appropriate degree program.