Admissions

Eligibility requirements

  • Completed—or will complete—a bachelor’s degree in any major from a regionally-accredited institution
  • Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 and a math/science prerequisite of 3.2
  • Completed all prerequisites with a maximum of one outstanding course by the application deadline

  • Statistics* (must include a study of descriptive and inferential statistics)
  • Human anatomy* (one semester with lab, OR Human Anatomy & Physiology I with lab)
  • Human physiology* (one semester, lab preferred OR Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab)
  • General Chemistry* (two semesters with labs that are inorganic focused)
  • General Physics* (two semesters with labs)
  • Introductory Psychology
  • Human Lifespan Development course (must include the study of development from birth to death; more than one course may be required)

*Grades earned in these courses will be utilized to calculate math/science GPA
which must be a 3.2 minimum.

All prerequisite courses must be at least three credit hours and be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher. All science courses must be at a level for science majors and include a lab.

Read the prerequisite course descriptions to make sure your prerequisites are a suitable match.

At the time of application, you may have one, yet-to-be-completed course. This outstanding course must be finished before starting the program. The IU DPT prerequisite courses do not have an expiration date.

Online courses and labs are being accepted for prerequisite requirements.

Applicants are not eligible to apply if they do not meet our minimum requirements, which include a 3.2 cumulative GPA and a 3.2 math/science prerequisite GPA. We do give special consideration to the last 60 credit hours. All college coursework is factored into the cumulative GPA.

If an applicant’s school has transitioned to a Satisfactory/Fail or Pass/Fail grading option in response to the pandemic, grades would be accepted as follows:

  • For students in the Indiana University system, a Satisfactory grade would be accepted although a Passing grade would not be accepted.
  • For applicants from universities other than Indiana University, either Satisfactory or Passing grades will be accepted, though Satisfactory is preferred if both S and P grades are an option.

The DPT admissions committee accepts coursework from any regionally accredited institution.

Online courses are accepted. Dual credit courses are acceptable if recorded on a college transcript with a grade. Courses taken for AP credit will be accepted for prerequisite courses if a score of three or higher is earned (the course must appear on official university transcripts). CLEP tests are not accepted.

Transfer credit is not accepted. As a potential student, be aware that all courses in the program curriculum are required. There is not an option for the curriculum to be accelerated.

Applicants who previously matriculated in any physical therapy program in the United States are not eligible for admission into the IU Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Students may retake up to fifteen (15) credit hours of prerequisites—the higher grade will be used to compute prerequisite GPA, but all grades will be used to calculate cumulative GPA.

Holistic admission provides a way to determine how aligned each applicant is with the IU PT values of “people, purpose, and passion.” Applicants are extended an offer of admission based on a holistic review process. A holistic review integrates an individual’s experiences, attributes, and academic metrics to determine their capabilities to contribute as a graduate student and physical therapist. Our program values the relationships we make with our students and we want to instill in them a strong sense of purpose in becoming:

  1. caring and compassionate professionals;
  2. future innovative leaders; and
  3. passionately engaged supporters of their communities and the profession.

This balanced holistic admission process occurs during all phases of application:
pre-interview application screening, interview and final selection of the
candidates.

The DPT admissions committee does not give preference to any applicant type.

  • Completed observation of a physical therapist for a minimum of 40 hours is required. These 40 hours are preferably performed in two different physical locations with a variety of patient types in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Ideally, 20-plus hours would be performed in each of the two settings. However, a minimum of 40 hours performed in any setting will be accepted.

Application deadlines are September 16 for program admission.

Application instructions

  1. Craft a personal statement. Tips for writing are included on the IU CAS graduate application page.
  2. Request official transcripts to submit to PTCAS.
  3. If you have not completed your bachelor’s degree, you will need to complete a Declaration of Intent to Complete form. Enter your information, print the form emailed to you, obtain necessary signatures, and submit as a document upload.
  4. Complete your application via the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). All application materials must be submitted in full, and your application must be in “complete” status by the admission deadline. Additional application fees apply.
  5. Submit your Indiana University graduate program application (IU CAS). The program’s name in IU CAS is “Physical Therapy DPT.” Applications are not reviewed until the application fee is paid, and must be received by the deadline.
  6. Interviews are held the first Friday of December. Be sure to save the date.
  7. GRE test scores are not required.

Information for international students

In addition to the requirements above, international applicants must follow the international application process and admission standards of the Office of International Affairs.

To earn admissions as an international applicant, you must also meet these program requirements:

  • If you are a non-native English speaker, you must meet the minimum requirements for English proficiency.
  • Applicants who complete coursework outside of the United States must have their official foreign transcripts evaluated and translated by an approved independent educational evaluating service based in the United States at their own expense. The evaluation should establish a degree equivalent and course-by-course equivalent for all foreign coursework.

Approved evaluation centers

International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
P.O. Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
Phone: 310-258-9451
www.ierf.org

Josef Silny & Associates
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
Phone: 305-273-1616
www.jsilny.com

World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
PO Box 745
New York, NY 10113-0745
Phone: 212-966-6311
World Education Services
www.wes.org

Minimum requirement for English proficiency

The test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) test is used and you must meet the following scores for each sub-section and total.

  • Reading: 22
  • Listening: 22
  • Speaking: 26
  • Writing: 24