Pre-Physical Therapy Option
Required Courses -
Course Description -
Sample Program of Study
Physical therapists work with people who have been disabled by injury,
illness, or birth defects. They assist in evaluating the physical problems
and administer therapeutic agents such as massage and exercise, heat, baths,
ultrasonics, and electricity; they work in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes,
schools, rehabilitation centers, and private practice. Within the Health Science major, Pre-Physical Therapy is one option of
study that students may declare. Doing so will prepare them with most of the
necessary pre-requisites for admission to schools granting the doctorate in
physical therapy degree (DPT). Should a student take the Pre-Physical Therapy
option, he or she will still graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science.
Courses required for admission to a graduate program in physical therapy (PT)
typically include biology, chemistry, English composition, physics, psychology,
mathematics, and statistics. Click on the “required courses” link above for a
complete list of course requirements in the Pre-Physical Therapy option of the
Health Science major. It is extremely important to note that there are no uniform pre-requisites
for PT programs. Students are advised to check the individual requirements of
the schools to which they plan to apply to ensure that all pre-requisites can
be obtained in a timely manner. Additional requirements might include coursework
in zoology, microbiology or neurobiology, genetics, psychology, or computer science. Many schools require a student to have volunteer or paid experience in PT
settings under the supervision of a physical therapist. The number of hours
required may vary from 20 - 300. Again, it is important to check with individual
schools to find out their detailed requirements. Most PT schools require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to be submitted
with each application. For more information visit the UWSP website http://www.uwsp.edu/counseling. Admission to PT programs is competitive. The minimum GPA needed to apply to
most schools is 3.0. In addition to a good GPA, schools consider an applicant’s
GRE score, hours of experience in the field, letters of recommendation, and a
personal interview. Each PT program requires a separate application. Be sure to check with individual
PT schools for application forms and directions. Physical therapy programs in Wisconsin include: For more information on physical therapy, visit the American Physical Therapy
Association web site at http://www.apta.org.
Office: SCI D127 · Phone: (715) 346-3766 · Fax: (715) 346-2640 · Email: hlthsci@uwsp.edu