Pre-Physical Therapy
“Physical therapists provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical
disabilities of patients with injuries or disease. Physical therapists work closely with patients and clients to restore, maintain, and promote
their overall fitness and wellness for healthier and more active lifestyles. Patients may include accident victims and individuals with
disabling conditions such as low back pain, fractures, head injuries, arthritis, heart disease, and cerebral palsy.
Physical therapists perform tests and measures such as strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance,
respiration, and motor function, to identify potential and existing problems. Based on the examination and the physical therapist’s
evaluative judgment, they determine a patient diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of care that describes evidence-based treatment strategies
and the anticipated functional outcomes.” Taken from http://explorehealthcareers.org/en/Career/70/Physical_Therapist
Admission to a Physical Therapy program requires a four-year Bachelor’s degree. Successful completion of a Physical Therapy program
leads to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
At MTSU, most students choose to complete a four-year degree in a science related discipline such as Biology or Chemistry. However, as
long as prerequisite courses for Physical Therapy school are completed students can complete a degree of choice. Below is a suggested
curriculum of courses that incorporates requirements for most Physical Therapy schools:
Suggested Curriculum
First Year Fall
CHEM 1110/1111 General Chemistry I*
BIOL 1110/1111 General Biology I
ENGL 1010 Expository Writing
MATH 1730 Pre Calculus
Second Year Fall
BIOL 2010/2011 Anatomy and Physiology I
PHYS 2010/2011 Non Calculus Based Physics I
PSY 1410 General Psychology
Course from Major
Third Year Fall
MATH 1530 Applied Statistics
CSCI 1150 Computer Orientation
Literature General Education
US History
Humanities General Education
Fourth Year Fall
Courses from Major
Note 1:
4 hrs
4 hrs
3 hrs
4 hrs
15 hrs
4 hrs
4 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
14 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
15 hrs
15 hrs
First Year Spring
CHEM 1120/1121 General Chemistry II
BIOL 1120/1121 General Biology II
ENGL 1020 Research and Argumentative Writing
Courses from Major
Second Year Spring
BIOL 2020/2021 Anatomy and Physiology II
PHYS 2020/2021 Non Calculus Based Physics II
PSY 2300 Developmental Psychology
Course from Major
Third Year Spring
COMM 2200 Fundamentals of Communication
Social and Behavioral General Education
Humanities General Education
US History
Course from Major
Fourth Year Spring
Courses from Major
4 hrs
4 hrs
3 hrs
6 hrs
17 hrs
4 hrs
4 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
14 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
15 hrs
15 hrs
*A student who has had little or no high school chemistry or is not satisfied with their high school chemistry
should first take Chemistry 1010/1011 (Introduction to General Chemistry) before taking CHEM 1110/1111.
Additional requirements for UT Chattanooga: EXSC 3830/3831 Physiology of Exercise, HLTH 3300 First Aid and Safety Education (or certification
in CPR/First Aid). HUM 2130 Medical Vocabulary is suggested.
Additional requirements for ETSU: EXSC 3830/3831 Physiology of Exercise
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THOSE PURSUING
A PRE-PHYSICAL THERAPY CURRICULUM
Advisor: You will be assigned a Pre-Professional advisor in addition to the advisor for your major. See your
advisors at least once per semester. Notify your advisor about the PT schools you wish to apply and consult with
them about course selection and volunteer work.
Competition: Completion of all prerequisites does not guarantee admission to PT school. Admission to PT
schools is very competitive. There are 5-8 qualified applicants for every slot.
What The Schools Are Looking For: PT schools are looking for four basic things: good grades (at least a GPA
of 3.5 to be minimally competitive) including good grades in the sciences (no C’s), knowledge of PT as a career
(volunteer work), maturity, and excellent interpersonal skills (recommendations and the interview). They also
check to see that you meet all their requirements.
GRE : Students applying to PT programs must take the Graduate Record Exam. We recommended a minimum of
300, however higher scores will be helpful.
Volunteer Work: Volunteer work with a physical therapist is required by each school. We encourage you to
begin accruing these volunteer hours early in your academic career. Experiences gained during volunteer work will
enable you to make sure physical therapy is the career fit for you. Work should be obtained in 2 to 3 different types
of patient care, such as a physical therapy clinic, a hospital, a nursing home, and a home health service. The
number of hours required vary according to the PT school, but 75 - 120 volunteer hours is appropriate. The
purpose is for you to learn as much as possible about the career of PT and about as many different types of patient
care as possible. Talk to the PT’s and ask them about their career and their undergraduate and graduate
experiences. There is a lot of information online regarding the career. Therefore we encourage you to read as much
as you can about the field. Also, be sure to develop a relationship with the Physical Therapists since some of the
schools require evaluations or recommendations from them.
The Application: Application deadlines vary (some schools start in January, May, or August/September). We
recommend you complete most of the courses required by the PT schools before you begin the application process.
Applications are submitted via PTCAS. Familiarize yourself with www.ptcas.org to learn more about how to
apply.
Pre Professional Advisory Committee: References from professors, advisors, and/or Physical Therapists are
required as part of the admissions process. We can offer you a mock interview and a Composite Evaluation from
the Pre Professional Health Science Advisory Committee. This process involves getting evaluations from four or
five science professors. Therefore it is to your advantage to develop relationships with your professors early so
they can better evaluate you. Contact your advisor in KUC 316 to schedule the MTSU interview.
Professional School Interview: The interview is extremely important. Take time to prepare for this
interview. The best way to prepare is to practice. Your advisor can help you prepare as can the Career
Development Center. Think about what has inspired you to become a Physical Therapist. The Professional School
is looking for maturity, problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, and most importantly
demonstrated knowledge of Physical Therapy.
Repeated Courses: We hope you don’t need to repeat a course. Since Physical Therapy schools are so
competitive a low grade in an important prerequisite course could impact you in a negative way. Grades of “A’s”
and B’s” should be your goals. A “D” in a required course must be repeated. Schools differ on whether a “C” in a
required course should be repeated. See your advisor if you have any questions about repeating coursework.
Follow Up: If your application to Physical Therapy school is unsuccessful, call them to find out what you can do
to improve your chances and then do exactly what they say and re-apply in the next cycle.
Websites:
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA): http://www.apta.org/
Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS): http://www.ptcas.org/home.aspx
Physical Therapy Programs:
UT Health Science Center
UT Chattanooga
Belmont University
Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University
PT SCHOOL
UT Health Science Ctr.
UT-Chattanooga
Belmont
TSU
ETSU
Must have BS
degree?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
http://www.uthsc.edu/health-professions/pt/
http://www.utc.edu/physical-therapy/
http://www.belmont.edu/pt/
http://www.tnstate.edu/pt/
http://www.etsu.edu/crhs/physther/
APPLICATION
DEADLINE
January
October
December
October
May
STARTING
DATE
August
August
August
June
January
DEGREE
OFFERED
DPT
DPT
DPT
DPT
DPT
LENGTH OF
PROGRAM
3 YR
3 YR
3 YR
3 YR
3 YR
For more information please see your Advisor in the Pre Professional Health Science Advising Center in
KUC 316 or email preprof@mtsu.edu.
Eric Miller
Advising Manager
615-494-8894
ericb.miller@mtsu.edu
Last Names A-D
Douglas Adams
Advisor
615-898-2316
douglas.adams@mtsu.edu
Last Names E-M
Jon Buchalski
Advisor
615-898-5465
jon.buchalski@mtsu.edu
Last Names N-Z