Doctor of Physical Therapy

• Two separate applications; (1) PTCAS application and (2) the DPT Supplemental Application are required. 
• Both must be submitted through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service.

Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree can be pending at the time of application but must be earned prior to June 1 of the enrollment year.  Note that program prerequisites can be in progress at the time of application but must be completed by June 1 of the enrollment year
• A grade of C or better in the individual prerequisite classes
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE): with a preferred score of 150 or higher in Verbal and 145 or higher in Quantitative. GRE code for PTCAS 7558. 
• Completion of a Medical Terminology Course (college/university or online certification course)
• Two letters of reference (at least one letter from a licensed physical therapist) are required; a third letter from a second PT in a different setting is highly recommended.  Send letters directly to PTCAS
• Personal written statement/essay - found online in the PTCAS application
• Personal resume including previous work experience, honors, awards, extracurricular activities, and community service experience - uploaded to PTCAS 
• Submission in PTCAS of a minimum of 50 observation hours gained through volunteering or employment in a physical therapy setting with a licensed Physical Therapist that demonstrates knowledge and understanding of physical therapy

• To be eligible for admission review, all required documents must be uploaded or mailed to PTCAS for processing. To meet the October deadline, PTCAS status must be "Complete."

Application and fee

• Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) application 
• PTCAS fee 
• Supplemental application 
• Supplemental application Step-by-step instructions 
• Supplemental application fee 

* Human Anatomy with Lab (4 SCH) and Human Physiology with Lab (4 SCH) sequence also meets the Anatomy and Physiology requirements

** A second Biology Course that is not plant-based (Botany is not accepted) - Lecture and Laboratory, 4 semester credit hours

All science courses MUST BE designated for science majors or pre-allied health majors

Check course equivalencies for Texas institutions using the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS)  

Transcripts

Official transcripts from each college/university currently and previously attended reflecting completed and in progress coursework - submit directly to PTCAS (Do not send transcripts to the Health Science Center)

Transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be submitted in the original language and must be accompanied by a NACES Members evaluation agency English translation for each course.

International Applicants

Submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores; minimum scores 560 (paper) or 68 (internet) 

Contact Us

Office of Admissions and Special Programs:

7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX 78229-3900
Contact us

Program Information

Find more information on the Doctor of Physical Therapy program on the department page.

Please refer to the University Catalog for the most current information. 

DPT ADMISSIONS CHANGES FOR THE 2021-2022 APPLICATION CYCLE 

1. The Department of Physical Therapy prefers that the students take courses for grades rather than Pass/Fail when given the choice. The PT department will no longer accept Pass/Fail grades for prerequisite courses that have transitioned to online delivery due to COVID-19 guidelines unless they were taken in the 2020 spring and summer semesters.  
2. We have also agreed to not include Pass/Fail grades for 2020 spring and summer semester courses when calculating overall and science grade point averages (GPAs).
3. PT observation hours: 30 of the required 50 hours of observation must be completed at the time of application. The remaining 20 hours must be completed prior to April 1, 2022.
4. We do not require GRE scores to be submitted by the application deadline, but the GRE scores must be submitted prior to April 1, 2022.

These admission modifications will only extend to any new applicant applying for the DPT class to begin the summer of 2022.

The planned class size for each new cohort is 50 students.