Doctor of Physical Therapy Admissions

June 15

•  PTCAS is open

Priority deadlines for PTCAS applications:

October 16, 2023 for 1st round of interviews

January 5, 2024 for 2nd round of interviews

March 8, 2024 for 3rd round of interviews

• Monitor your application status with PTCAS and PNWU School of Physical Therapy
• Applicant’s responsibility to update fall 2023 prerequisite course grades through PTCAS Academic Update
• PNWU School of Physical Therapy begins emailing invitations to interview

November 4

• First Round of Interviews

January 20

• Second Round of Interviews

March 23

• Third Round of Interviews

Acceptance is conditional until all required documentation is received and completed to PNWU’s satisfaction.

• Applicant must have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university by the end of the spring term prior to matriculation to the program.
• Final, official transcripts from all previously attended institutions must be on file prior to matriculation.
• Foreign institution coursework must be submitted to a foreign evaluation service for a course-by-course US equivalency report.
• Complete a Medical Terminology course.
• A cleared criminal background check.
• A cleared drug screening, if randomly selected.
• Certify the ability to meet the DPT Minimal Technical Standards and can perform the requirements with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Documentation of required immunizations.
• Documentation of health insurance coverage.
• Other required matriculation forms, surveys, training, counseling, etc.

To apply to PNWU you must be 18 years of age and a US Citizen, permanent resident, or have DACA status at the time of application. The process for applying to the PNWU DPT program begins by submitting an application through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) and designating your intention to apply to the PNWU School of Physical Therapy. PTCAS then verifies the information provided on each application, a process that may take 30 days or more.  PNWU’s School of Physical Therapy will review your application only after the verification is complete by PTCAS. The PTCAS Quick Start Guide is an excellent resource to guide proper submission of an application to any DPT program.

Official transcripts from all institutions attended must be sent to PTCAS. Verification of the information provided on the application will take place. This may take as much as 30 days or longer. PNWU will receive the application only after the verification is complete by PTCAS. Applicants should review the PTCAS Applicant Help Center and directory pages to assist them in submitting their application properly.

Foreign Coursework: Coursework taken at foreign institutions must have a course-by-course evaluation for US equivalence by an evaluation service and an official copy must be sent directly from the service to PTCAS.

Physical Therapy Experience/Observation:

• Provide evidence that you have seriously considered the profession of physical therapy as a good fit for your personal goals. Doing this may involve completing observation/shadowing of a physical therapist in practice or volunteering at a health care facility to gain a greater understanding of the field, or research into the profession in another way that fits your needs and learning style. However, it is critical that you understand and embrace the scope of work, values for care and, in particular, the opportunities for physical therapy to contribute to the health of underserved communities.

Academic Requirements: 

• Hold or be eligible to receive a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university by the end of the spring term prior to matriculation to the program.
• There is no minimum undergraduate GPA or last 60-unit GPA, however, a 3.0 GPA or higher is highly recommended to be a competitive applicant.
• Complete ten prerequisite courses listed below.  Students may have two prerequisites in progress (planned) for their last term.  You must have achieved, or expect to achieve, a grade of C or higher in all of these courses.
  • COVID-19 changes: The Admission Committee prefers a letter grade, however, when not able due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will consider CR/NR, P/NP, S/U.
  • Students must receive a passing grade on the first attempt in at least 6 of the prerequisite courses and pass any course needed to repeat on the first attempt.
  • Coursework older than seven years is not accepted. If a student retakes a prerequisite course because it is over seven years old, it does not count as a repeated course.
    • Complete upper division science courses with Online lectures for science prerequisite courses and online courses in statistics and psychology will be accepted.
  • COVID-19 changes: Online Lab Courses completed in Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021 (on-going if COVID-19 requires all courses to be online) will be accepted for lab prerequisites.
  • Advanced placement credits can fulfill the course requirements if they are accepted for credit by your degree-granting institution. CR/NC grades, correspondence courses, or independent study courses cannot be used for prerequisite requirements.

Prerequisite Courses:

• Human Anatomy with lab: 4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits; do not recommend online or hybrid courses for lab
• Human Physiology with lab: 4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits; do not recommend online or hybrid courses for lab
  • Or a two-course sequence in anatomy and physiology with lab
• Biological Sciences (not botany): 8 semester credits or 12 quarter credits, recommend upper division course in genetics
• General Chemistry or Inorganic and Organic or Biochemistry all with labs: 8 semester credits or 12 quarter credits; do not recommend online or hybrid courses for lab
• Physics with lab including mechanics, heat, light, sound, and electricity: 8 semester credits or 12 quarter credits; do not recommend online or hybrid courses for lab
• Psychology: 3 semester credits or 5 quarter credits; abnormal psychology or psychological aspects of disabilities preferred
• Statistics: 3 semester credits or 5 quarter credits

Note: In addition to the prerequisites, accepted students must complete a Medical Terminology course prior to the start of the program to prepare them for the clinical science courses in the DPT program. In particular, it is necessary for Foundations courses, Applied Pathophysiology, and professional practice courses.

Use the DPT Admissions Advising Planning Worksheet for planning purposes. If you have any questions regarding your specific situation, we strongly encourage applicants to contact their pre-medical/pre-health advisor or a PNWU admissions counselor at admission@pnwu.edu or 509.249.7888

Three letters of recommendation:

• One of which should be from a physical therapist licensed in the United States – this is now a recommendation instead of a requirement due to the impact of COVID-19 on the health care system.
• At least one of the other two from a professor, whom you have taken a course from in the United States.

PNWU does not have a standardized recommendation form. All recommendations should be on official letterhead, signed, and dated by the writer. References must be written within two years prior to your application.

References should be submitted using Letters by Liaison in the PTCAS application. PNWU will accept two additional letters of recommendation.

All applicants invited to interview with PNWU SOPT are interviewed in groups with two panelists per group. Interview panelists are provided a list of names prior to the interview day to determine any conflict of interest.

The interview day is an opportunity for PNWU to get to know applicants and for applicants to get to know PNWU. Opportunities to communicate directly with faculty and staff will be provided. The dress for the day is professional.

Contact Admissions and Recruitment at 509.249.7888 or admission@pnwu.edu if you are traveling with family or friends and would like a tour at the end of the visitation day.

COVID-19 changes: PNWU has developed a virtual interview day. The virtual interview is an opportunity for applicants interviewing to ask questions of PNWU faculty and staff. The dress for the day is professional.

Interview Days for 2023/24:

• Virtual Zoom Interviews – Saturday, November 4, 2023
• Virtual Zoom Interviews – Saturday, January 20, 2024
• Virtual Zoom Interviews – Saturday, March 23, 2024

After the interview, the DPT Admissions Committee reviews the applicants’ file and makes recommendations to the program director. Applicants are notified via email and the Self-Service portal is updated as soon as a final admission decision has been made.

A non-refundable acceptance fee of $500 is required from accepted applicants. Acceptance is conditional until all required documentation is received and completed to PNWU’s satisfaction.  PNWU-SOPT follows all ACAPT Traffic Rules.

PNWU does not usually defer admission. Requests submitted will be reviewed by the DPT Admission Committee and the applicant notified if the request can be granted.

Note: Intentional misrepresentation or omission of information relative to scholastic records, test records, background reports, etc. will subject the applicant to rescinded admission or a student to dismissal.