Admission Requirements

Requirements to Apply for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Frequently Asked Questions:

Please see the FAQ document, updated April 2022.

Degree requirement:

A bachelor's degree must be completed before entrance into the program.  Any bachelor's degree is acceptable, but it may be beneficial to pursue a degree that includes many or all of our prerequisites (below).

GPA requirement: 

A minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credits of undergraduate/graduate course work is required; however to be competitive, a 3.5 GPA is recommended.

Prerequisite courses:

A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in prerequisite coursework is required; however to be competitive, a 3.5 GPA is recommended.

A minimum “C” grade or higher in all prerequisite courses  is required.  (“C-“ will not be accepted)

Prerequisite courses in progress:

We have two due dates for application submission, October 1st and February 1st for admission into the same Fall semester cohort. 

In order to be considered for the October 1st deadline, a maximum of 9 semester credits of prerequisite courses are allowed to be pending or in progress. At least one course in the following major categories must be completed prior to October 1st to be considered: anatomy and physiology, chemistry, physics and psychology. 

For the February 1st deadline, a maximum of 6 semester credits of prerequisite courses are allowed to be in progress (enrolled in and taking at the time) for consideration.

All prerequisite coursework must be completed by the end of spring term (by end of May) of the year of matriculation.

Pass / Fail Course Grades:

Pass/fail grades are, as a rule, not accepted. 

COVID-19 EXCEPTION: Due to COVID-19, pass/fail grades will be accepted for courses taken during the winter, spring, and summer terms of 2020. Outside of these terms, no pass/fail grades will be accepted for prerequisite coursework.

Graduate School Entrance Exam Requirements:

Students must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to fulfill the requirement. International Students also must submit a TOEFL examination. Minimum required scores for acceptance are:

Written Essay:

Complete a well written PTCAS required essay.

Observation Hours:

Complete a minimum of 80 directly clinical care observation hours at two different physical therapy settings (sports, pediatric, home health, acute care, geriatric, etc.) and document them in the PTCAS system.

Letters of Reference:

Request 3 letters of reference; at least one from a professor, instructor or academic advisor, and two from physical therapists that have directly observed you.  Letters must be submitted by the author into the PTCAS system.

Interviews:

Idaho State University Admissions offers an opportunity to complete an online asynchronous interview for qualified applicants. All interviews are conducted using a video-based platform where students record and upload their responses to a series of interview questions for review by program faculty and the Admissions Committee. Students must have a computer with webcam and internet service to complete this interview. Instructions for completing the interview will be emailed directly to qualifying applicants by the Admissions Committee.

NOTE:

Some exceptions to these admissions criteria may be made pending approval of the ISU DPT Program Admissions Committee and in accordance with Graduate School Policy. These exceptions must be petitioned/requested by the applicant in writing. For example: For individuals with advanced graduate work and/or field work directly related to program requirements exceptions may be made in the time frame of coursework and GRE scores.