Pre-Physical Therapy
About the Profession
Doctors of Physical Therapy are medical professionals that work with patients who are recuperating from injuries, illness, and/or surgery. DPTs work with patients to regain range of movement and manage pain.
Preparation Starts Now
From the time you begin college, you are assembling a complete dossier with which to apply to professional schools. Applicants are expected to have:
- Completed a bachelor's degree in any major
- Completed prerequisite course requirements
- Achieve excellent grades; overall and science GPAs should, at a minimum, be at a 3.3
- Earn a good score on the Graduate Record Exam
- Letters of Recommendation: academic and clinical
- Involve yourself in sincere, sustained shadowing and volunteer experience in a variety of physical therapy settings.
Course Requirements
Start planning as a first year student to meet the following course requirements for DPT programs. Programs vary in course requirements, so be sure to review the requirements of all the schools you plan on applying to. Below are the courses at SUNY Geneseo that are recommended you complete based on the requirements for SUNY Upstate's DPT program:
Course Requirements |
SUNY Geneseo |
Notes |
| One year of Biology | BIOL 117, 119, and 116 (lab) |
Pay attention to course offering schedule (i.e. Fall/Spring) One lecture with the lab can count as an N/ General Education requirement |
| One year of General Chemistry | CHEM 116, 118, and 119 (lab) |
Pay attention to course offering schedule (i.e. Fall/Spring) One lecture with the lab can count as an N/ General Education requirement |
| One year of Physics |
General Physics: PHYS 113, 114 (lab), 115, and 116 (lab)
Analytical Physics: PHYS 123, 124 (lab), 125, and 126 (lab) |
Pay attention to course offering schedule (i.e. Fall/Spring) One lecture with the lab can count as an N/ General Education requirement |
| One year of Anatomy and Physiology | BIOL 365 and 366 | Pay attention to course offering schedule (i.e. Fall/Spring) |
| One year of English | INTD 105 and one ENGL course | INTD 105 is the Basic Communication General Education requirement |
| One semester of Statistics | MATH 262 | This could count toward the R/ General Education course requirement |
| One semester of Developmental Psychology | PSYC 215, 216, or 321 |
PSYC 321 has prereqs: PSYC 215, 216, or 217 This could count toward one of the S/ General Education course requirements |
*Check with schools you are interested in apply to for specific course requirements. Some schools may require additional coursework not listed above.
It is recommended that course requirements are completed at SUNY Geneseo, but there are instances where a student would need to complete one or two courses elsewhere. If that is the case, it is suggested that coursework be completed at a four-year higher education institution. All course requirements must be taken for a grade and demonstrate mastery, no lower than a C, for most professional schools.
For more information visit American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) is also a great resource.