Physical Therapy Admissions Requirements

Important change for all applicants to the Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

New for the 2009 admission cycle:

• The Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program at the MGH Institute of Health Professions will be participating in the new Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). All applicants to the 2009 entry-level DPT program should apply online at www.ptcas.org  
   
• Applicants are invited to submit the application any time between August 1, 2008 - December 1, 2008. Application review will begin after the December 1, 2008 deadline.
     
• Invitations for the on-site interview will be sent to qualified applicants between mid-December and mid-January. Interviews are by invitation only.
   
• Applications received after December 1, 2008 may be reviewed at the discretion of the faculty, and only if seats remain available. 
        
• To learn more about the PTCAS application process, please visit the PTCAS website at www.ptcas.org, or the American Physical Therapy Association website www.apta.org. 
     
• Applying to the MGH Institute of Health Professions through PTCAS: Frequently Asked Questions

In addition to the Basic Admissions Requirements, the following program-specific requirements must be met:

Doctor of Physical Therapy (Entry-Level)

Prerequisite Coursework:Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better:

• Anatomy (1 semester, with lab). Human anatomy recommended, vertebrate or comparative anatomy accepted
• Human Physiology (1 semester) May take one year of combined Anatomy-Physiology course to meet the anatomy and physiology requirements
• Biology (1 semester, with lab)
• Exercise Physiology
• Chemistry (2 semesters, with lab)
• Physics (2 semesters, with lab)
• Developmental or Child Psychology (1 course)
• Abnormal or General Psychology (1 course)
• Statistics (including inferential statistics)

*Applicants may have up to two prerequisite courses in progress in the Spring semester prior to matriculation. Prerequisite credit cannot be given for courses with a grade of Pass/Fail. Please note that applicants may be asked to submit mid-term reports for certain prerequisite courses. Requests for prerequisite evaluations will be addressed in writing only. All prerequisite courses must be satisfactorily completed prior to matriculation.

Interview: A personal interview is required for those being considered for admission. The purpose of the interview is twofold: First, the faculty will have an opportunity to meet each applicant to review each ones experiences and background. Second, and equally important, applicants will be able to meet our faculty and students, see our facilities, and ask questions about our program to determine if the Institute's program meets their needs. Interviews will be scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays in late January/early February. Interviews are by invitation only.

Experience/Exposure to Physical Therapy: Knowledge of the field of physical therapy is important for those who are interested in pursuing this profession. Applicants must have some experience or exposure to varied types of physical therapy practice, with a minimum of 10 hours of volunteer, paid, or observational experience.

Post-Professional Options for PTs

•  Provide a copy of all professional state licenses.
   
• GRE scores are not required for the CAS.
  
  
• US licensed physical therapists must have at least one year of documented clinical experience in the United States. Foreign-trained physical therapists must have at least 12 months of documented clinical experience. UPDATE:  Effective 12/15/08, this requirement has been waived for all current and future applicants. 

• The GRE test requirement may be waived for Advanced Master's or tDPT applicants. Please refer to the Test Scores page of our website for further information.
   
• tDPT Program: Personal essay not required for application to tDPT program. A Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Portfolio Application with a portfolio review fee is required of applicants seeking credit for prior experience. Institute courses completed with a grade of B or better may be included in portfolio submission; if only Institute courses are submitted, the review fee is waived.