Pre-Physical Therapy (traditional) Track

Physical Therapy school applicants have to consider the following:

  • Pre-requisite courses
  • GPA
  • GRE
  • Extracurricular activities such as research, volunteer work, and leadership roles
  • Letters of recommendation

Most PT schools require that applicants have taken 8 credits in Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, General Chemistry and Mathematics along with 4 credits in Physics and one year of English. A solid background in the psychology and sociology is expected. Courses in foreign languages are a plus but are not required. 

At WPUNJ, we recommend biology majors pursuing PT programs take the following science courses:

  • Biology: BIO1620 General Biology: EEB; BIO1630 General Biology: CMG; BIO2040 General Biology: Physiology; BIO2050 Cell Biology; BIO2060 Genetics
  • General Chemistry: CHEM1600 General Chemistry, CHEM1620 General Chemistry II
  • Organic Chemistry: CHEM2570 Organic Chemistry 1
  • Physics: PHYS2550 College Physics 1 
  • Mathematics: MATH1600 Calculus I and MATH2300 Statistics

Additional Courses Required by all or almost all PT programs:

  • Anatomy & Physiology: BIO1120 A&P 1; BIO1130 A&P 2
  • Physics: PHYS2560 College Physics 2
  • Humanities: PSY1100 General Psychology and/or SOC1010 Principles of Sociology

Non-Science Courses recommended by some PT programs:

  • Psychology: PSY2110 Lifespan Development; PSY2120 Child Developmental and Learning

Extra-curricular Priorities

  • Experience in a clinical PT setting (e.g. aide, shadowing) or related health care setting.
  • Start finding extra-curricular opportunities early in your college career to be able to acquire a varied set of experiences and/or advance beyond entry-level work (e.g. university club and related leadership positions, off campus volunteer and volunteer leadership positions working with people)

Application Information

  • GPA minimums:

While average GPA requirements for acceptance to PT schools  can vary by institution, a general guideline is a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.  Some schools may have lower minimums, while others prefer higher GPAs

For the 3+3 accelerated program with Rutgers University, a minimum GPA of 3.5 is recommended.

  • Application cycle:

The PT school application cycle typically requires applications be submitted to specific programs starting in mid-May, with a final deadline of September 15. 

  • GRE

GRE is required by some programs.