Application Requirements
As you begin your health profession journey at WesternU, we are here to provide you guidance and direction from prospective student to applicant to student to Doctor of Physical Therapy. We are here to serve you from day one, step one.
Step 1: Prerequisites and Application Requirements
The first step in the admissions process is to ensure you are on track to complete both the course prerequisites and application requirements in time to apply for your preferred year of entry.
Step 2: Make Yourself a Competitive Candidate
Admission to the DPT Professional program is competitive so you should strive to not only meet, but exceed the minimum requirements. To get a feel for the competitiveness of the applicant pool we recommend that you view our class statistics page and read what the admissions committee recommends you do to maximize your candidacy.
Step 3: Preparing and Submitting your Application
The apply now page will provide you with step-by-step instructions as well as an application checklist. There are a number of supporting materials that make up your completed application and it is essential that you print and carefully follow the checklist to ensure that you properly submit these pieces by the deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help you navigate through the application process, and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have additional questions
Science Prerequisites
| Human Anatomy with Lab and Human Physiology with Lab must be completed no more than seven (7) years prior to matriculation at WesternU (e.g. Fall 2019 and later for the class entering August 2026). | Semester | Quarter |
|---|---|---|
Human Anatomy with Lab
|
4 units | 6 units |
Human Physiology with Lab
|
4 units | 6 units |
General Chemistry with Lab
|
8 units | 12 units |
Physics with Lab
|
8 units | 12 units |
General Biology with Lab
|
8 units | 12 units |
Non-Science Prerequisites
| Prerequisites | Semester | Quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | 3 units | 4 units |
English Composition
|
3 units | 4 units |
Psychology
|
6 units | 8 units |
All Prerequisites:
- Must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution (exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis) or its equivalent abroad
- Must be completed with a grade of “C” or better (a grade of “C-” or lower is not acceptable)
- No more than one science and one non-science prerequisite may be in progress after the fall term of the year prior to graduation (e.g. Dec 31, 2025 for the 2026 entering class)
- If attending a quarter institution, one science prerequisite can be in progress during winter, one science prerequisite can be in progress during spring, and one non-science prerequisite can be in progress during winter OR spring of the matriculating year
- Must be completed by the spring term prior to matriculation (e.g. May/June 2026 for the 2026 entering class)
- One prerequisite may be taken on an advanced-placement, pass/no pass or credit/no credit basis
- Courses with online labs will be accepted for approved courses taken in 2020, 2021, and 2022 only
- All coursework taken from non-U.S. institutions (including Canada) must be submitted to World Education Services for evaluation
Not sure if your course qualifies? If you’d like to find out whether the courses you’ve taken or plan to take will satisfy WesternU’s DPT prerequisites you may:
- Search the prerequisite database by institution
- If you don’t see your courses listed in the database, email your counselor with the syllabus.
- If your courses are not listed in the database and you have numerous in question, or simply wish to lay out your coursework, you may instead print and submit an academic worksheet. Note: academic worksheets are available March – August and will only be reviewed during this time.
Application Requirements
Completion of prerequisite courses as outlined
- Minimum Overall and Prerequisite GPA of 3.00
- GPA must meet minimum requirement at the time of application and be maintained through admission into the program
- Repeated Courses – The maximum number of repeated courses allowed for the entering class is five science courses
- We will exclude those that are repeated due to expiring
- Please note: If a science course is repeated multiple times, it will be counted against the five allowed
- Bachelor’s Degree
- BS or BA from a regionally accredited U.S. institution in any field except Physical Therapy
- Degree must be conferred by end of spring term prior to matriculation
- Letters of Recommendation
- Three (3) letters of recommendation are required:
- One (1) from a supervising physical therapist
- One (1) from a college instructor
- One (1) from a licensed physical therapist, college instructor, college administrator, community service coordinator, or administrator
- Your letters of recommendation are part of the PTCAS application and will be submitted to the admissions office along with your PTCAS application
- Recommendations from a family member will not be considered
- Three (3) letters of recommendation are required:
Physical Therapy Observation Hours
- Minimum of 80 hours required
History of ongoing community service and involvement recommended
Competitive applicants should be able to demonstrate ongoing community service. This may include volunteering and all trends of community service and may include the following:
- Homeless Shelters / Soup kitchens / Food Banks
- Community Outreach
- Veteran Programs
- Clinical (emergency assistant, patient visitor/escort, etc.)
- Tutoring
- Youth Mentoring
- Senior Citizen Home
- Church (missionary trips/outreach)
Although we do not have a minimum requirement, applicants tend to accumulate and continue to accumulate approximately 200 hours over the course of one to two years. Our more competitive applicants have accumulated well over 200 total hours within the same length of time, and continue ongoing community service up until the time they matriculate.
Access to a Computer Meeting Minimum Technical Standards
- For more information please review the technical standards
International Student Application (ISA)
We do not require a separate application or fee, and you should be prepared to meet all of the prerequisite and application requirements as outlined. If you need assistance with immigration (I-20 form, F-1 visa, SEVIS, etc.), our International Student Services (ISS) staff are available to help you. Visit the OISS website to learn more.
Proof of Legal US Residency – If Required
- If you are an international applicant or any other applicant who is not U.S. citizen and is living in the U.S., you should be prepared to provide proof of legal U.S. residency at the time of interview
- Proof of legal U.S. residency is required prior to any offer of acceptance
Health Screening/Immunizations Background Check
Should you be accepted into the Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy program, you will be required to provide proof of the required health screenings and immunizations. Additionally, your admission into the program will be contingent upon a satisfactory criminal background check, which is to be completed and submitted prior to orientation. The background check is required to verify that your history is consistent with the University’s Standards of Professional Conduct, and to ensure that you will be qualified to participate in the required clinical education experiences. A satisfactory criminal background check indicates no criminal history or satisfactory review of a criminal conviction without limitation; both misdemeanor and felony charges will be reviewed. If your background check is not considered “satisfactory”, you may have limited clinical site selection, may not be eligible for licensure or may have difficulty finding employment upon graduation. Supplemental or additional background checks may be required during the course of the educational program to meet the requirements of clinical education sites. For more detail on these requirements, please review the Professional DPT FAQ’s page.