Requirements for Preferred Admission
Requirements for Students Who Enter Arcadia University as First-Year Students
These requirements apply to students who begin their undergraduate education at Arcadia University as first-year students.
- Students are encouraged to complete all of the prerequisite coursework at Arcadia University. Prerequisite courses must be taken through the appropriate department; e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, Computer Science & Mathematics.
- In consultation with the student’s undergraduate advisor, up to four (4) courses taken through another accredited institution may be counted as fulfillment of the required prerequisite courses. Courses must be directed towards science majors as appropriate.
- A minimum 3.4 overall GPA is required, calculated on all courses taken at any college or university. The GPA requirements must be met by the specified deadline.
- A minimum 3.4 GPA is required in all courses taken in prerequisite areas at Arcadia and elsewhere. A grade of “C” or better must be earned in the minimum prerequisite courses listed above. (A “C–” is unacceptable for prerequisite credit.) When calculating the prerequisite GPA, the University includes all attempted courses in the various areas. The GPA requirements must be met by the specified deadline.
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional for admission to the DPT program. Students are strongly encouraged to take the exam at least one year prior to application and no later than the summer preceding their third undergraduate year. NOTE: the GRE code for the DPT program is 7637.
- Students must have knowledge of the profession through documented work or volunteer experiences in at least one inpatient and one outpatient setting as defined by PTCAS. These observations must be completed before the Fall of the year of application to the program.
- Students must provide a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of three (3) letters of recommendation, at least one from a currently practicing licensed physical therapist and one from a college professor can judge the applicant’s academic qualification and readiness for rigorous work at the graduate level.
- Students must complete the last four semesters as full-time students at Arcadia University. This requirement may be waived for students who choose to study abroad during one of their last four semesters.
- Students must earn a bachelor’s degree from Arcadia University.
- Students desiring Preferred Admission must submit their completed applications electronically by the specified deadline during the academic year of graduation from Arcadia University.
The final acceptance decision will be made only after a full review of all application materials. Additionally, all successful applicants must display appropriate levels of professionalism and communication.
Requirements for Students Who Transfer to Arcadia University
Transfer students who pursue an interest in Pre-Physical Therapy with Preferred Admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program must meet the criteria for first-year students as well as the following:
- Transfer students must attend Arcadia with full-time status and complete a minimum of 64 credits. This requirement may be waived for students who choose to study abroad during one of their last four semesters.
- Seven courses in the prerequisite areas must be taken at Arcadia University.
- Students must complete BI 206 Human Physiology at Arcadia University or a 300-level Biology course with a lab (if Human Physiology is already completed elsewhere). All courses used toward the minimum prerequisite biological and physical science requirements must be directed towards science majors and taken through the appropriate science departments (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics).
- Students may transfer two Psychology courses for the Pre-Physical Therapy prerequisites. If students are transferring only one Psychology course, then they must take either a second Psychology course (other than PY 111) or a course in Anthropology or Sociology.
- Students who transfer more than four prerequisite courses must take additional advanced courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements. These additional courses must be taken in one of the following areas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Psychology.
- International Applicants: Official results from the TOEFL or IELTS are required for all students for whom English is a second language, except for non-native speakers of English who hold degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g. the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand). A course-by-course evaluation of all transcripts by an independent evaluation service based in the United States also is required. NOTE: International students applying to the Physical Therapy program must send scores to the PTCAS code 5312.
Essential Functions to Participate in the DPT Program
Essential functions are the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills necessary for a student to participate in the physical therapy program and become a physical therapist.
