The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Anderson University began with its first cohort in the summer of 2019.
The application cycle for the next available cohort (Beginning summer 2024) will be open July 15, 2023 – October 1, 2023.
The School of Physical Therapy at Anderson University participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service, known as PTCAS. Early submissions are encouraged as it can take up to one month for them to be fully processed by PTCAS.
To learn more about PTCAS, visit ptcas.org. We admit 28-30 students per year, lower than the average physical therapy class size of 45. This is a reflection of Anderson University’s more personalized educational experience. We are unable to accept applications from international students at this time.
Basic requirements
A bachelor’s degree in any discipline is required; however, most students find it easier to pursue their prerequisites by majoring in biology, exercise science, or kinesiology.
You must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0. GRE scores of: 150 verbal and 150 quantitative are preferred, but not minimum requirements. You must also document at least 40 hours of observation, volunteer or paid work in two physical therapy settings in order to ensure your familiarity with the profession. If you are unable to obtain this due to COVID-19 restrictions, please contact us for another option.
Prerequisite courses
Completion of the following prerequisites are required. You can have no more than 12 hours of prerequisites remaining at the time of application.
- 2 biology courses, one lower level and one upper level (7-8 semester hours), with at least 1 lab course
- 1 anatomy and 1 physiology course or 2 combined A&P courses with lab (8 semester hours)
- 2 chemistry courses with lab (8 semester hours)
- 2 physics courses with lab (8 semester hours)
- 1 statistics course (3 semester hours)
- 3 social science courses with at least 1 psychology course (9 semester hours)
- 1 medical terminology course or approved self-study course
- 1 composition or technical writing course (3 semester hours)
We will not consider science courses that are more than 10 years old. For repeated courses, the higher grade is calculated into your prerequisite GPA, but the two grades are averaged when calculating your overall GPA.
Additional Requirements
A record of involvement in service/involvement must be submitted along with two personal references: one from a teacher/professor addressing your academic aptitude and one from a physical therapist, former supervisor, coach, or service activity sponsor addressing your attitude and/or work ethic.
Additionally, applicants are required to sign up and take a personal competency assessment administered by CASPer: takealtus.com/casper/
Qualified applicants will be invited to campus to interview. Interview dates are typically scheduled at the end of October and the first part of November. At least one week prior to the interview date, applicants may be asked to submit an introductory video. For admissions-related questions, contact AU Online (auonline@andersonuniversity.edu).
