Admission Requirements

Applicants to the physical therapy program should submit the following information in addition to the online application:

1. Official academic records of all previously attended colleges or universities must be submitted directly from the colleges or universities to the Office of Graduate Admission Processing. Hand-carried transcripts, official copies marked Issued to Student and unofficial copies are not acceptable.
2. Three letters of recommendation are required. One letter must be from a licensed physical therapist. Other letters may be from professors or employers.
3. Results from the GRE.
4. Prerequisite course worksheet (PDF).
5. Essay (see below).
6. Clinical observation verification form (PDF). Eighty hours of observation, in at least two distinctly different physical therapy patient care settings, with a minimum of 20 hours in an inpatient setting, are required.

Please see the D.P.T. program information sheet (PDF) for additional information.

Additional requirements apply for international students.

Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 grade-point average in the sciences and a cumulative 3.0 grade-point average for all prerequisite courses. Applicants must have completed a course in social science such as sociology, geography, anthropology, minority groups, diversity, economics, or American government. In addition, applicants should have a full sequence of English composition including writing components, a course in basic communication skills, a physical fitness or wellness course, and an appreciation, theory or history course in music, art, photography or at least one year of ensemble music. A humanities course such as ethics, cultural perspectives, literature, philosophy, critical thinking, second language, world history, western civilization, U.S. history or Canadian history is also required.

Once an applicant has met the admission criteria outlined above, there will be a review by the admission committee. Following review of the application materials, the applicant may be invited to campus for an interview.

Essay Instructions
Please provide a typed response to the following areas. Type your name at the top of the sheet with your response. The response should be double-spaced, 12-point font with one-inch margins. Responses should be a minimum of two pages and a maximum of eight pages. Submit your responses via e-mail at gradadmission@udayton.edu or mail to:

Office of Graduate Admission Processing
University of Dayton
300 College Park
Dayton, OH 45469-1301

Responses must include the following:

1. Autobiographical sketch.
2. Discussion of work and/or volunteer (other than clinical observation) experiences.
3. Report of clinical observations by institution, including a description of select observed activities or circumstances of importance.
4. Impression of the physical therapy profession.
5. Descriptions of personal and/or professional goals and ambitions if accepted into the profession of physical therapy.
6. Reasons for applying to the University of Dayton.
7. Other pertinent information.

Academic Requirements

Program requirements can be found in the online Bulletin. Simply select the area of study and click "Explore".