Doctor of Physical Therapy Application Requirements

Arcadia’s hybrid DPT program is a full-time program consisting of 110 credits completed across 25 months. Applicants of the hybrid program must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who plan to continue U.S. residency throughout the entire length of the program.

Candidates are reviewed holistically and must receive an acceptable departmental review of the full application. Meeting all of the below requirements does not guarantee admission into Arcadia’s hybrid DPT program.

To qualify for admission to Arcadia’s hybrid DPT program, you must meet the following criteria and submit the materials listed below.

A Doctor of Physical Therapy Application

This application, which must be completed online, includes your academic and professional history, and personal statements.

Bachelor’s Degree

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. You must have completed your degree prior to entering the program, but is not required to apply.

Minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.0

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum Arcadia prerequisite GPA of 3.0 is required.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores

All applicants are required to send official GRE scores and we do accept the GRE At-Home exam. Your exam must have taken place within 5 years of submitting your application, as ETS only provides score reports for exams taken within that time frame. There are no exceptions to submitting a GRE score report, regardless of an individual’s professional and academic background. There is a minimum required score of ≥ 151 for the individual Verbal Reasoning portion of the exam. There are no exceptions for meeting the required minimum Verbal Reasoning score. Required minimum scores of ≥ 150 on Quantitative Reasoning and ≥ 4 on Analytical Writing are also expected. The Arcadia DPT Online GRE school code is 4722.

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts are required for prerequisite courses and degree-bearing work. Transfer credits included on a transcript must include grades earned. If grades are not included, an official transcript from the original school must be submitted. Applicants do not need to include transcripts for external certificates or extra classes not related or not required to submit. Do not send transcripts directly to Arcadia. Transcripts can be sent using e-transcripts to ptappsvcs@onlinehealth.arcadia.edu or via sealed mail to the following address:

Arcadia University
Application Processing Center
Arcadia DPT Online
PO Box 30096 002-001
College Station, TX 77842

Please note: To be considered an official transcript, the transcript must be sent directly from your institution(s) or through an electronic transcript vendor retained by that institution. Transcripts submitted by enrolled or prospective students are considered unofficial documents, even if they are in a sealed envelope provided to you by the issuing university.

Observation Hours

Applicants should have experience working in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Observation hours can include both volunteer and paid work but must demonstrate knowledge of the profession.

Personal Statements

Two personal statements are required for admission. Personal statements consist of two essays that describe your interest in physical therapy, why you wish to attend Arcadia, and what you hope to learn in the field. Please complete two essays that respond to the prompts below:

Essay 1: Every person has a story that has led them to a career. Since there are a variety of health professions that “help” others, please go beyond your initial interaction or experiences with physical therapy, and share the deeper story that has confirmed your decision to specifically pursue physical therapy as your career.

Essay 2: Please discuss why you feel online classes paired with in-person training (hybrid model) is an ideal learning structure for you to complete the rigorous Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and why you have chosen to apply to Arcadia’s DPT program.

Include any personal experiences, learning styles, or individual preferences that will support your success in the hybrid program.

Prerequisite Courses

Please download the prerequisites form PDF in order to view the detailed prerequisite requirements on Pages 2 & 3. In conjunction with this form, you must refer to the Prerequisite Requirements on our website, which provides additional specifications for each prerequisite course. 

Minimum Required Courses Include:

Biological Science — four courses (a minimum of 12 semester credits) from a biology department, which must include the following:

  1. Anatomy (or Anatomy & Physiology I)
  2. Physiology (or Anatomy & Physiology II)
  3. One lab/lecture biology course 
  4. One upper-level course (300 to 400 level) with a biology focus

Physical Science — four lab/lecture courses directed toward science majors to include the following:

  1. Chemistry I 
  2. Chemistry II or higher (e.g., Biochemistry, Organic) 
  3. General Physics I 
  4. General Physics II

Behavioral Science — two courses: one course in Psychology, and one course from either Anthropology, Sociology, or Psychology to include:

  1. Psychology
  2. Psychology, Anthropology, or Sociology

Statistics — one course to include:

  1. Statistics 

If you need assistance to determine if you meet our prerequisite requirements (or that you will meet them before matriculation), you must complete the following steps:

  1. Open an application portal.
  2. Order official copies of your transcripts from any and all higher education institutions you attended, including In-Progress courses (if applicable), to be uploaded to your application. You should opt for electronic transcript delivery to ensure the transcripts route correctly to your Hybrid DPT application. Please have all official transcripts sent to ptappsvcs@onlinehealth.arcadia.edu. If electronic delivery is not offered, you must utilize the Application Processing Center mailing address found under the “Official Transcripts” section of this Application Requirements page.   
  3. Please fill out and upload the prerequisite form which can be found in the “Academic Background” section of the application. Put an asterisk next to any course name for which you are unsure whether or not it meets our requirements, including previously taken and/or planned prerequisite courses. Please leave any sections blank for which you are missing classes or are unsure altogether. You will be able to provide additional context to your admissions counselor after you complete the remaining steps below.  
  4. You must request syllabi for any courses that you need reviewed as mentioned in Step 3, including previously taken and/or planned prerequisite courses. Syllabi are typically available by reaching out to an institution’s Registrar office. Upload all syllabi to your application within the “Academic Background” section.
  5. Your admissions counselor will reach out to you within the next business day for further assistance and to advise on application steps that can be completed while we await your prerequisite feedback.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required:

  • One from a currently practicing, licensed physical therapist.
  • One from a college professor who is able to judge the applicant’s academic qualification and readiness for rigorous work at the graduate level. This professor should have taught one of the academic courses for the applicant’s major.
  • One can be anyone of the applicant’s choosing, such as a supervisor or a physical therapy assistant.

Enrollment Deposit

Once admitted into the program, all admitted applicants will be required to place a deposit of $1,500 to hold a place in class.1

1 In addition, any student who currently lives or has lived in New York state within the past 7 years (as determined by an initial background check) will incur a one-time additional “pass through fee” of $95 upon entry into the program for a criminal background report. This fee is subject to change at the discretion of the state. Students subject to this fee will be billed through their student account.arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference