Doctor of Physical Therapy Admission Requirements

Traditional Professional Admission Phase & Guidelines

Applicants who possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university (or are in the final stages of earning a bachelor’s degree), and want to pursue a Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) degree at LVC, may apply to the 3-year professional phase of the program.

Offers of admission into the graduate phase of the Physical Therapy Program are based on academic performance and are dependent upon the number of students already committed to matriculating into the professional phase.

Applicants accepted into the Traditional Professional Admission cohort will be students of the highest academic quality most likely meeting the following requirements:

• Minimum undergraduate GPA requirements:
  • 3.0 GPA cumulative average (on a 4.0 scale)
  • 2.8 GPA in all science courses (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Note: LVC may consider applicants with an overall GPA below 3.0 and/or a science GPA below 2.8 based on additional factors such as work/life experience, face-to-face meetings, letters of recommendation from colleagues, etc.
• A basic exercise science background is preferred, but not required. It should be noted that the majority of students in the program have completed undergraduate coursework in exercise science prior to entry into the DPT program.
• Completion of all pre-requisite coursework (within the last 10 years) to include General Biology I & II, Principles of Chemistry I & II, General Physics I & II, Statistics, Psychology, Anatomy, and Physiology. Semester courses combining these topics, such as “Anatomy & Physiology I” and “Anatomy & Physiology II”, can fulfill these, but only if BOTH semesters are completed. Anatomy &Physiology I would fulfill the Anatomy requirement and Anatomy & Physiology II would fulfill the Physiology requirement. One semester of a combined “Anatomy & Physiology” course does NOT fulfill the prerequisite requirements for “Anatomy” and “Physiology”. A grade of “C” or better must be achieved in each pre-requisite course.
• Exposure to physical therapy as demonstrated by documented paid or volunteer experience of at least 30 observation hours, preferably in more than one PT practice setting.
• GRE (taken within the last five years) with minimum scores in all areas of the GRE:
  • Verbal Reasoning > 150
  • Combined Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning > 300
  • Analytical Writing > 4

Documentation of Clinical Hours

The Traditional Professional Admission Phase requires students to complete a total of 30 hours of direct observation of the physical therapy profession. All 30 hours of documented clinical observation must be completed prior to applying. Observation opportunities can be found in such settings as:

• acute care hospitals
• outpatient or ambulatory care center
• long-term care facilities
• pediatric rehabilitation settings

Observations or work experience in the following areas will NOT be accepted as physical therapy observation:

• athletic training
• personal or other family experience with physical therapy
• personal trainer or fitness facility

Students will be asked to document and verify their clinical observation hours as part of the PTCAS application process. We recommend students utilize the PTCAS online verification process for observation hours. If a student chooses to document hours using a physical form, we encourage them to use the LVC DPT clinical observation hours form.

Physical Therapy Program Essential Requirements

There are physical, cognitive, and affective requirements for the professional phase of the program. Interested students should review these essential requirements prior to admission to the program. Requests for accommodations should be made to the department once the student is accepted.

Traditional Professional Admission Application Requirements

Applicants who possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university will be considered for admission pending a review of the following requirements:

• Completed Physical Therapy Common Application System (PTCAS) Application
• An official transcript from your undergraduate college or university showing a minimum college cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.0 scale) and science GPA of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale); any applicants not meeting this standard will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Official transcripts should be submitted via process outlined on PTCAS.
  • If pre-requisite courses were completed at multiple institutions, official transcripts from the relevant institution/s are also required.
  • Institutions outside of the United States must be recognized as a degree-granting institution in its home country. A course-by-course evaluation of all foreign university transcripts by World Education Services (WES) is required. Official evaluations should be submitted via process outlined on PTCAS.
• A personal statement (maximum 500 words) focused on how you will benefit from and contribute to the program, specifically outlining any applicable professional experience.
• A current résumé.
• Verify prerequisite courses have been fulfilled or will be fulfilled prior to program start via the process outlined on PTCAS.
• Documentation of Clinical Hours via the process outlined on PTCAS (observation as described in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Supplemental Application Materials section)
• Official GRE scores (taken within the last five years) and submitted via PTCAS
  • GRE code for LVC’s PTCAS program is 1286.

Application materials should be submitted via the process outlined in PTCAS.

International Applicants

International applicants for any of the physical therapy admission phases must meet the requirements specified for each phase and must also submit:

• Application Supplement for international applicants. Also, if applicable, please supply copies of any passports, U.S. Visas, and/or I-20 forms you currently possess.
• A course-by-course evaluation of all foreign secondary school and/or university transcripts by an independent service based in the United States. World Education Services (WES) is the accepted evaluator via PTCAS. Institutions outside of the United States must be recognized as a degree-granting institution in its home country. The WES evaluation must be submitted via the process outlined on PTCAS.
• TOEFL of 80 in iBT, IELTS of 6.5, or STEP Eiken of Grade 1. Please have your official test scores sent directly to Lebanon Valley College. Lebanon Valley College’s institutional code for the TOEFL is 2364. View our full English Language Proficiency Policy (.docx).
• Please have your official test scores sent directly to Lebanon Valley College. Lebanon Valley College’s institutional code for the TOEFL is 2364. View our full English Language Proficiency Policy.
• A certified bank or financial statement showing financial resources needed for tuition, housing, and cost of living.
• A completed Certification of Financial Support is required for admission and for visa consideration. It must be evident that you can provide the funding necessary to study and live at Lebanon Valley College.

Contact

For questions regarding the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Traditional Professional Admission Phase, contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies, via email at graduateadmission@lvc.edu or phone at 717-867-6089.