Information for Pre-Physical Therapy Students

The University of Washington, Eastern Washington University, and the University of Puget Sound are the only schools in the state of Washington that offer programs in physical therapy. All of them are Doctor of Physical Therapy programs that require applicants to have earned a bachelorŐs degree. Admission is very competitive. The University of Puget Sound gives preference to applicants with a bachelorŐs degree from UPS. All programs admit 30 students per year.

College coursework generally required by physical therapy schools
Students should always double check requirements at the individual schools to which they intend to apply.

The following list reflects the common course numbers effective as of summer quarter 2008.

3 quarters of general chemistry with lab:	BC CHEM& 161,162,163 (Previously CHEM 140,150,160)
3 quarters of general physics with lab:	BC Physics 114, 115 and 116 (Prerequisite is MATH& 142, previously MATH 120)
2 quarters of anatomy and physiology:	BC BIOL& 242, 242 (Previously BIOL 260, 261)
1 quarter of microbiology:	BC BIOL& 260 (Previously BIOL 250)
2 quarters of psychology:	BC PSYC& 100 and 220 (Previously PSYCH 100 and 200)
1 quarter of statistics:	BC MATH 130 (prerequisite is MATH 099)

English/Humanities/Social Science: Beyond the required science courses, a broad humanities and liberal arts background is encouraged. Two quarters of foreign language is an admission requirement of most undergraduate programs and an additional quarter may be required for graduation. Some schools require specific courses in addition to English composition.

Math: In addition to statistics, the amount of math required depends on the baccalaureate major and the physics courses that are chosen. MATH& 142, Pre-calculus II is a prerequisite for PHYS 114. MATH& 141 is a prerequisite for MATH& 142 and for CHEM& 161. Placement into math classes requires assessment and lower math placement will increase the amount of time needed to complete the degree requirements.

Specific requirements of the UW Physical Therapy Program

2 quarters of anatomy and physiology:	BC BIOL& 242, 242
2 quarters of general biology:	BC BIOL& 160 and 162 or BIOL& 211 and 212
2 quarters of general chemistry:	BC CHEM& 161,162 or CHEM& 121,131
2 quarters of physics:	BC PHYS114 and 115
2 quarters of behavioral science	Psychology, Sociology or Anthropology
1 quarter of statistics:	BC MATH130 or BA 240

Note:
There is no specific pre-physical therapy baccalaureate major at the University of Washington or at most other schools. The PT prerequisites are completed during the course of earning your associates and bachelors degrees. You do not have to complete all of your science requirements at the community college. It is suggested that you take at least one sequence of science courses after transfer. It is important to maintain a strong GPA. Students should select a baccalaureate major that will enable them to achieve that goal and to have a back-up plan if they are not admitted to PT school. For autumn quarter of 2008, 291 people applied to the UW program and 32 were admitted. Only US citizens and permanent residents may apply.

Sample schedule for Bellevue College with AAS

If English and math skills are not at college level, additional classes will be needed and classes may need to be taken during summer quarters in order to complete the degree requirements. Students who do not have a strong background in chemistry should take CHEM& 121 prior to taking CHEM& 161. Courses that are taught in sequence should be finished at the school at which they are begun. After transfer from BC, students finish requirements for their major, the remaining PT prerequisites and any additional requirements for the programs to which they are applying.

GPA
The average GPA for entering physical therapy students at the UW for fall of 2008 was 3.8 in the prerequisites and 3.7 for the cumulative. College grades are an important predictor of graduate school performance and students should strive to maintain a strong GPA with limited withdrawals, incompletes, repeated courses and non-graded options.

Graduate Record Exam
All programs require applicants to submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) with the application. The GRE measures verbal, quantitative and analytical reasoning skills that have been developed over a long period of time. Applicants should check with the institutions to which they are applying to confirm deadlines for the receipt of scores. More information on the GRE is available at the GRE website, www.gre.org

Experience
All programs require applicants to have some type of physical therapy related work or volunteer experience. Students should check with the individual schools to determine appropriate types of experience as well as expected number of hours. The average range of hours for UW admitted students was 200-500. EWU requires a minimum of 75 hours of experience. EWU requires PT students to have laptop computers for classes.

Resources for Additional Information
American Physical Therapy Association: http://www.apta.org/education
University of Washington: http://www.washington.edu
Eastern Washington University: http://www.ewu.edu
University of Puget Sound: http://www.ups.edu

Contact the BC Science Division, L200, 425-564-2321 for an advising appointment.

BC reaffirms its policy of equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran. Please visit http://bellevuecollege.edu/equal.asp

Bellevue College
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This page most recently modified on July 14, 2009.