Doctor of Physical Therapy admission requirements and application

Admissions to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) professional program occur annually and subscribe to the following general, university, and program requirements and deadlines.

General admission requirements for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

  • A minimum of 3.0 undergraduate GPA as calculated by PTCAS, 3.0 prerequisite GPA, and 3.0 math and science prerequisite GPA.
  • All grades in prerequisite requirements must be a minimum of "C" or better (2.0 on a 4.0 grade scale). Due to the unique situation created by COVID-19, many institutions are allowing students to choose a Pass/No Pass option in lieu of a letter grade in certain semesters. The program encourages applicants to receive letter grades in their prerequisite courses. P/N will be accepted if the grading institution's policy is a C or better to receive a Pass. If the school accepts C- or below as a Pass, students will be required to submit a letter from the instructor documenting what the grade earned would have been (in the case of WSU courses, since we can view that grade in the system, such a letter will not be required). This policy applies to the following semesters: Winter 2020, Spring/Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring/Summer 2021.
  • A minimum of 90 credit hours.
  • General Test of the GRE taken by September 1. GRE scores are valid for two years. GRE minimum scores required: 140 Verbal, 140 Quantitative, and 3.0 in Writing. The program utilizes the exam with the highest overall scores. Only scores from one testing date are considered. For example, we will not consider a verbal score from one exam date, a quantitative score from another, and a writing score from yet another.
  • General Education requirements must be complete before entering the professional program.
  • Non-science prerequisites coursework must be completed by May.
  • Science prerequisite coursework must be completed within six years of the time of application to the professional program. These prerequisites must also be completed by December of the application year. (One science prerequisite course can remain to be completed by May.) 
  • Students selected to interview will be required to take the Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics (CASPer), an on-line test which assesses non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics. See takealtus.com/ for more information.
  • Admitted students are required to attain Red Cross First Aid/CPR Certification. 
  • Two professional references. One must be from a Physical Therapist.
  • Physical Therapy students must acquire and maintain certain essential functions that are necessary to the practice of Physical Therapy. Please read the linked document that describes these essential functions.

General informational meetings

Information meetings are designed to answer questions about the educational opportunities available in the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. These meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month. After a general presentation in the auditorium, there are break-out sessions with PT faculty and students. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.cphs.wayne.edu/admissions/information-meetings.php.

Admission requirements, prerequisites and deadlines 

Science prerequisites

The following prerequisites must be completed by December of the application year (one can remain to be completed by May):

  • BIO 1510 Basic Life Mechanisms (NSI)
  • BIO 2870 Anatomy & Physiology & Lab
  • Three credits of Biology at the 300 level or higher at a four-year institution (not required for students completing a bachelor's degree by program start)
  • Two college-level chemistry courses with at least one lab. Courses must be chemistry content oriented and topics must not overlap (options include CHM 1020 or 1100/1130, CHM 1140/1150, CHM 1030 or 1240/1250, and CHM 2220/2230) (NSIL)
  • PHY 2130/2131 General Physics I & Lab (NSIL)
  • PHY 2140/2141 General Physics II & Lab

Non-science prerequisites

The following courses must be completed by the May of the year you are applying for:

  • ENG 1020 - Introductory College Writing (BC)
  • PSY 1010 or 1020 - Introductory Psychology
  • STA 1020 - Elementary Statistics (QE)
  • A minimum of 6 additional credits in upper division (3000 level +) courses concentrated in one area.

Students who hold a previous bachelor's degree or who qualify under the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) policy (see transfercredit.wayne.edu) are exempt from completing the requirements listed below.

Students who enrolled at Wayne State prior to Fall 2018 can choose to follow the general education program below or the previous requirements, http://bulletin.wayne.edu/archive/.

University General Education requirements 

The following requirements must be completed before entering the professional program:

  • Civic Literacy (CIV)
  • Cultural Inquiry (CI)
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
  • Global Learning (GL)
  • Intermediate Composition (IC)
  • Oral Communication (OC)* 
  • Social Inquiry (SI)

*Coursework or an exam can be used to complete this requirement. Please contact the WSU Office of Testing and Evaluation at 313-577-3400 for further information.

How to apply to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program

All applicants must complete the WSU Graduate School application and the PTCAS application in order to be considered for admission to Wayne State University and the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. All WSU Physical Therapy program admissions information can also be found on our PTCAS program profile.

The following steps outline the application process:

  1. Complete the online PTCAS application.
    • The application deadline is October 16. PTCAS opens in mid-June and students are encouraged to apply early. Verification of application materials can take 4-5 weeks and the program begins interviewing in September. Applicants are responsible for monitoring the status of their application in PTCAS.
    • All applicants are required to submit the General Test of the Graduate Records Exam (GRE) to PTCAS as part of their application. The Wayne State PTCAS code for sending GRE scores is 3631. GRE scores are valid for two years.
  2. If you are invited to an interview, complete the Office of Graduate Admissions online application to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The WSU Graduate School application for Fall 2024 will open in September 2023. The WSU Graduate Application requires only the following sent to Graduate Admissions:
    • The application
    • Official transcripts from all schools attended sent to Graduate Admissions using code 1898 (or gradadmissions@wayne.edu if an e-mail address is requested).
    Monitor and confirm successful completion of all admission and application requirements.

International students must submit a course-by-course evaluation completed by WES (www.wes.org) to both the WSU Graduate School and PTCAS.  

Disclaimer: Meeting prerequisites admission requirements and completion of application requirements does not guarantee an interview or admission to Wayne State University or the Physical Therapy program.