Entrance Requirements

Minimum Entrance Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

• Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores.
  • Scores must be forwarded to the University of Delaware Graduate Admissions Office (institution code 5811) prior to Admissions Committee review.
  • GRE scores older than five years will not be accepted for admissions.
  • UDPT will utilize an applicant’s highest verbal and quantitative GRE scores, even if the scores were earned on different testing dates.

• Completion of prerequisite courses with a grade of C (2.0 minimum) or higher.
  • Introductory or General Psychology (3 credits/1 semester)
  • Introductory or General Statistics (3 credits/1 semester)
  • Introductory or General Biology with labs (8 credits/2 semesters)
    • An Anatomy and/or Physiology course may NOT be used to fulfill this requirement
  • Introductory or General Chemistry with labs (8 credits/2 semesters)
  • Introductory or General Physics with labs (8 credits/2 semesters)
  • Human or Mammalian Anatomy* with lab (4 credits/1 semester)
  • Human or Mammalian Physiology* with lab (4 credits/1 semester)
    • Exercise Physiology may NOT be used to fulfill this requirement
    • *May substitute two-course sequence of anatomy and physiology
  • UDPT will only accept online lab credit if course(s) was taken during 2020 or 2021. 
  • UDPT will accept AP credit for prerequisite course(s) so long as the applicant received credit at their undergraduate institution. UDPT will also accept credit from community college course(s).
• Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and minimum science prerequisite GPA of 3.0.
  • UDPT will factor all undergraduate courses into the cumulative undergraduate GPA, even if courses were completed at different institutions.
  • The science prerequisite GPA will be calculated from prerequisites outlined above in biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, and physiology.
  • UDPT will use the highest earned grade in a course when calculating GPAs, if the course was repeated for credit.
• 50 PT observation hours.
  • A minimum of 50 observation hours are required by the time of matriculation, and 25 hours are required at the time of application.
  • PT clinical experience (observation) hours must occur under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist (clinical and/or research) with whom applicants directly engaged. The licensed physical therapist must verify hours via an electronic verification form on the PTCAS application.
  • UDPT will accept observation hours from a variety of observation sites, and acknowledges that applicants may experience difficulties in obtaining hours in specific settings such as acute care or inpatient rehabilitation.
• Three letters of recommendation.
  • Two from licensed physical therapists whom applicants have observed/interacted with during patient care
  • One from a professor of an upper-level course (300- or 400-level)
  • Letters from a family member or close friend will NOT fulfill this requirement.

• Completion of the PTCAS application.
  • UDPT cannot review any PTCAS application that is not verified.
  • It is the responsibility of the applicant to check the status of their application to ensure it reaches the verified status.
  • All application materials, including transcripts, observation hours, letters of recommendation, etc. must be received by PTCAS prior to the admissions deadline in order to be verified in time for UDPT Admissions Committee review.

• Completion of the UD supplemental application.
  • PTCAS application data will be transferred to the University of Delaware’s graduate application system for applicants who have a verified application.
  • Once PTCAS application data is imported, applicants will receive an email from the UD Graduate College with instructions to create an account and complete the supplemental application.
  • Please do NOT create a UD account or start a UD supplemental application prior to receiving an email with instructions from the Graduate College.

• By invitation, an interview with program faculty.

NOTE: Those applicants who meet the minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those applicants who fail to meet those minimum requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.

Applicants are advised that upon matriculation, students must possess all needed clearances (e.g. – health, criminal background check, etc.) as required by the setting/location wherein core DPT courses for the matriculated cohort are delivered. In the event a student is unable to meet the requirements of the setting/location, the student may be unable to fulfill the course objectives and complete the DPT curriculum. Applicants with any concerns about these clearances are encouraged to contact pt-admissions@udel.edu for additional information prior to applying.