Admissions

Admissions Requirements

Compiled is a list of requirements for before and after you apply. Included are deadlines, important dates, and expectations. Information can change, so meet with an Admissions Counselor on a regular basis, at least once a year.

PTCAS Application Deadline

October 1, 2024

Your PTCAS application must be marked complete by Midnight (EST) Eastern Standard Time October 1, 2024 (10:00 PM Utah Time). Transcripts must be official and mailed to PTCAS from your registrars' office. We recommend you start this process early. If you pay for Professional Transcript Entry (PTE), you must submit no later than September 15 to ensure PTE completion by our application deadline of October 1.

PTCAS Application Requirements

Most of our application requirements are summarized below. For a complete list click here.

A completed Bachelor’s degree issued by either a regionally accredited, four-year U.S. institution or a comparable institution recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education in one’s home country.
A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0.
A minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0.
Evidence of exposure to the PT profession is required for application to the University of Utah DPT program. While we do not require a minimum number of hours or settings, we encourage applicants to obtain at least 50 hours observing a licensed physical therapist (PT) in at least 2 different settings. All hours must be verified by a PT in PTCAS.
Three letters of recommendation. We require one from a licensed physical therapist, one from an academic instructor, and one from an employer/co-worker/supervisor. Must be entered directly into PTCAS by the recommender, not the applicant.
All students are required to submit an essay within their PTCAS application. The essay is our way to get to know you. Since there is no interview process, this is your time to convey why you have chosen our program, explain what a physical therapist does, and your passion behind why you want to be a Physical Therapist. Essays are limited to 4500 characters with spaces.
On-time submission of complete and competitive PTCAS application.

CPR Certification, Post-Acceptance

CPR Certification is not necessary at time of application and does not require completion as college coursework, but is required upon acceptance and matriculation. The American Heart Association (AHA)Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers 1 & 2-Rescuer CPR and AED for adult, child and infant is universally accepted and is now the is the only CPR program accepted for the University of Utah Department of Physical Therapy. The Skills practice and Skills testing portion must be done in the classroom, NOT online. Proof of current certification is required prior to the start of the DPT program.

First Aid Certification is not necessary at time of application and does not require completion as college coursework, but is required upon acceptance and matriculation. Certification from all providers will be accepted for First Aid.

Hepatitis B, Post-Acceptance

Hepatitis B vaccination is a series of 3 time sensitive injections. The 2nd injection is administered one month after the first, and the third injection is given 6 months after the second. Therefore, students are advised to begin the series of vaccinations as soon as they begin the application process in order to complete the series before admission. Most, if not all, PT programs require these immunizations so it is well worth the applicant’s time to get them completed regardless of where they are admitted.

College of Health Commitment to Excellence in Admissions

The University of Utah College of Health strives to promote access and enrichment among its students, faculty, and staff with the realization that unique life experiences strengthen our academic community in multiple ways. By creating a welcoming and supportive environment that encourages academic excellence and varied perspectives, we work toward the creation of opportunities for all to learn from one another by sharing our wealth of talents and histories. Each of our departments offer degrees in professions focused on health, wellness, and research. With the increasingly rich complexity of our population, we recognize the need for our graduates to represent their wide-ranging community. Furthermore, we also recognize the strong and positive impact a collective of faculty, staff, students, and alumni can have on issues of health and the valuable role our College can play in reducing health disparities for all populations.

As a reflection of the College of Health's commitment to diversity, the University of Utah physical therapy program values the following in our admissions process:

Life experiences	volunteer, community service, experience with a populations, employment history, research activities, meaningful number of observation hours in various settings
Educational background	undergraduate major, science and non-science related academic merit
Socioecomonic background	first generation college graduate, self-supporting, medically underserved area

The Admissions Process

After the October deadline, application files are reviewed. A complete file must contain a PTCAS Application marked complete by deadline. If the file is complete, then the application is reviewed to determine eligibility, based upon completion of all prerequisite coursework with a “C” or better, a minimum GPA (both cumulative and prerequisite) of 3.0 and the progression of a bachelor’s degree to be completed by the start of our program.

Once eligibility is determined, each student's file will be audited, reviewed and scored on an individual basis by the Admissions Committee in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Written review scores are then collated and admission to the program is offered to top candidates. Because there are a greater number of well-qualified applicants than the Department is able to accommodate, there is competition for the 118 seats available (50 SLC Residential, 18 St. George Residential, and 50 Hybrid) and although well-qualified, some applicants are not able to be admitted. Qualified applicants who do not receive an initial offer of admission may be offered an alternate spot. Alternates will be offered admission should a spot become available. We do not maintain a waiting list from year to year. If a student is not selected for admission, the student will need to reapply the following year.

The Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at the University of Utah is committed to policies of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, or age. No preference is given to in-state vs. out-of-state applicants, national vs international status, or student source of funding.

Applicants who are offered and accept a seat in the DPT program must then submit a supplemental application to the University of Utah Graduate School. Applicants will be sent an invitation to complete this application with the admission offer.

The actual acceptance of those students selected is contingent on the following:

Official acceptance by the University of Utah Graduate School Office of Admissions.
Verification of completion of all course requirements, including prerequisite courses and bachelor’s degree.
Receipt of a non-refundable fee to hold class place. A portion of this fee is applied to Summer Semester tuition.
Completion of a criminal background check and a drug screen, the cost of which is the responsibility of the student.
Proof of First Aid and CPR certification.
Proof of immunizations.
Proof of health insurance coverage.

Admissions Information

Email your specific questions or concerns to d ptadmissions@hsc.utah.edu (Residential) OR hybrid.dptadmissions@hsc.utah.edu (Hybrid). Sending an email will guarantee the fastest response time.

Students needing general university advising for general education or bachelor degree requirements should contact University College at 801-581-5146 or visit their website.