Doctor of Physical Therapy Application Requirements | PCOM
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Doctor of Physical Therapy 
Application Requirements

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, offered at our Suwanee, Georgia location, emphasizes a “whole person” approach to patient management while preparing individuals to demonstrate excellence in the practice of physical therapy.

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Quick Facts: DPT Program

  • Duration: 3 years, full-time
  • Credits: 136
  • Location: PCOM Georgia
  • Start Term: Summer (June)
DPT students practice physical therapy techniques
Application fees
  • A completed PTCAS application and $75 application fee.
Degree requirements
  • A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
Transcripts
  • Official transcripts may be sent via mail or electronically via Parchment
    Services or National Student Clearinghouse.
Letters of recommendation
  • Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a licensed physical therapist. The two remaining letters are preferred to be from any of the following sources:
      • College professor
      • Employer/Supervisor
      • Pre-Health professions advisor
      • Other healthcare professional
GRE scores
  • Official score report from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE - General Test).

All inquiries about admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program should be directed to PCOM's Office of Admissions.

How to apply to the physical therapy program

The physical therapy program participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). Visit ptcas.org for additional information.

Please forward relevant application materials (defined below) to:

PCOM Georgia
Office of Admissions
625 Old Peachtree Road NW
Suwanee, GA 30024

Email: GAAdmissions@pcom.edu

When is the application deadline?

The 2023-2024 application cycle opened June 15. Be advised that your full PTCAS application must be e-submitted, completed and verified by February 15, 2024, to be considered for admission. The priority deadline is Dec. 1, 2023.

For matriculation into this program, an applicant must have completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution.

What are the prerequisites for the physical therapy program?

Prior to matriculation, an applicant must have successfully completed the following prerequisites:

  • General/introductory biology: two-course sequence for science majors (8 semester-hours credit), must include labs; OR anatomy and physiology: two course sequence for science majors (8 semester-hours credit), must include labs;
  • Anatomy, physiology or biology course must include lab (4 semester-hour credits);
  • General/introductory physics: two-course sequence for science majors (8 semester-hours credit), must include labs (sequence should include content related to mechanics, electricity, magnetism, and light);
  • General/introductory chemistry: two-course sequence for science majors (8 semester-hours credit), must include labs;
  • Statistics or biostatistics: one course (3 semester-credit hours);
  • Social or behavioral sciences: two courses (6 semester-credit hours); Acceptable courses include psychology (any), sociology, anthropology and world religions.

Grades of D or F are not accepted. If courses are repeated, PCOM will take the highest grade, not an average of all attempts. Prerequisite courses cannot be older than 7 years.

If all prerequisite courses identified above and all coursework required for the baccalaureate degree have not been completed, a document specifying when these requirements will be met must be supplied. The document should provide specific information as to when the courses will be completed. Note that the requirements for the baccalaureate and all prerequisite courses must be completed prior to matriculation. At least six of the ten required prerequisite courses must be completed before an application will be considered.

What is the required GPA?

Applicants must obtain an overall grade point average of 3.0 and a prerequisite grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. (as calculated by PTCAS).

The average undergraduate GPA for applicants accepted to physical therapy programs nationally during the 2021-2022 admissions cycle was 3.47/4.00. The average unofficial GRE percentile scores for the same admissions cycle ranged from 44.41 percent on the Quantitative scale to 61 percent on the Analytical scale.

Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a licensed physical therapist. The two remaining letters are preferred to be from any of the following sources:

  • College professor
  • Employer/Supervisor
  • Pre-Health Professions Advisor
  • Other healthcare professional
  • Clergy

To the extent appropriate, each letter should address the applicant's character, leadership abilities, commitment to service, ability to be self-directed, communication skills, and ability to work as a member of a team. Recommendations can be sent through the PTCAS application service. Additional letters may be sent directly to PCOM by the recommenders to recommend@pcom.edu.

GRE score submission

Along with a completed application, letters of recommendation and transcripts, candidates to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program must submit an official score report from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE - General Test) to be considered for admission. The PCOM Georgia PTCAS code for the GRE is 2849. The oldest GRE considered is January 1, 2019.

What is the minimum GRE score required?

The minimum GRE scores required are as follows: GRE-V, 146; GRE-Q, 144; and GRE-W, 3.0. PCOM will take the highest score of multiple attempts. A combined score of 290 or above for verbal and quantitative are accepted.

There are no specific requirements for health care experiences to be eligible for enrollment to PCOM’s DPT program. Applicants should, however, be able to demonstrate breadth and depth of knowledge about the practice of physical therapy through meaningful exposures as demonstrated through a completed application for admission. Any volunteer work or paid work in a clinical setting wherein candidates are either providing hands-on care or witnessing care first hand is valued. Health care shadowing experiences are also highly recommended.

On receipt of a completed application, each applicant will be screened to determine if they are to be invited for an interview. The following will be considered during the screening process:

  • Academic ability based on GPA and GRE Scores. This includes a review of overall and pre-requisite GPAs in addition to GPA trends. Candidates are encouraged to explain any deficiencies in their academic performance history in the brief answer question section of the PTCAS application.
  • Major and minor areas of undergraduate study
  • Observation/experience in physical therapy (quantity and variety)
  • Leadership
  • Interest in underserved populations
  • Personal interests

All applicants selected for an interview will be contacted in writing, via e-mail, with a proposed date, time and location of the interview. Please note, although all applicants who are eventually accepted must be interviewed, the granting of an interview does not guarantee acceptance into the program. On the day of the interview, applicants may have an opportunity to meet with a student ambassador and tour the campus. The interviews are conducted by a panel consisting of one or more of the physical therapy program faculty members and/or a current DPT student volunteers.

PCOM will offer a choice of either virtual or on-campus interviews.

Following the completion of the admissions process, each applicant is notified of the Admission Committee's decision in writing, including any conditions that must be satisfied prior to enrollment in the program.

What happens if I get accepted?

Accepted applicants are asked to send a $1,000 non-refundable deposit by February 15. This fee is non-refundable and, along with the initial deposit, will be credited to the student’s tuition account.

The accepted candidate is also asked to review and acknowledge PCOM's Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation (PDF).

Background check requirement

In effort to foster the safety and well-being of the entire campus community, as well as to ensure that students accepted to PCOM will be permitted to perform clerkships/internships required to successfully complete their degree requirements, PCOM requires all first year students to complete a criminal background check prior to matriculation. All students must have their criminal background checks processed through a PCOM vendor of choice. The Admissions Office will send notification of the process after confirmation of enrollment and must have this information on file prior to orientation; students will not be allowed to start classes without this information.

The Department of Physical Therapy does not routinely accept transfer students.

Should you have any questions, please contact us via email at gaadmissions@pcom.edu.

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