Admission Requirements

Evidence of an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university* or date when degree is expected.

  • Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of ≥ 3.20 is recommended.
  • Minimum overall science GPA of ≥ 3.0 is recommended.

*Each applicant must complete a bachelor’s degree in the United States from a regionally accredited college or university. International degrees that have been evaluated as United States equivalent will not fulfill this requirement. All prerequisites must be completed at a regionally accredited college or university.

Completion of prerequisite courses

  • 6 Science Courses (3-credit hour course or higher with lab)
    The applicant must have 6 natural and/or life science courses selected from the following: Biology, Chemistry, Human Anatomy/Physiology, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Pathology and/or Physics.

    • Note: courses may be from the same discipline. For example, Biology I and Biology II would suffice as 2 of the 6 science courses.
    • Courses that need a lab: Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Physics
  • 1 Psychology Course (3-credit hour course or higher)
    • It is preferred that this course is from the psychology department, but an upper level course from another department may be acceptable.

Notes on prerequisite courses

  • Five of the six required science courses must be complete at the time of evaluation of the application.
  • Grades of ‘C’ or better are required in each prerequisite course*
  • No prerequisite course may be taken on a “pass/no pass” or “credit/no credit” basis*
  • For the 2022-23 admissions cycle, each natural and/or life science prerequisite course must have been successfully completed in 2014 or later.

*The admissions committee will accept Pass/Fail coursework for all classes completed within 2020 and 2021.

Official Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) taken within the last five years

  • A composite Verbal and Quantitative GRE score of ≥ 297 is recommended.
  • An Analytical Writing GRE score of ≥ 3.0 is recommended.

Observation hours*

Minimum of 100 hours volunteer or work experience in a health care setting with at least 20 of these hours in a physical therapy acute inpatient care or hospital setting (may be in progress).

*For the 2022-23 admissions cycle, the admissions committee has waived the requirement of 100 observation hours (acute or hospital setting not required either).

Three letters of recommendation

  • One letter must be written by a practicing physical therapist
  • One letter must be from a professor/instructor who has taught you at the undergraduate or graduate level and can speak to your academic abilities
  • One other recommendation

Must be able to meet the Essential Requirements of Physical Therapy Education at Elon University.

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