Physical Therapy Admissions Requirements

Major Information

As a pre-physical therapy student, you will advance into the professional DPT component upon completion of the required credits, the program pre-requisites, and meeting our academic standards, including maintaining a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) or better. There is no formal re-application process. Admission into the physical therapy program is competitive, with more applications (approximately 350) than admission seats (approximately 45).

Admissions Criteria

• The average grade point average (GPA) of students admitted to the physical therapy program is a 3.5.
• We do not require the SAT or ACT for admission into this program.
• Applicants to the direct-entry physical therapy program must complete one of the following acceptable forms of experience in the field:
  • Documentation of 10 hours of direct observation of a physical therapist in a clinical setting.  This direct observation cannot include any hours that you are a physical therapy patient.  The documentation must be provided on clinic letterhead and signed by clinic staff. Download the shadow hours log (PDF).
  • Completion of a health careers exploration course through your high school (or college collaborative course).  Completion of the course must be documented on your high school transcript or may be provided in a signed letter from the course instructor.
  • Completion of an internship in a physical therapy clinic as part of your high school curriculum.  Completion of the course must be documented on your high school transcript, proof of completed internship hours must be provided on clinic letterhead and signed by clinic staff.
  • Personal Interview with 3 different physical therapists who work in different clinics/settings to explore the role of a physical therapist in healthcare.  Documentation of the completion of these interviews requires submission of the questions asked and a letter from each therapist interviewed attesting to interview completion written on clinic letterhead and signed.
  • Documentation of employment hours as an aide or volunteer in a PT clinic or a health care setting.  Documentation of employment hours must be provided on clinic letterhead and signed by clinic staff.
• Complete physical therapy supplemental essays within the Common Application
• Four years of high school college preparatory mathematics (junior/senior year: pre-calculus, calculus, etc.) and grades of B+ or better
• Four years of high school college preparatory science (junior/senior year: physics, AP biology, etc.) and grades of B+ or better
• Other general Springfield College admissions requirements

Expected Standards

• Achieving a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA by May of your third year
• Achieving a minimum 3.3 GPA in your major requirements by May of third year
• Earning a C or better in all undergraduate courses required for the program during the first three years (400-level and below)
• Complying with all departmental standards for professional conduct and academic performance as specified in the Undergraduate Pre-Physical Therapy Student Handbook

Physical Therapy Clinical Experiences

• Springfield College has contracts with more than 150 clinical sites throughout the Northeast, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Multiple sites in the greater Springfield area are used for the part-time experiences as well.
• Part-time integrated clinical experiences occur first, offering early guided exposure to patient management. You will complete four of these while taking classes and learning the clinical skills for patient management.
• These integrated clinical experiences take place in area physical therapy practice settings and offer the student the opportunity to work in a variety of clinical settings, such as specialty clinics, acute care, outpatient clinics, and long-term settings.
• Three full-time 10-week clinical education experiences of 40 hours per week are included in the program’s curriculum. These take place in the third year of the DPT curriculum and follow the entry-level courses, allowing the student to be well prepared for patient management.