Biology, B.S., Pre-Physical Therapy

The Alvernia University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program has been granted full Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) (see statement below). The DPT program is a clinical post-graduate doctoral program that is 3 years in length that represents the required credential for the preparation of graduates to be eligible for licensure and employment as a physical therapist. 

The DPT program is offered in a 4+3 year and 3+3 year curricular format. Prospective students with an earned bachelor’s degree from Alvernia or another four-year accredited institution are welcome to apply to the 4+3 year format. The 3+3 year format enables Alvernia students who are admitted into 1 of 4 majors to follow a curricular plan in that major with the intention to be admitted to the DPT program in their senior year, upon completion of all requirements. Interested students should contact Dr. Christopher Wise, Physical Therapy Department Chair at christopher.wise@alvernia.edu. The processes and policies that govern admission into and progression through the DPT Program can be found at https://www.alvernia.edu/academics/graduate-programs/doctor-physical-therapy-dpt/dpt-admission-requirements.

Admission Criteria into the 4+3 Program: 

In order to enter the DPT program within the 4+3 format, students must complete the following preadmission criteria:

• Completed Application for Admission through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) at http://www.ptcas.org/home.aspx  
• Official transcript(s) demonstrating the achievement of a Bachelor’s Degree and official transcripts from each college or university attended revealing a Cumulative GPA of 3.25, Science and Prerequisites GPA of 3.0, or better.
• A minimum of 100 hours of observation, which includes experience in both outpatient and inpatient physical therapy settings. It is recommended that these observations be diverse, providing each applicant with perspective on the depth and breadth of physical therapy practice across setting and across the lifespan.  
• Three letters of reference from a: licensed PT, a professor from a course they have completed, and another non-family member who can speak to character and attributes that will make the applicant successful in graduate study and as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. The licensed Physical Therapist should not be a member of the applicant’s family or a family friend. If more than three references are received, one from each category (a maximum of three) will be used for consideration and ranking.  
• GRE scores taken within the past five years, with a minimum score of 150 on Verbal and Quantitative and 3.5 on Analytical (Alvernia Code 1619)  
• One (1) written essay (4+3 and 3+3) 500 words or less, addressing the question as stated. Content, as well as spelling and grammar, are deemed to be important for readability and consideration by faculty.  
• Successful participation in a virtual group interview   

The following Prerequisites courses must be completed with a final grade of “C” or better: 

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II - 4 credits each with lab
• Biology - 3-4 credits
• Chemistry I and II - 4 credits each with lab
• Physics I and II - 4 credits each with lab
• Social Sciences - 6-9 credits (psychology, sociology/anthropology, humanities)
• Statistics - 3 credits
• English Composition/Writing - 3 credits
• All prerequisite courses must be completed within 10 years of application to the DPT Program.
• Advanced Placement (AP) courses taken in high school if accepted by undergraduate admissions upon entrance into the university will be accepted as fulfilling the Prerequisites for entrance into the DPT Program. These courses must appear on the undergraduate transcript.
• All decisions are contingent upon maintaining admissions criteria throughout the final semester.
• Non-science Prerequisites (statistics, social science, psychology) may be completed online. For science Prerequisites (biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, and physiology) may have the lecture portions taken online, but the laboratory must be taken in a traditional laboratory setting. 

Important Dates:

January 15: General Applications close

March 1: General applicants notified of decision 

Admission Criteria into the Alvernia Accelerated (3+3) Program and Alvernia 4+3 Program: 

Accelerated (3+3) Program Admission: Decisions regarding admission into the university will be made by the Office of Admissions. Admission into the DPT accelerated (3+3) program will be available to students who meet the criteria (3.5 high school GPA). Admission into the accelerated program will be determined by the Department of Physical Therapy admissions committee in accordance with the university undergraduate admissions policies. Upon timely completion of ALL admission criteria, applicants will be offered admission into the accelerated program upon entrance into the university and upon timely completion of ALL admission criteria will be offered conditional guaranteed admission into the graduate DPT Program, as determined by the maximum number of allotted seats in the program as determined by accreditation. Students within the accelerated (3+3) format will follow a curricular plan in one of four majors with “DPT” listed as the student’s second major. The majors include Biochemistry, Biology, Healthcare Science or Psychology. It is also highly recommended that the Alvernia 3+3 students take Neuroscience (BIO 208) and Kinesiology (BIO 211). 

Alvernia 4+3 Program Admission: Students who do not meet the admission criteria into the accelerated program upon entrance into the university may be offered conditional guaranteed entrance into the DPT program upon graduation as a 4+3 student upon completion of ALL criteria for admission. In addition, 4+3 students who have met ALL admission criteria prior to the completion of their junior year (with the exception of in-progress criteria that will be completed prior to admission into the DPT Program) will be offered the possibility of transitioning into the 3+3 accelerated track with admission into the graduate DPT Program in their senior year. Alvernia 4+3 applicants who desire conditional guaranteed admission into the DPT Program post-graduation, or upon completion of their junior year, must meet all of the admission criteria, including the required GPA, of 3+3 applicants (3.0 science GPA, 3.25 overall GPA, 3.0 Prerequisites GPA). Admission is also contingent upon successful completion of a formal interview with the DPT admissions committee. It is also highly recommended that the Alvernia 4+3 students take Neuroscience (BIO 208) and Kinesiology (BIO 211).  

Application/Admission Timeline: Accelerated 3+3 track applicants, Alvernia 4+3 applicants desiring conditional guaranteed admission, and applicants who desire to enter the program from another university through a formal matriculation agreement, must submit their application through the physical therapy centralized application service (PTCAS) by October 1 of the year prior to matriculation. Accelerated (3+3) and 4+3 students who have met all of the criteria, students must achieve the required GPA for admission into the DPT program by January 15 of their junior year to progress into the graduate DPT program. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status into the program by March 1. 

Note: If the number of 3+3, Alvernia 4+3 applicants who desire conditional guaranteed admission, or applicants desiring to enter the program from another university through a matriculation agreement who meet all admission criteria exceeds the number of available seats in the program, as determined by the program’s accrediting agency, Alvernia 3+3 and 4+3 students will be given first preference followed by students entering within a matriculation agreement from another university. In such cases, Alvernia student applicants then matriculating student applicants will be rank ordered based on: 1. Science GPA, then 2. Overall GPA for final decisions related to admission.

In order to enter the DPT program within the Alvernia accelerated (3+3) format, students must complete the following pre-admission criteria: 

• Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.25, Science GPA of 3.0, Prerequisites GPA of 3.0
• Achieve a minimum grade of “C” in all Prerequisites courses
• All DPT prerequisite courses (listed below) must be taken at a four- year accredited institution. If taken at another institution, only courses in which the student achieved a grade of “B”, or higher, will be transferred.
• All 3+3 students must follow the guidelines for applying to the program and submit all required documents through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS), which can be accessed through the DPT Program homepage. All decisions are contingent upon the applicant’s maintaining admission criteria throughout the final semester.
• A minimum of 100 hours of observation, which shall include experiences in a broad range of settings that include both outpatient and inpatient physical therapy settings. Recommended settings include skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, pediatric intervention settings, home health settings, acute or sub-acute inpatient rehabilitation settings, acute hospital settings, sports and orthopedic settings, and/or private practices.
• Three letters of reference that shall include one each from a: licensed PT, professor, and other non-family member. Applicants should ensure that their chosen references have knowledge of and can speak to the qualities/attributes required of a doctorally-prepared health professional and to their readiness to handle the academic rigor of doctoral study.
• Advanced Placement (AP) courses taken in high school, if accepted by undergraduate admissions upon entrance into the university, will be accepted as fulfilling the Prerequisites for entrance into the DPT Program. These courses must appear on the undergraduate transcript.
• Non-science Prerequisites (statistics, social science, psychology) may be completed online. For science Prerequisites (biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, and physiology), the lecture portion of each course may be taken online, but the laboratory portion of each course must be taken in a traditional laboratory setting