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Northern Illinois University

School of Allied Health & Communicative Disorders

Physical Therapy Admission Requirements

Interested students should contact the Physical Therapy office at (815) 753-1383 for more information on the application process for the anticipated Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program.

Physical Therapy - Admission to the Professional Program

Admission to the professional Physical Therapy Program is competitive with thirty-six students admitted each Fall Semester. The admission requirements outlined below are designed to insure that students admitted to the program have reached an acceptable level of academic achievement. These requirements are subject to revision based on annual review.

Physical Therapy - Criteria for Admission

Admission to the professional physical therapy program is based on the following criteria:

The following are the admissions requirements for the D.P.T., which is currently awaiting final approval by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

  • Completion of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution prior to matriculation.
  • Completion of all prerequisite coursework prior to matriculation.
  • Completion of a minimum of 50 hours of observation/volunteer/paid work in the Physical Therapy setting. (The hours must be obtained within four years of the time of application.)
  • Submission of acceptable GRE scores.
  • Submission of acceptable TOEFL scores, if required.
  • Submission of a completed application to the Graduate School and supplemental material to the Physical Therapy program.
  • A minimum GPA of 3.00/4.00 in last 60 semester hours of undergraduate courses.
  • A minimum GPA of 3.00/4.00 in the prerequisite courses listed below.

Physical Therapy - Prerequisites

Required Courses                                                             NIU Equivalent              
Introduction to Physical Therapy                             AHPT 405 (must be taken at NIU)  
3 Semester hours of General Psychology                PSYC 102                                       
3 Semester hours of Lifespan Development              PSYC 225 or FCNS 280                   
3 Semester hours of Abnormal Psychology              PSYC 316                                       
3 Semester hours of Statistics                                STAT 208 or STAT 301 or UBUS 223
3 Semester hours of Research Methods                   UHHS 460                                       
5-8 Semester hours of Anatomy & Physiology          BIOS 311 or 357                           
3-4 Semester hours of Human Physiology                BIOS 355                                       
8 Semester hours of General Biology with Lab          BIOS 208/210 and 209/211             
8 Semester hours of General Chemistry with Lab      CHEM 210/212 and CHEM 211/213 
8 Semester hours of General Physics with Lab         PHYS 210 and PHYS 211              
3 Semester hours of Medical Terminology                AHCD 318                                 

Physical Therapy - Submission of Application Materials

Interested students should contact the Physical Therapy office at (815) 753-1383 for more information on the application process for the anticipated Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program.