Important general information
Students interested in the pre-physical therapy career advising track must obtain a bachelor’s degree and complete the necessary prerequisites for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Students interested in physical therapy should consult with a pre-professional health career adviser to learn about requirements that are specific to the program and/or school to which they hope to apply.
Declaration of the pre-physical therapy career advising track through VCU Career Services - Pre-Professional Health Career Advising does not constitute admission to the VCU D.P.T. program in the College of Health Professions. Students must apply separately to the physical therapy program/school of their choice at the appropriate time.
Students with an interest in preparing for the physical therapy doctoral program must declare an academic major and should declare and maintain their pre-physical therapy career advising track. Students do not earn a pre-physical therapy degree. Those unsure of their academic major initially should clarify their academic interests through regular conversations with their academic adviser and pre-professional health career advisers. Students in the pre-physical therapy career advising track are encouraged to major in fields of greatest interest to them. To declare a pre-physical therapy advising track, see the Pre-Professional Health Hub in Canvas.
Prerequisites for the VCU physical therapy doctoral program
Students intending to pursue the Doctor of Physical Therapy program must complete a bachelor’s degree before entering. It is recommended that applicants select a challenging course load of science and math courses each semester to ensure adequate preparation for the academic rigor of the physical therapy program.
Students need to complete their bachelor’s degrees, the required science prerequisite courses and the Graduate Record Exam before becoming eligible to start the physical therapy program in the College of Health Professions at VCU.
Science and non-science courses required for the VCU physical therapy doctoral program
Students must complete 12 semester hours in the biological sciences, including anatomy and physiology, as well as eight hours of chemistry and eight hours of physics.
Precalculus mathematics, statistics, introduction to psychology and one upper-level psychology (abnormal or developmental is preferred) are non-science prerequisites.
VCU students are strongly encouraged to take cell biology as well as other upper-level biology courses. Admission to the D.P.T. program is highly competitive. Taking upper-level biology and/or engineering courses will enhance a student’s application and make them more competitive.
Additional information for the VCU physical therapy doctoral program
The following prerequisite courses must be completed prior to admission for students entering in the fall semester. If VCU has awarded college credits for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams and they are listed on the student’s transcript, those credits will be accepted.
Prerequisites for the VCU physical therapy doctoral program
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| VCU courses | ||
| BIOL 151 & BIOZ 151 | Introduction to Biological Sciences I and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory I | 4 |
| BIOL 205 | Basic Human Anatomy (includes lab) | 4 |
| CHEM 101 & CHEZ 101 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 102 & CHEZ 102 | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
| MATH 151 | Precalculus Mathematics | 4 |
| PHIS 206 & PHIZ 206 | Human Physiology and Human Physiology Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 201 | General Physics I 1 | 4-5 |
| or PHYS 207 | University Physics I | |
| PHYS 202 | General Physics II 2 | 4-5 |
| or PHYS 208 | University Physics II | |
PSYC 101  Play course video for Introduction to Psychology | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 304 | Life Span Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| or PSYC 407 | Psychology of the Abnormal | |
| STAT 210 | Basic Practice of Statistics | 3 |
| Note: BIOL 200 and BIOL 308 are recommended courses in addition to the prerequisites above. | ||
| Total Hours | 42-44 | |
Additional recommended prerequisites for physical therapy programs nationwide
Physical therapy schools across the U.S. have different prerequisites for admission. The list below shows courses required by various schools beyond the courses listed above for the VCU physical therapy doctoral program. Students should discuss career plans with their pre-professional health adviser for additional guidance.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 152 & BIOZ 152 | Introduction to Biological Sciences II and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory II | 4 |
| HPEX 250 | Medical Terminology | 1 |
| HPEX 375 & HPEZ 375 | Physiology of Exercise and Physiology of Exercise Laboratory 1 | 3 |
| UNIV 191 | Student Success Special Topics | 1-3 |
Students should also consult with their academic adviser and pre-professional health career advisers to discuss an individual plan of study in parallel with their academic majors.