Requirements
The Department of Physical Therapy & Human Movement Sciences at Northwestern University maintains the richest possible educational environment through the enrollment of a student body that represents applicants from many different populations, applicants with work experience and applicants from the smallest to the largest of our nation's colleges and universities.
Factors considered for admission include academic performance and knowledge of the physical therapy profession. Applicants are expected to demonstrate personal and professional behaviors consistent with those expected in professional practice. Characteristics and skills such as integrity, initiative, sound judgment, acceptance of responsibility and interpersonal communication are evaluated through the application, essays and recommendations. Interviews are typically not required but may be requested at the discretion of the Admissions Committee. All applications from eligible persons that are submitted to PTCAS by the application deadline will be evaluated.
Requirements
Academic Performance
Applicants must successfully complete a bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited college or university by the time of entry in the DPT program (First week of September) and hold a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Please see the PTCAS website for information about how GPAs are calculated.
References
A minimum of three letters of reference are required and should be submitted directly through PTCAS. Among the three references, one must be a physical therapist who has supervised the applicant in a health setting and one must be a college professor or instructor who has directly instructed the applicant.
PT Observation Hours
Applicants must acquire firsthand knowledge of physical therapy by working, observing or volunteering in a health-related facility. Experience in a variety of physical therapy settings is beneficial, and most successful applicants report at least 50 hours completed by the time of application. All hours must be verified by a licensed physical therapist. The electronic signature in PTCAS is preferred; uploaded, signed forms are also acceptable.
International Applicants
All applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by scoring 100 (Internet-based)/600 (paper-based) or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Official TOEFL scores must be submitted to PTCAS via ETS code 5312.
Applicants who have earned a post-secondary degree from an institution where the official language of instruction is English are not required to submit TOEFL scores.
For degrees completed outside of the U.S. and Canada, an official evaluation from World Education Services is required and should be sent directly to PTCAS.
Supplemental Application Fee
A supplemental application fee of $50 is the only item sent directly to Northwestern University; all other materials are submitted via PTCAS.
The supplemental fee is due by the Dec. 1 firm application deadline.Visit the online portal to submit the fee. If you prefer, a check or money order payable to "NUPTHMS" may be mailed to:
Office of Admission, Application Fee
Northwestern University, PTHMS
645 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60611
The supplemental Northwestern fee will only be waived for applicants who have received the PTCAS fee waiver. Please forward your PTCAS fee waiver confirmation email to dpt-admissions@northwestern.edu.
GRE (no longer required)
As of 2021, GRE scores will no longer be factored into the application review process.
COVID-19 Admissions Requirements
Exceptions to the admissions requirements due to COVID-19
- Prerequisite Courses
For the time period impacted by COVID-19 where alternative grading was utilized, we will accept course grades of Pass, Satisfactory, or a letter grade of C or higher for prerequisite courses. - Online Labs
If you were enrolled in an Anatomy lab course that ended up moving online, we will accept online Anatomy labs for the time period affected by COVID-19. We currently accept online labs for all other prerequisite courses. - PTCAS Essay
Applicants will be given the opportunity to explain how they have been impacted (educationally, personally or professionally) by COVID-19.
If there is anything we can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to call us at (312)- 503-0988 or via email: dpt-admissions@northwestern.edu