Admissions Information

Download the Supplemental Department Application

Getting Started

Please visit the Office of Graduate Studies website www.fgcu.edu/graduate or contact Graduate Studies at 239-590-7988 or graduate@fgcu.edu for an application for admission and additional information about the application process.

Program Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in the Fall of each year. For priority consideration, all application materials must be received by January 15th of the year in which entry is sought. Application materials received after January 15th will be considered on a space available basis. Admissions decisions are made based on materials and coursework completed at the time of the application.

The Department of Physical Therapy and Human Performance conducts a competitive admissions process. The following are the minimum requirements for admission to the entry-level physical therapy program. (Please note that meeting the minimum requirements for admission does not guarantee admission to the Physical Therapy program.) All applicants must have:

1. A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applicants may complete a baccalaureate degree in any field. The following undergraduate majors at FGCU may be the most congruent with the required physical therapy prerequisite courses: BS in Athletic Training; BS in Human Performance; BS in Health Science; BS in Biology with pre-physical therapy elective options
2. Achieved a GPA calculated for all prerequisite courses (for courses completed at the time of application) of at least 3.20 (on a 0 to 4 scale)
3. Achieved a GPA for all upper division coursework (for courses completed at the time of application) of at least 3.00 (on a 0 to 4 scale)
4. A minimum score of 4.0 on the Analytical portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a minimum total Quantitative-Verbal GRE score of 1000, with a minimum score of 400 on both the Quantitative and Verbal portions of the GRE
5. Completion of Interview (after program application).
6. Submission of supplemental department application, including validation of two physical therapist shadowing experiences of five hours each
7. Complete the following prerequisite courses or the equivalent with a grade of C or better (a grade of C- or less is not acceptable).
   1. BSC 2010C General Biology I w/Lab (4)
   2. BSC 1085C Anatomy & Physiology I w/Lab (3) or BSC 2011C General Biology II w/Lab (4)
   3. BSC 1086C Anatomy & Physiology II w/Lab (4)
      Or PCB 2XXX Human Physiology (3)
   4. CHM 1045C General Chemistry I w/Lab (4)
   5. CHM 1046C General Chemistry II w/Lab (4)
   6. PHY 2053C College Physics I w/Lab (4)
   7. PHY 2054C College Physics II w/Lab (4)
   8. PSY 2012 General Psychology (3)
   9. DEP 2004 Principles of Development (3)
   10. STA 2023 Statistical Methods (3) or STA 2037 Statistics with Calculus (3)

Conditional Admissions
If the program does not fill the entering class with fully qualified applicants, the program will consider at its discretion a limited number of "conditional admissions". Such conditional admissions are offered to select students whose total admissions information falls slightly below the "fully qualified" standards. Students admitted under this status MUST earn a letter grade of B or better in the first semester of enrollment to remain in the program.

Transfer Applicants from other Physical Therapy Programs
The program will accept transfer students on a space-available basis. Decisions about coursework accepted as transfer credits are made on a case-by-case basis after review and evaluation of the originating program's coursework by the FGCU PT Admissions Committee Faculty.

Criminal Background Check
A student may encounter potential problems with clinical education placement and/or employment as a physical therapist if he or she has a criminal record. For specific information, contact the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice through its website. If a student has a criminal record, it is the responsibility of the student to inquire with the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice as to whether a criminal record may limit the student's ability to attain licensure as a physical therapist or practice in certain settings.

Admissions Decision Appeals
A student may appeal admissions decisions by contacting the Office of the Dean in the College of Health Professions at 239-590-7451. Through the Dean's Office, the student brings an appeal to the CHP Student Appeals Committee. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of this process, he or she may bring the appeal to the University Ombudsman (www.fgcu.edu/ombudsman).

 

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