VCU’s Department of Physical Therapy offers a three-year graduate degree program leading to a professional Doctor of Physical Therapy. Students with an interest in preparing for a career in physical therapy should declare an academic major along with a pre-physical therapy advising track. Students cannot earn an undergraduate degree in pre-physical therapy.

Students unsure of their academic majors initially should clarify their academic interests through regular conversations with their advisers. Pre-physical therapy students are encouraged to major in fields of greatest interest to them.

Admission to and completion of a pre-physical therapy program does not constitute admission to the physical therapy program in the School of Allied Health Professions. The student must apply separately to the physical therapy program of his or her choice at the appropriate time.

Prerequisites for admission to the VCU D.P.T. program include:

A bachelor’s degree.
Minimum GPA of 2.7.
A satisfactory score on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination.
A minimum of 100 volunteer hours in at least two physical therapy practice settings.
The completion of required courses.

The program course requirements for the VCU D.P.T. program to be completed along with the bachelor’s degree include:

12 credits in biological sciences including human anatomy, human physiology with laboratories.
Eight credits of general chemistry.
Eight credits of physics.
Mathematics.
Statistics.
Psychology (including developmental or abnormal).

Although not required, students are strongly urged to complete a cell biology course and a vertebrate histology course.