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Application Instructions

Deadlines: The priority deadline is Jan. 20, 2009.
Submit all materials to:

St. Catherine University
Graduate Admission, Mail Stop #4027
2004 Randolph Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105

Completed application packets received prior to the Jan. 20 priority deadline will be considered on a rolling basis. Applications received after Jan. 20 will be reviewed on a space-available basis.

Application form

Complete all sections of the application form. You may use the online application or request that a paper application be mailed to you.

Application fee

Submit a $35 non-refundable application fee; make check or money order payable to the St. Catherine University. This fee is waived for St. Catherine's current students and alumnae.

Personal statement

Prepare a personal essay that demonstrates written communication skills and clarifies your purpose in pursuing a graduate degree in physical therapy. Do not exceed four typed, double-spaced pages. Handwritten statements will not be accepted. Please address the following questions:

  • Describe the roles you have held since graduating from high school (outside of college classroom activities) including leadership, service, jobs and responsibilities, athletics, community activities, family, etc.
  • What personal characteristics do you have that make you suitable for the profession of physical therapy?
  • Describe what you have learned from the variety patients that you have observed and how this will impact you as a physical therapist.
  • How has your background and experience prepared you to interact effectively with individuals who are different from you in their social, cultural, or economic perspectives?

Personal statements should be mailed to the Office of Graduate Admission at the address listed above. Applicants who wish to submit their statements via e-mail should send the completed attachment to: graduate_study@stkate.edu (Subject line should read: DPT Personal Statement). Please include your full name at the top of the statement.

If your cumulative GPA is below 3.0, please include an additional statement addressing why you should still be considered for the DPT program.

Recommendations

Two clinical experience reference forms must be completed by individuals who can verify the applicant's healthcare experiences. One reference must be from a physical therapist. If an applicant is unable to obtain two references verifying healthcare experiences, she/he may substitute one academic reference or one non-healthcare employment reference. Submit two references only. Additional references will not be considered in the review process.

Click here to download the Recommendation Form.

These are confidential recommendations and must be sent directly from the references to the Office of Graduate Admission at the address listed above. Original documents must be sent to our office. Applicants who wish to view a copy of the completed forms are responsible for making the appropriate arrangements with their references.

Transcripts

Official transcripts are required from each post-secondary institution attended, even if courses are recorded on another transcript and regardless of the number of credits earned. Transcripts should be mailed directly from the Registrar of each institution to the Office of Graduate Admission at St. Catherine University.

GRE scores

Official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admission from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The test date must be within five calendar years prior to the term of intended enrollment.

TOEFL / MELAB Scores

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 600 or better on the paper and pencil test, 100 on the iBT or 250 on the computerized test, or the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) with a score of 90 or better. This requirement is waived for students who have completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree in the United States.

Credential evaluation

Applicants with a college or university degree completed outside of the United States must submit an official evaluation from World Education Services, as well as original transcripts and official translations of all documents not in English. All costs related to document translation and evaluation are the applicant's responsibility.

International application

Applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must submit an International Student Application and Certification of Finances, in addition to the DPT program application. No additional application fee is required.

Selection process

Fulfillment of the admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Each application that has been completed with the items listed above and received by St. Catherine University will be considered by the Admission Committee. No credentials will be returned to the applicant.