DPT Eligibility and Prerequisite Requirements
Before beginning the application process, review the pre-application requirements for this program.
Baccalaureate Degree
A completed bachelor’s or graduate degree from an institution that is accredited by one of the regional accrediting organizations (e.g. Higher Learning Commission), or an approved dual-degree plan for completing the baccalaureate degree during the DPT program.
Grade Point Average
A cumulative and prerequisite grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Clinical experience
A minimum of 60 hours of physical therapy experience during the three years prior to application.
**COVID-19 Exception: We will continue to encourage as many hours as possible. However, knowing adjustments may need to be made regarding site availability for observations hours, we are requiring a minimum of 20 hours at one site type.**
Prerequisites
Specific prerequisite courses are required for the DPT program; review the next section for details.
The goal of the admission process is to compare all applicants on the same coursework, as much as possible. The Admission Committee uses the basic-level courses in each prerequisite field, which all applicants are likely to have taken. Not all courses taken in a prerequisite field are used to compute the prerequisite GPA. Only enough credits to satisfy the minimum requirement are counted in the prerequisite GPA. High-level electives may be used to meet credit requirements, but they are not necessarily used in the prerequisite GPA calculation, because the Admission Committee has no information about how other applicants would perform in those courses.
We recognize that applicants may have performed better in elective courses than in the basic course sequence. These elective grades will improve the overall GPA. However, rather than taking new electives, applicants may repeat a maximum of three basic courses to improve their GPA.
All prerequisite courses must be taken for a letter grade and must have been completed within the past seven years. If prerequisites are retaken, only the grade received in the most recent course is calculated into the prerequisite GPA. Pass/Fail courses are not used in the prerequisite GPA calculation. Prerequisite courses may be in progress and/or yet to be taken at the time of application (no more than three), but must be completed prior to enrollment in the graduate program.
Applicants are allowed to complete no more than 4 semester/5 quarter credits of prerequisite coursework during the summer prior to Fall enrollment. All other prerequisite coursework must be completed by the end of winter/spring term. If an applicant appears to be missing the required number of credits in several prerequisite areas, the Admission Committee has the authority to deem the applicant ineligible to continue in the review process.
We will accept AP credits for the following prerequisites: pre-calculus, statistics and general psychology. To verify results, applicants must submit official College Board scores directly to St. Catherine University (not to PTCAS) using the code 6105.
We will consider courses completed in an online format from a regionally accredited institution. However, we encourage students to complete courses that include a lab component in a face-to-face format, if possible.
We do not accept coursework from technical colleges unless the coursework was taken after the technical college merged with an accredited community college.
Prerequisite coursework must be completed for a letter grade of C or higher (pass/fail or S/U grading is not acceptable), with a cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Biology (8 semester credits)
A general biology sequence is preferred. The following courses will be considered in descending order of preference: general biology I, II, cell biology, microbiology, genetics, immunology, molecular biology, histology.
St. Kate's equivalent: BIOL 1710, BIOL 1720, BIOL 3210 (BIOL 2200 is also acceptable but 3210 is preferred), BIOL 3224, BIOL 3250, BIOL 3444, BIOL 4220, BIOL 4354.
Human Anatomy (4 semester credits)
Courses in order of preference are: human anatomy (often first half of combined anatomy and physiology sequence) or mammalian/vertebrate anatomy. These credits must be from an anatomy, biology, physiology or kinesiology department and must cover individual muscle function.
St. Kate's equivalent: BIOL 2610 or BIOL 3120
Human Physiology (4 semester credits)
Courses in order of preference are: human physiology (often second half of combined anatomy and physiology sequence), mammalian/vertebrate physiology or pathophysiology. These credits must be from a biology or physiology department.
St. Kate's equivalents: BIOL 2620 or BIOL 3140
Chemistry with lab (8 semester credits)
A chemistry sequence for science or health-science majors is preferred at a level beyond high school remedial.
St. Kate's equivalent: CHEM 1110 and CHEM 1120
Physics with lab (8 semester credits)
A physics sequence for science or health-science majors is preferred at a level beyond high school remedial.
St. Kate's equivalent: PHYS 1080 and PHYS 1090
Psychology (6 semester credits)
Courses in descending order of preference include: general psychology and developmental psychology/lifespan developmental psychology or abnormal psychology.
St. Kate's equivalent: PSYCH 1001, PSYCH 2025, PSYCH 3010
Statistics (3 semester credits)
Course content should include: reliability, validity, experimental control and design, statistical inference and comparison of group means, correlation and regression. These credits must be from a math, psychology or statistics department.
St. Kate's equivalent: STAT 1090, STAT 1094, ECON 1080, ECON 1090, HLTH 1090, PSYCH 1090
Mathematics (4 semester credits)
These credits must be at the level of pre-calculus or higher.
MATH 1090 or MATH 1130
Recommended:
Medical Terminology (1 course)
St. Kate's equivalent: IPE 1030
**COVID-19 Exception: We strongly recommend that prerequisite courses (including courses with a lab component) be completed for a letter grade. However, in light of many institutions mandating all Spring 2020 courses be Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (or Pass/Fail) or are allowing students the choice, we will accept a Satisfactory or Pass designation for any prerequisite course completed in the Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 terms only. PLEASE NOTE: no more than 1/3 of all prerequisite courses can be used with a S/U or P/F designation.**
Use the online Transfer Evaluation System (TES) resource to determine if a specific course you have taken (or plan to take) will fulfill a DPT prerequisite requirement. All St. Catherine course equivalencies listed in TES are fully verified by our Registrar’s Office.
How to Use TES
- Make note of the St. Catherine department abbreviation (BIOL, CHEM, MATH, etc.) and course numbers in the DPT prerequisite list.
- Connect to TES
- Identify the institution from which you have completed courses (or plan to complete courses). You may search for institutions using the “Find Transfer College by Name” search box, or use the alphabetical index provided.
- Enter the course code for one of our DPT prerequisites (e.g., MATH 1080). Select “Home Course” and click on Search. This will identify any courses from the institution that are equivalent to the St. Catherine prerequisite course. You could also enter the code for the other institution’s course, and select “Transfer Course” and Search. This will identify any St. Catherine courses that might be equivalent to the other institution’s course. Be sure to review any notes with additional information for a given course.
If you have searched via TES and can’t find a specific school or course listing, contact your admission counselor for assistance. Please include the institution, course name and number, and course description in your email.
How do I apply?
Please read the application instructions below before beginning the application process.
Deadlines
The DPT application deadline is December 1 (11:59 p.m. EST) for fall admission. We strongly encourage candidates to complete the application process at least one month prior to the deadline to ensure that all materials are received. Only applications that are "complete" or "verified" by the deadline will be considered. We are no longer accepting applications for Fall 2021 consideration.
Enrollment Information: Fall 2020
- Number of completed applications: 213
- Class size: 34
- Acceptance rate: 27%
- Matriculation rate: 59%
- Average overall undergraduate GPA: 3.92
- Average prerequisite course GPA: 3.68
- Average GRE verbal: 154
- Average GRE quantitative: 153
- Average GRE writing: 4.0
Entry-Level Applicants
Entry-level applicants are individuals who have completed/will complete a bachelor’s degree from another institution and are applying as first-year graduate students. All entry-level applications are processed through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). Applications are managed using a rolling admissions process from July to December 1 for classes beginning the following fall. There is no supplemental application that needs to be submitted to St. Kate's; only the PTCAS application will be reviewed.