Physical Therapy Program Application Requirements
Application checklist for Doctor of Physical Therapy
The deadline for application to the program is October 1st. Any application that is incomplete or received after that date will not be considered. The Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) launch date for the 2024-2025 application cycle is June 17th.
- Apply via PTCAS
- Pay supplemental $50 Fee.
- Letters of recommendation (two required)
- Observations hours
PTCAS application
All applicants must apply using PTCAS, an online application service. The PTCAS student portal will launch on June 17, 2024, for the 2024-2025 application cycle. Please reference the PTCAS Program Directory to access each school's requirements. It will help ensure your application is complete and all application, admissions, and program requirements have been met. It will also assist in having your application processed in a timely manner.
Application deadline
The application deadline for our May Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program is October 1st. Applicants must submit their PTCAS application and supplemental fee before this deadline.
Elimination of early decision option
In January 2020, APTA decided to eliminate early decisions as an option for applicants and participating DPT education programs in PTCAS beginning with the 2020-2021 admissions cycle.
Supplemental fee
Applicants must submit our supplemental $50 fee.
Graduate record exam
The GRE is not required for the 2024-2025 application cycle.
Letters of recommendation
Two letters of recommendation are required: One from a licensed PT and one from a professor that had you in their class. If one is submitted from a graduate assistant (GA), an approving recommendation must also come from the GA's supervising professor. The applicant is required to explain the process to the recommenders that they select, as both letters of recommendation must be sent directly to PTCAS from the recommenders (not the applicant). Instructions can be found on the PTCAS website.
Observation hours
A minimum of 24 career exploration hours is required. Observation hours can be from one or more settings.
For international students only
International students must complete the following requirements. Contact the College of Health Professions Graduate Admissions with any questions or concerns at chpgradadm@cmich.edu.
- Course-by-course World Education Services (WES) foreign evaluation
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores
- I-20 requirements
WES course-by-course foreign evaluation
Coursework taken at international institutions must be evaluated by WES, as they are the sole provider of foreign evaluation services for PTCAS. The official WES course-by-course evaluation must be sent to PTCAS directly from WES.
Students from English-speaking countries are exempt, e.g., Canada, England, Australia, etc.
TOEFL scores
Prospective students who are not citizens of a TOEFL-exempt country must submit a satisfactory test score on the TOEFL or IELTS. Score requirements: 79 or 6.5 on the TOEFL/IELTS for regular admission, 61-78 or 5.5-6.0 for conditional admission. For more information on TOEFL requirements, please reference the Graduate Bulletin.
Visit the TOEFL website for more information.
I-20
Applicants who are offered/accepted into the DPT Program, must submit to CMU's Office of Graduate Studies an I-20 Affidavit/Statement of Support Form, along with evidence of financial support. For more information, please reference the Graduate Bulletin or contact the Office of Graduate Studies at grad@cmich.edu.