Requirements & Prerequisites
Admission Requirements
The Department of Physical Therapy & Human Movement Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine maintains the richest possible educational environment through the enrollment of a student body that represents applicants from many different populations, applicants with work experience and applicants from the smallest to the largest of our nation's colleges and universities.
Factors considered for admission include academic performance and knowledge of the physical therapy profession. Applicants are expected to demonstrate personal and professional behaviors consistent with those expected in professional practice. Characteristics and skills such as integrity, initiative, sound judgment, acceptance of responsibility and interpersonal communication are evaluated through the application, essays and recommendations. Interviews are typically not required but may be requested at the discretion of the Admissions Committee. All applications from eligible persons that are submitted to PTCAS by the application deadline will be evaluated.
Academic Performance
Applicants must successfully complete a bachelor's degree at a regionally accredited college or university by the time of entry in the DPT program (first week of September) and hold a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Application Essays
Applicants submit several personal essays with their PTCAS application.
PTCAS Essay: Every applicant is unique in their own way, possessing individual qualities, abilities, and backgrounds. What unique traits will you bring to the physical therapy profession that will help you to be successful?
Northwestern Essay #1: Describe an experience when you interacted with someone whose background, beliefs, or experiences were different from your own. How did this experience influence your perspective and how might this inform your future patient interactions?
Northwestern Essay 2: Please describe your decision to pursue a career in Physical Therapy. Reflect on experiences that have shaped your understanding of the field and inspired you to become a Physical therapist.
Optional Northwestern Essay: Please share anything else you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you that is not addressed elsewhere in your application.
References
A minimum of three letters of reference are required and should be submitted directly through PTCAS. Among the three references, one must be a physical therapist who has supervised the applicant in a health setting and one must be a college professor or instructor who has directly instructed the applicant.
PT Observation Hours
Applicants must acquire firsthand knowledge of physical therapy by working, observing or volunteering in a health-related facility. Experience in a variety of physical therapy settings is beneficial, and most successful applicants report at least 50 hours completed by the time of application. All hours must be verified by a licensed physical therapist. The electronic signature in PTCAS is preferred. Uploaded, signed forms are also acceptable.
International Applicants
All applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by scoring 100 (Internet-based)/600 (paper-based) or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Official TOEFL scores must be submitted to PTCAS via ETS code 5312.
Applicants who have earned a post-secondary degree from an institution where the official language of instruction is English are not required to submit TOEFL scores.
For degrees completed outside of the U.S. and Canada, an official evaluation from World Education Services is required and should be sent directly to PTCAS.
Supplemental Application Fee
A supplemental application fee of $50 is the only item sent directly to Northwestern University; all other materials are submitted via PTCAS.
The supplemental fee is due by the Dec. 1 firm application deadline and can be paid electronically HERE. Or, a check or money order payable to "NUPTHMS" may be mailed to:
Office of Admission, Application Fee
Northwestern University, PTHMS
645 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60611
The supplemental Northwestern fee will only be waived for applicants who have received the PTCAS fee waiver. Please forward your PTCAS fee waiver confirmation email to dpt-admissions@northwestern.edu.
COVID-19 Exceptions
Prerequisite Courses
For the time period impacted by COVID-19 where alternative grading was utilized, we will accept course grades of Pass, Satisfactory or a letter grade of C or higher for prerequisite courses.
Online Labs
If you were enrolled in an Anatomy lab course that ended up moving online, we will accept online Anatomy labs for the time period affected by COVID-19. We currently accept online labs for all other prerequisite courses.
PTCAS Essay
Applicants will be given the opportunity to explain how they have been impacted (educationally, personally or professionally) by COVID-19.
If there is anything we can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to reach us at 312-503-0988 or dpt-admissions@northwestern.edu
Prerequisite Courses
To fulfill a requirement, prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited institution with a grade of C or higher. Applicants are encouraged to complete most of the prerequisites, especially core science courses, prior to submitting the DPT application. Enrolling students must complete all necessary coursework before DPT classes begin in Fall.
Note: As of 2021, GRE scores will no longer be factored into the application review process.