Duquesne University

Department of Physical Therapy

Freshman Admission

The curriculum is six years for students admitted as a freshman. At the end of your fourth year you will graduate with two baccalaureate degrees; biology and health sciences. At the end of your sixth year, you will graduate with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT). There is no subsequent application required to begin the professional coursework in physical therapy. The Office of admissions will review your application for freshmen admission based on the following guidelines:

• A GPA of 3.0 or better
• A composite SAT score of 1100 or better or a composite ACT of 24 or better.
• Documentation of forty (40) hours of shadowing, volunteer, or paid experience in physical therapy.
• Graduate of an approved secondary school
• Seven units of math and science:
  • Algebra I,
  • Algebra II
  • Geometry
  • Trigonometry
    • Calculus - recommended but not required
  • General Science
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
    • Physics - recommended but not required
• If you have not completed four years of high school, you must submit a High School Equivalency Diploma issued by their state department of education.

All RSHS programs have an intensive science component; if you believe you do not have a strong background in Algebra, Trigonometry and Chemistry please seriously consider taking college preparatory courses, particularly College Algebra/ Trigonometry/Pre-calculus.

If you do not meet the above criteria, you may still be considered for admission, based upon the quality of your overall application.

Matriculation into the professional coursework

If you are admitted as a freshman, you will automatically enter the professional phase of education (Year 4). Therefore, there is no subsequent application required to begin the professional coursework in physical therapy, although there are several requirements you must meet during your first three years:

• Achieve a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the end of spring semester Year 3
• Achieve 2.75 cumulativeGPA in pre-requisite course work, with no less than C grad in all prerequisite courses. Prerequisite courses are:
  • Biology I and II
  • Chemistry I and II
  • Physics I and II
  • Intro to Biostatistics
  • Intro to Psychology
• Completion of 100 hours of volunteer, paid or shadowing hours with a licensed PT (40 hours prior to admission are counted toward this 100 hours)
  • Volunteer/shadowing must be evenly divided between two different areas of physical therapy practice
• Verification of all Pre-Health Requirements
  • Include current physical examination
• Verification of Health Insurance
• CPR certification

To see the curriculum associated with freshmen admission, click here.

To submit an application to Duquesne University, click here.