Program Admission Requirements

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• Requirement: Applications must be submitted through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS).

• Requirement: Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree or be in their senior year and graduate the following spring semester.

• Requirement: Must achieve a prerequisite GPA of 3.25 or higher.

  • No more than two prerequisite courses can be outstanding during the spring term after the application cycle deadline.

  • Any outstanding prerequisite coursework must be complete by the end of the spring term.

  • Prerequisite courses must be less than 10 years old from the application application deadline.

• Requirement: GRE Quantitative score of 148.

• Requirement: GRE Combined score (quantitative + verbal) of 300.

• Requirement: GRE Analytical Writing score of 3.5.

• Requirement: 100 observation hours with a licensed Physical Therapist from multiple clinical practice settings. If the opportunity is available Military or Veterans Affairs experience is encouraged.

• Requirement: 3 (4 allowed) letters of reference.

  • One letter from each of the following sources: Physical Therapist, Professor, and a Professional (supervisor, coach, school leader/advisor etc.).
  • All letters are requested and submitted using PTCAS. We cannot accept letters outside PTCAS
  • The 4th reference can be from any approved source.
  • Active Duty, Active Reserve, or Active Guard Service Members: A letter of recommendation is required from the first O-5 in your Chain of Command (counts as a "Professional" reference if submitting 3 letters). This is accomplished in PTCAS like the other letters. The Commander should fill out the PTCAS characteristic rankings and attach a Memorandum for Record of endorsement.

• Must NOT be a graduate of an entry-level physical therapy program (U.S. or foreign), regardless of the level of degree conferred. Note: this requirement does not restrict pre-physical therapy degrees, nor PTAs from applying-only graduates of entry-level PT programs of any degree level.

Recommendation: GRE Verbal of 152 or greater.
Recommendation: Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or greater (PTCAS considers all undergraduate coursework).

Military Entrance Requirements

1. Must Be a citizen of the United States to commission into military service as an officer.

2. Must meet the medical fitness standards for direct commission appointment as a Reserve commissioned officer as prescribed by the Department of the Army, Navy, or Air Force.

3. Must complete a military background check.

4. Must be less than 42.5 years of age on the date of appointment. Waivers are required for those over age 40.

5. Active USA and USN Officers: Have less than 7 years of Active Federal Commissioned Service (AFCS) from the application deadline. Those with 7-10 years of AFCS may be considered for a waiver if selected for an interview.

6. Current Army Officers: must obtain a Conditional Letter of Release from their branch (via DA 4187) prior to the application deadline.

7. USMA Cadets: are not eligible to apply prior to graduation.

8. ROTC Cadets: are eligible to apply prior to graduation and DO NOT REQUIRE a Conditional Letter of Release.

Prerequisite Coursework

• We accept prerequisite coursework from institutions that are regionally accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

• Survey and preparatory courses are not acceptable for prerequisite credit.

• Human Anatomy and Human Physiology (or Anatomy and Physiology series) laboratory components must be taken in person. Hybrid formats that includes the didactic portion online and laboratory component in person is acceptable. All other prerequisite courses with laboratory components other than Anatomy and Physiology can be taken online.

• Prerequisite courses are listed in semester hour requirements. Course credits awarded in different formats must be equivalent to the semester hour requirement.

Biological Sciences (4 courses)

• Anatomy with Lab: 4 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: Human Anatomy, Vertebrate Anatomy, Comparative Anatomy, or Anatomy and Physiology 1 (must be combined with A&P 2)
  • Online labs are not acceptable

• Physiology with Lab: 4 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: Human Physiology, Vertebrate Physiology, Mammalian Physiology, or Anatomy and Physiology 2 (must be combined with A&P 1)
  • Exercise Physiology does not count for this prerequisite
  • Online labs are not acceptable

• General Biology with Lab: 4 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses with lab include: General Biology, Biology 1, Introductory Biology, and Advance Placement Biology (credits awarded on college transcript)
  • Online labs are acceptable

• Additional Biology OR Exercise Physiology: 3 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: Biology 2, Cell Biology, Zoology, Microbiology, Histology, Exercise Physiology
  • Courses such as Botany, Forestry, Ecology or Kinesiology do not satisfy this prerequisite
  • Online courses are acceptable

Physical Sciences (4 courses)

• Chemistry 1 with Lab: 4 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: General Chemistry 1, College Chemistry 1, Organic Chemistry 1, or Inorganic Chemistry 1
  • Basic (preparatory) Chemistry does not count for this prerequisite
  • Lab and lecture combined or separate courses are acceptable
  • Online labs are acceptable

• Chemistry 2 with Lab: 4 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: General Chemistry 2, College Chemistry 2, Organic Chemistry 2, or Inorganic Chemistry 2
  • Basic (preparatory) Chemistry does not count for this prerequisite
  • Lab and lecture combined or separate courses are acceptable
  • Online labs are acceptable

• Physics 1 with Lab: 4 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: General Physics 1, College Physics 1, or AP Physics 1 (credits awarded on college transcript)
  • Basic (preparatory) Physics does not count for this prerequisite
  • Lab and lecture combined or separate courses are acceptable
  • Online labs are acceptable

• Physics 2 with Lab: 4 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: General Physics 2, College Physics 2, or AP Physics 2 (credits awarded on college transcript)
  • Basic (preparatory) Physics does not count for this prerequisite
  • Lab and lecture combined or separate courses are acceptable
  • Online labs are acceptable

Social Sciences (2 courses)

• General Psychology: 3 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: General Psychology, Basic Psychology, Introduction to Psychology, or AP Psychology (credits awarded on college transcript)
  • Online courses are acceptable

• Additional Psychology: 3 semester hours or equivalent

  • Preferred courses include: Abnormal Psychology, Behavioral Psychology, or Developmental Psychology
  • Online courses are acceptable

Statistics (1 course)

• Statistics: 3 semester hours or equivalent

  • Acceptable courses include: Biostatistics, Educational Statistics, Math: Statistics, Psychology/Behavioral: Statistics, Introduction to Statistics, or AP Statistics (credits awarded on college transcript)
  • Online courses are acceptable

Additional Information

• Courses may be taken at regionally accredited postsecondary institutions of higher learning to include community colleges, colleges, and universities acceptable to Baylor University.
• Non-credit hour coursework and credit received during Military Occupational Specialty-related technical training is not acceptable.
• Advanced Placement exams that are reflected as credit (equivalent to the required semester hours) on a college transcript are acceptable to satisfy prerequisite courses (to include courses with a lab component).
• CLEP exams are acceptable to fulfill prerequisite courses without a lab component. Human Anatomy with lab & Human Physiology with lab courses must be taken in person.
• Non-credit military training cannot substitute for prerequisite coursework.

Questions? Please email armybaylordpt@baylor.edu.