The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is academically demanding and all applicants must successfully complete prerequisite courses prior to matriculation. Please keep in mind academic records/transcripts must be verified by the Physical Therapy Centralized Admissions Service (PTCAS). This process can take four to five weeks.
- All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better
- Pass/Fail will be accepted for courses taken during the pandemic
- Each prerequisite course must fulfill the 3-semester or 5-quarter credit hour requirement
- Anatomy and physiology courses must be taken within five years of application
Evolutionary and comparative anatomy courses will NOT be accepted
- Labs are not required but are recommended
- Introductory courses should be reviewed by the committee to determine acceptance. Please send a copy of the course syllabus to dptadmis@dm.duke.edu
- AP/IB credits will be accepted IF they were accepted by your undergraduate institution
- Prerequisite courses taken online and/or at a community college are accepted as long as the institution is accredited by one of the following agencies: MSCHE, HLC, NEASC, NECHE, NWCCU, SACS, WASC, or ATS.
Get answers to common questions about prerequisites on FAQ.
Please look over each course requirement below.
Required Courses
Semester/Quarter Credit Hours: 3/5
Course Topic: Human or Vertebrate Anatomy
Course Description: Recommended courses focus on the musculoskeletal system and its neural control:
- Muscle origins
- Muscle insertions
- Muscle actions
- Innervation patterns
Courses based on human cadaver dissections or prosected human preparations are recommended.
Comments
Anatomy courses taken in sequence (e.g. A&P I and II usually offered by a biology department) or anatomy courses taken separately (usually offered by an exercise science, kinesiology, or other allied health department) will be accepted.
Semester/Quarter Credit Hours: 3/5
Course Topic: Human or Vertebrate Physiology
Course Description: Recommended courses focus on:
- Striated muscle
- Cardiac muscle
- Cardiovascular Regulation
- Respiration & Gas Exchange
- Hormonal Control
- Thermoregulation
- Acid-Base Homeostasis
Comments
Physiology courses taken in sequence (e.g. A&P I and II usually offered by a biology department) or physiology courses taken separately (usually offered by an exercise science, kinesiology, or other allied health department) will be accepted.
Semester/Quarter Credit Hours: 6/9
Course Topic: General or Upper Level Biology
Course Description: A general biology course and/or upper-level courses such as embryology, histology, immunology, microbiology, molecular, genetics, cell, exercise physiology (if not used to fulfill physiology prerequisite), etc. will be accepted.
Comments
This prerequisite can be fulfilled by:
1. Taking 2 general biology courses (BIO I/II)
2. Taking 2 upper-level biology courses
3. Taking 1 general biology course and 1 upper-level course.
All courses must be taken within a Biology Department (with the exception of exercise physiology).
Semester/Quarter Credit Hours: 6/9
Course Topic: General or Upper Level Chemistry
Course Description: A general chemistry course and/or upper-level courses such as biochemistry, inorganic, or organic will be accepted.
Comments
This prerequisite can be fulfilled by:
1. Taking 2 general chemistry courses (CHEM I/II)
2. Taking 2 upper-level chemistry courses
3. Taking 1 general chemistry course and 1 upper-level chemistry course
All courses must be taken within a Chemistry Department.
Semester/Quarter Credit Hours: 6/9
Course Topic: General Physics
Course Description: Recommended courses focus on:
- Light, Heat, Electricity, Mechanics, Sound, etc.
A biomechanics course can be used to replace the Physics II course.
Comments
This prerequisite can be fulfilled by taking a Physics I and Physics II course sequence. Courses must be taken within a Physics Department.
Semester/Quarter Credit Hours: 3/5
Course Topic: Statistics
Course Description: Recommended courses include: biostatistics, business statistics, psychology statistics, general statistics, biometry, quantitative analysis, research methods/design, or hypothesis testing.
Comments
Calculus and non-calculus-based statistics courses will be accepted. All courses must be taken within a Mathematics or Psychology department.
Semester/Quarter Credit Hours: 6/9
Course Topic: General or Upper Level Psychology
Course Description: Recommended courses include: general, abnormal, child, developmental, biological, social, sports, etc.
Comments
This prerequisite can be fulfilled by:
1. Taking 2 general psychology courses
2. Taking 2 upper-level psychology courses
3. Taking general and upper-level psychology courses.
These courses should be taken within a Psychology Department; however, sports psychology will be accepted.