This accredited, entry-level doctoral program combines full-time academic study with three summers of supervised clinical practice, preparing you to work as a highly-skilled physical therapist practicing in a clinical setting. You’ll study normal and abnormal structure and function and the theory and practice of physical therapy. Graduates are eligible for New York State licensure as a physical therapist.
A DPT for Practicing Physical Therapists and a PhD program in Physical Therapy Research are also available.
Academic Plan Code: PTPS
Degree: DPT
Credits: 133
Academic Load: Full-time only; Summer start only
Application Deadlines
Soft Application Deadline: October 3, 2022
Final Application Deadline: December 1, 2022
Admissions Requirements
In order to be considered for admission to this program, you must have the following:
- A bachelor's degree in a field other than physical therapy, with a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a scale of 4.00
- A minimum of one day (eight hours) of observation in each of three different physical therapy locations, including at least one inpatient setting, with documentation from each facility
- A minimum GPA of 3.00 in the following prerequisite natural science courses. All courses must be four credits (semester hours) and taught in science departments, and all, except physiology, must have a laboratory component. All prerequisite science courses must be completed within ten years of submitting your application. Grades must be available for a minimum of five of the science prerequisite courses listed below before the December 1 application deadline.
- Biology I (General, Cell, Zoology)
- Biology II (General, Cell, Zoology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology)
- Chemistry I (General or Inorganic)
- Chemistry II (General, Organic, Inorganic, or Biochemistry)
- Physics I (General - Trigonometry or Calculus-based)
- Physics II (General - Trigonometry or Calculus-based)
- Physiology (Cell, Mammalian, or Human) or eight credits (semester hours) of Anatomy / Physiology I and II
- Completion of the following additional prerequisite courses:
- A three-credit (semester hours) course in psychology
- Two other three-credit (semester hours) social science/behavioral science courses
- One three-credit (semester hours) course in statistics
- One course (credit or noncredit) in physical activity/movement/dance/sports, or collegiate-level participation in physical activity/movement/dance/sports, or intramural/club team participation in physical activity/movement/dance/sports, or intermediate level of participation in fitness/wellness (e.g. Pilates, Tai Chi, yoga, etc.) activities. Noncredit physical activity/movement/dance/sports experience should be logged in the extracurricular activities section in PTCAS (the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service).
Please Note: You must complete ALL of the admission requirements prior to the start of the program.
The Admissions Committee reserves the right to withdraw an offer of acceptance if the applicant fails to complete all admission requirements prior to the start of the program.
Deadlines
Soft deadline date is October 3, 2022. We strongly encourage you to submit a complete application by the soft deadline date since decisions regarding interviews are made as soon as all completed information is received.
Firm deadline date is December 1, 2022. All required documents must be received by PTCAS by this date. These materials include all transcripts, letters of recommendation, observations, and GRE scores. The supplemental fee must also be received by NYU by this deadline.
How to Apply
These instructions and requirements are for all applicants. If you are not a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, please read the special instructions for international applicants.
Your application will require the following items. You will apply through PTCAS (the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service) only. You do not fill out a separate NYU Steinhardt graduate admissions application.
You are responsible for making sure your entire application is complete.
1. Prepare Your Application
Essays
You will submit two essays through PTCAS.
Letters of Recomendation
You will submit two letters of recommendation (one of which must be from a physical therapist) through PTCAS.
Transcripts
In addition to the official transcripts you will submit as part of your application to PTCAS, if you are admitted and choose to attend NYU, you will need to submit final, official transcripts to the University before you begin your studies.
GRE
Required. See detailed instructions on how to submit your GRE scores to PTCAS. GRE scores - Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores must be received by PTCAS by the December 1 admissions deadline. Official scores should be sent by the Educational Testing Service to code 1575 - New York U PTCAS.
Leadership and Service Experience
You will submit a list of leadership and service experiences through PTCAS.
Proficiency in English
You do not have to submit an English language exam score to PTCAS if:
- Your native language is English
- You completed four years of study in the US (undergraduate, graduate, or a combination of both undergraduate and graduate study)
- You received the equivalent of a four year college education from a non-US school where English is the only and official language of instruction
For those who do not meet the above exemptions, please submit your Test of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TOEFL) through PTCAS by the application deadline.
Applicants holding or completing a graduate degree from an English-speaking institution are still required to submit official exam scores if their graduate education was fewer than four years in duration.
This English proficiency exam requirement cannot be waived. If your scores have expired before you apply, you must retake the exam.
We will review all applications regardless of your scores. All components of your application are reviewed together as a whole.
We reserve the right to require any candidate, regardless of country of citizenship, to submit results from an English language exam prior to rendering a decision if they believe proficiency in English is an area of concern.
Candidates may be further evaluated before a decision is made through a second-level review of English proficiency regardless of score received on the above exams.
2. Apply
PTCAS Application
You will apply through PTCAS only. You do not fill out a separate NYU Steinhardt application. After you fill in and upload the required information, you can submit your completed application.
Your application must be completed, dated, electronically signed and submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST of the stated deadline. You are responsible for making sure your entire application is complete.
Application Fee
There is a $50 supplemental fee. The link to the supplemental fee payment page is included on NYU's PTCAS directory page under Supplemental Requirements.
3. Receive Your Admission Decision
The final admission decision from NYU Steinhardt will be provided through its online application system which is separate from the Central Application System (CAS). You will be notified about the status of your application by email. Typically, you will be notified by the Office of Graduate Admissions by mid-February with an update on your status. You may learn of your status before this timeline.
It is our policy to request that applicants who receive an offer secure a seat in the class by submitting a deposit by the stated deadline.