Program Overview

Physical Therapy Program Overview

The University of Missouri’s Department of Physical Therapy offers an entry-level clinical doctorate degree. Physical therapists help restore or improve mobility, relieve pain, prevent or limit disability, and promote overall fitness and health. They are essential to the rehabilitation of people with head or spinal injuries, congenital conditions, arthritis, and neurological and musculoskeletal disorders.

Program Details

Accreditation and Features

• Accredited physical therapist education program through Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapist Education (CAPTE) since 1963
• Offers guaranteed admission to qualifying high school seniors and first-semester MU freshmen through the SHarP Scholar Program
• Innovative curriculum with team-based learning, student/faculty patient care, and real-world evidence-based practice experiences
• Abundant community services opportunities such as treating patients alongside faculty in a pro bono clinic, exercising with older adults, and helping screen older adults for fall risk

Admission Criteria

• Minimum GPA: 3.0
• Summer deadline: September 30
• Minimum Language Requirements: View the minimum English language proficiency test scores

Prerequisites for the Doctoral Degree

• Admission to the DPT program is available through regular admission (applicants will have a bachelor’s degree prior to beginning the professional program) or through an early admission option that allows students to enter the professional program with 90 credit hours.
• All applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA in the core required courses and the cumulative GPA in the last 60+ credit hours.
• On-campus interviews are required for admission to the professional program.
• Students who enter without a bachelor’s degree must have satisfied the MU general education and graduation requirements and taken two Writing Intensive courses at MU. These applicants must possess a 3.5 GPA.

Required Application Materials

For the Graduate School

• Completed Graduate School online application
• Unofficial Transcripts: Upload unofficial copies of all post-secondary transcripts to the online application. Official transcripts are only required if accepted by the academic program.
• Official Results of English Proficiency Exams (International applicants only)

For the Physical Therapy Program

• Departmental application (built into the Graduate School online application)
• 2 letters of recommendation as specified by the application guidelines
• Activities and Award Questionnaire as specified by the application guidelines
• Distinct Experiences and Attributes Essay as specified by the application guidelines
• Unofficial transcripts (Year of application, summer grades must be recorded on transcript)
• Departmental application fee

Program Structure

The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in physical therapy, including team-based learning, student/faculty patient care, and real-world evidence-based practice experiences. Clinical affiliations across the country and in a variety of settings allow students to experience firsthand the value of physical therapists in the health care arena. The faculty possesses a diversity of practice and research interests that expose students to the wealth of opportunities in this profession.