Application Process

The Department of Physical Therapy Education is accepting applications now for its new Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. The DPT is a graduate degree. Students enter the DPT program after completing undergraduate studies and earning a baccalaureate degree. The DPT program contains nine semesters of classroom and clinical experiences spread over 36 months.

Points of Entry

The DPT program accommodates and encourages multiple points of entry for prospective students.

Freshman Pre-Admission - Exceptional students may be awarded a freshman pre-admission guarantee based on a combination of ACT or SAT scores, high school grades, class rank and letters of recommendation. A personal interview with a member of the Physical Therapy faculty will be scheduled the year before the student begins the DPT program.

PT Scholars - Rockhurst students with outstanding academic work may apply for advanced admission status through the Physical Therapy Scholars Program. Students who have a minimum cumulative and science grade point average of 3.4 at the beginning of their junior year are eligible for consideration.

Transfer and Post-Baccalaureate - Students transferring to Rockhurst and students with a completed baccalaureate degree from another institution are encouraged to contact the Office of Graduate Admissions or the PT Department to receive personal assistance with the admission process. This assistance could include transcript evaluation, information on prerequisite courses, campus tours and the opportunity to meet with students currently enrolled in the PT program.

How To Apply

To apply to the PT program, students must complete an online application through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) at www.ptcas.org.

Students will submit all required materials directly to PTCAS (following guidelines found on the PTCAS web site).

Required materials include:

  • Complete application.
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
  • Summary of extracurricular activities, honor and awards.
  • Three letters of recommendation.
  • Personal essay.
  • Official Report of GRE (Graduate Record Examination) Send official score directly to RU using University School Code 6611 and PT Program Code 0619.
  • TOEFL scores of at least 550 must be submitted by international students whose first language is not English.

Notice to Applicants Offered PT Acceptance:

If you accept an offer of admission to Rockhurst University's PT program, you are required to submit a second set of official transcripts from every college/ university you have attended directly to the PT program prior to attending. PTCAS cannot forward transcripts to Rockhurst University to fulfill this institutional requirement.

After all application materials are received, a personal interview will be scheduled between qualified applicants and a member of the physical therapy faculty.

Applications to the program are accepted beginning in the summer semester of each year. The PT program employs a "rolling admissions" process, which means that applications are accepted throughout the year and are reviewed as they are received. Enrollment is limited and early application in encouraged. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the professional program.

If you have questions during the application process please contact Amy McPherson in the Department of Physical Therapy Education or Cheryl Hooper in Graduate Admissions.