Rockhurst University + Missouri Western State University

The partnership between Rockhurst University and Missouri Western State University is designed to offer exceptional Missouri Western State students automatic acceptance into the following Rockhurst programs within the College of Health and Human Services:

Master of Occupational Therapy

Doctor of Physical Therapy


Master of Occupational Therapy

Two Missouri Western State students with outstanding academic qualifications will be automatically accepted into the Master of Occupational Therapy program at Rockhurst University per year. Students who do not meet the requirements for automatic admission, or those who are not selected among to fill the two allotted slots, will be reviewed under RU’s standard admission process. Students will begin the occupational therapy master’s program upon completion of their bachelor’s degree.

Master of Occupational Therapy Requirements

  • Earn semester GPA of at least 3.5 and cumulative GPA from all coursework of at least 3.5
  • Earn a cumulative science GPA from all coursework of at least 3.5
  • Important note: MWSU BIO 250 – Anatomy and Physiology (5 credit hours) and PED 304 – Physiology of Exercise (3 credit hours) will satisfy RU’s Master of Occupational Therapy anatomy and physiology requirements.
  • Complete an occupational therapy application for admission through OTCAS before Sept. 1 of their senior year
  • Successfully complete a personal interview
  • Achieve a 3.5 GPA each semester and maintain a 3.5 science and cumulative GPA through the end of their senior year


Doctor of Physical Therapy

Two Missouri Western State students who meet application criteria will be pre-admitted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Rockhurst University per year. Students who do not meet the requirements for automatic admission will be reviewed under Rockhurst’s standard admission process. Students will begin Rockhurst University’s physical therapy doctorate program upon completion of a bachelor’s degree prior to their desired summer of admission.

Doctor of Physical Therapy Requirements

  • Complete a Bachelor of Science in physical education with a concentration in health and exercise science from Missouri Western State University prior to the desired summer of admission
  • Earn a 3.5 GPA in all pre-requisite and all science pre-requisite courses as needed for admission into the Rockhurst University physical therapy program
  • Important note: MWSU BIO 250 – Anatomy and Physiology (5 credit hours) and PED 304 – Physiology of Exercise (3 credit hours) will satisfy RU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy anatomy and physiology requirements.
  • Submit a completed application to PTCAS no later than Oct. 1 of the year preceding the desired summer of admission
  • Receive three favorable letters of recommendation as part of the PTCAS application
  • Earn a minimum of 155 on both the verbal and quantitative sections and a minimum of 4.5 on the analytical writing section on the GRE
  • Submit GRE scores to PTCAS using the PTCAS/RU code 7638 (this ensures a copy of your scores is sent to Rockhurst University)
  • Complete all pre-requisites and have grades submitted to PTCAS no later than Dec. 25 of the year preceding the desired summer of admission to allow adequate time for PTCAS to verify transcripts
  • Successfully complete a personal interview