Physical Therapists (PTs) are health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the very oldest, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs examine each individual and develop a plan using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. ().
To become a licensed PT, students MUST attend a professional PT Program to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. These are commonly 3 year programs. Students should be most concerned about achieving the pre-requisite requirements for admission to the DPT program of their choice. The pre-requisite requirements for all programs can be found at .
The most common course pre-requisites are Anatomy & Physiology I & II, General Chemistry I&II, Physics I&II, Statistics.
Courses
Below are the course requirements for the Pre-Physical Therapy Concentration:
This does not replace official academic requirements in the university catalog. Enrolled students will work with their faculty advisor to ensure they meet all the requirements of their major.
Required:
- HSC 110 Foundations of Prof. Practice
- HSC 171 Acute Care of Injury & Illness
- HSC 150 Medical Terminology
- MTH 119 Statistics I
- PSY 101 General Psychology
- BIO 123+lab Biology I
- ESS 306 Nutrition
- ESS 240 Community Health
- CHM 111+lab General Chemistry
- PSY 205 Lifespan Development
- HSC 213 Anatomy for Orthopedic Assessment
- ATR 171: Acute Care of Injury & Illness
- ATR 213: Anatomy for Orthopedic Assessment
- HSC 290 Applied Pathology & Pharmacology
- PHY 101+lab General Physics I
- HSC 390 Applications of Professional Practice
- BIO 363+lab Human A&P I
- BIO 364+lab Human A&P II
- HSC 370 Internship
- HSC 490 Research Methods
- HSC 425 Healthcare Seminar
- HSC 487 Exercise Physiology
- HSC 477 Kinesiology
The vast majority of the prerequisite courses required to apply to the previously listed professional programs are embedded into the HSC major and concentration. There are a handful of courses outside of the major and concentration that students will need to complete before applying to the respective graduate program. Common examples are as follows:
- Physical Therapy: Physics 102+lab & Chemistry 112+lab (General Chem. II)
- Occupational Therapy: Psychology 209 (Abnormal Psy), Sociology 100 (Intro to Sociology)
- Athletic Training: All prerequisite coursework satisfied within the major/concentration.
- Nursing & Chiropractic: prerequisites vary greatly across institutions. Our Pre-Health Advisors will work with students individually to determine a specific 4-year academic plan to meet your professional goals.
***Please note that pre-requisite requirements can vary from institution to institution, and your advisor will work with you to determine how best to meet the prerequisite requirements for each institution***
For a more detailed academic schedule, or to ask questions about any of our majors, contact the Admission Office at admission [at] heidelberg.edu or (419) 448-2330.