DPT Application Process
Thank you for your interest in applying to the University of Wisconsin–Madison Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. The DPT application process begins with reviewing the key dates and checking your academic eligibility.
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We participate in the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). A class of 40 students begins the program each June.
If you have questions after reviewing this page, please reach out to our admissions office.
Key Dates
Mid-June
PTCAS Application opens
November 1
Application deadline. All application materials (GRE scores, official transcripts and references), including $50 supplemental fee for UW–Madison DPT program, must be received by this deadline.
By December 31
All applicants will have received their admission decision. We do not have rolling admissions; all applications completed by Nov. 1 will be considered.
January 15
Earliest date that an enrollment deposit can be required, for all DPT programs participating in PTCAS (per ACAPT admission traffic rules).
Important Application Information
Before you begin, make sure you are eligible to apply. Review the eligibility information and the essential functions.
Please note: All application materials (GRE scores, official transcripts, and references) must be submitted directly to PTCAS by the deadline in order for an application to be considered.
Academic Eligibility
To be considered for the DPT program, you must meet these requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Prerequisites
- GRE scores (up to five years old)
- Minimum required scores are 144 Verbal, 144 Quantitative, 3.5 Writing
- Scores must be sent to our program-specific PTCAS code (0315), not to the general UW–Madison code
- We do not superscore; the best set of GRE scores (from a single test date) at the time of application submission will be considered
- We recommend allowing at least 2 weeks for GRE scores to be reported to PTCAS by ETS
- Overall GPA of at least 3.0, including all undergraduate, graduate and professional courses
- Science GPA of at least 3.0, calculated by PTCAS. Refer to the PTCAS course subject breakdowns:
- Course subjects that are included in PTCAS science GPA calculation include all anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry and physics courses (not solely our required prerequisites)
- Course subjects that are not included in PTCAS science GPA calculation include English composition, mathematics, movement science, psychology or social/behavior
What We Look For
We consider many things when reviewing your PTCAS application:
- Transcript(s), course work, GPAs and GRE scores
- Non-academic factors, including community service, extracurricular activities, leadership, work history, bilingual proficiency, research, employment experience, advocacy, and re-application (no particular community or extracurricular activities are preferred, and service doesn’t necessarily have to be related to health care)
- Healthcare experience/exposure and professional goals
- Quality of application statements, custom questions, and references
- Alignment with program and school’s missions and values
- Personal qualities, interpersonal skills, and generic abilities
- Observation hours and settings
- Lived experience(s) and background
- Overall preparedness
Note: The UW–Madison Doctor of Physical Therapy program does not have an interview process.
DPT-MPH Dual Degree
The DPT-MPH dual degree program requires that students are reviewed for admission by each program separately. Students interested in pursuing the dual degree should indicate this on their PTCAS application with a corresponding essay indicating why they are interested.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are UW–Madison students and Wisconsin residents preferred for admission?
No. The rigor of the academic background of each applicant, along with all the information in each application, is considered. This includes the undergraduate school attended; however, there is no inherent preference for UW–Madison students or Wisconsin residents.
Can I be considered a Wisconsin resident for tuition purposes?
In order to be eligible for in-state tuition an individual must be living in Wisconsin for an entire year without being enrolled in any education courses (this includes continuing education courses). Out of state students who move to Wisconsin and begin the DPT program within a year would be considered non-WI residents for the duration of the program.
Additional information can be found by visiting the Office of the Registrar.
Can I attend the program part-time?
No. The curriculum is full-time, including summers.
Is it possible to work while being a student?
It’s important to know and understand your own situation. The curriculum is intense and students are not encouraged to work. However, some students do work part-time (typically about 10 hours per week). There are many student jobs at UW.
Do physical therapy students interact with medical students?
The UW Madison DPT program graduates students who are prepared for interprofessional collaborative care. DPT students learn from, by and with students from the following health professions: medicine, physician assistant, genetic counseling, public health, pharmacy, nursing, social work, and occupational therapy. Mandatory and elective courses are threaded throughout the curriculum.
Is there a research component of the program? Are students required to do research?
UW–Madison is a level-one research institution. Research principles are included throughout the curriculum and three courses directly address research. Students write a research proposal; however, they are not required to produce novel research. The DPT program includes numerous opportunities for students to conduct research with faculty and other UW–Madison researchers. Research Practicum credits can be taken by students interested in doing additional research. Tuition does not increase if independent study credits are taken.
What’s most unique about UW–Madison’s DPT program?
The UW–Madison DPT program offers many opportunities for applied learning and collaboration.
- Inter-professional learning and research
- Funding to present at state and national conferences and international applied learning experiences.
- Direct interactions with faculty
- 1:10 faculty to student ratios in labs
- Open-door access to renowned faculty
Application Questions Custom to Our Program
To help you prepare for completing the PCTCAS application, we’ve provided a list of the questions specific to our program that you’ll be required to answer. You can view and answer in PTCAS only after you have chosen to have your PTCAS application submitted to our program.
PTCAS Application Questions
- Have you previously applied to this physical therapy education program?
- If you are reapplying to this program, how have you strengthened your application since the last admissions cycle? If you are not reapplying, write “not applicable.” (4500 characters)
- Please provide specific examples of why you are applying to the UW–Madison Doctor of Physical Therapy program and how we are the best fit for you. (2000 characters)
- What do you feel that you could contribute to our program? (2000 characters)
- What would you like us to know about you that is not reflected in your application? (1000 characters)
- If you speak a language(s) in addition to English, please list the language and briefly describe your level of fluency and how the language was acquired. (300 characters)
- If you have aspirations to practice physical therapy with medically underserved (i.e., urban, rural) populations, please explain how you envision integrating this into your future career path/endeavors. (600 characters)
- Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If yes, please provide details.
- How do you envision your background/lived experiences contributing to the achievement of the UW-Madison DPT program mission that aims in part to “produce generalist clinicians committed to the delivery of evidence-based quality care in an empathetic, collaborative, professional, culturally sensitive manner?” (4500 characters)
- Provide an example(s) in which you have demonstrated resilience, mental strength, and/or mindset that would contribute to your success as a DPT student and clinician. (2000 characters)
- Are you applying to the DPT-MPH dual degree program? Please note that applicants who indicate yes, are committing to the dual degree program only, and will not be considered for the DPT program alone. Dual degree applicants are required to submit the following essay: Please describe why you are interested in pursuing a DPT-MPH dual degree. (4,000 characters)
This PTCAS essay question is part of your PTCAS application and is not specific to our program:
- Every applicant is unique in their own way, possessing individual qualities, abilities, and backgrounds. What unique traits will you bring to the physical therapy profession that will help you to be successful?
Physical Therapy Observation Hours
Observations must be verified by a licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. Applicants are required to have a minimum of 40 total hours of physical therapy observation (paid or unpaid) Setting types:
- Acute care hospital
- Rehabilitation/sub-acute rehabilitation
- Nursing home/extended care facility
- Free-standing PT or hospital clinic
- School/pre-school
- Wellness/prevention/fitness
- Industrial/occupational health
- Home health
- Other outpatient facility — please use this choice for unique types of outpatient facilities, such as sports medicine or pediatric clinics
- Other inpatient facility — please use this choice for unique types of inpatient facilities, such as a children’s or specialty hospital
- Other settings — attended PT as a patient; attended PT with a family member; HOSA PT event participant
*Settings which are not verified by a licensed PT or PTA (e.g., observed non-PT/PTA health care provider; Special Olympics volunteer) won’t count toward the required 40 hours of observation, but will be considered with your overall application.
Recommendations for Shadowing/Observation
References
- Three reference letters are required, and if a fourth or fifth letter is submitted it will also be considered
- One reference must be from a physical therapist — there is no other requirement as to who writes reference letters, except that they must not be written by friends or family members
- Letters that include information about your unique background and diverse life experiences will strengthen your application
International Applicant Requirements
In addition to all the above requirements, international applicants must have:
- A degree comparable to an approved U.S. bachelor’s degree (World Education Services evaluation of foreign transcripts)
- Evidence of adequate financial resources for the duration of the program
- Test of English as a Second Language (TOEFL) scores that are current within the past two years if your native language is not English and you have not completed all your undergraduate work in English.
- Preferred scores are: 92 TOEFL iBT, 9.5 TOEFL Essentials
- A minimum of 20 (of the required 40 total) observation hours verified by a US licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant.
Further information for international students is available from the International Student Services website.
Transfer Students
Due to the highly integrated and longitudinal natures of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s health profession programs’ curricula, beginning immediately upon matriculation, transfer students are not accepted. Written petition for an exception must clearly document that the transferring student’s education can only be completed at the School of Medicine and Public Health and must state why the student’s original institution cannot fulfill the training needs of the student.
Admissions Overview
Amy Schubert, director of admissions, provides details on some of the common questions the Doctor of Physical Therapy program receives from prospective students.