Physical Therapy

UCSB Physical Therapy School Preparation Chart Click Here

 SO YOU WANT TO BE A PHYSICAL THERAPIST? 

Physical therapy is the medical practice that utilizes therapeutic exercise, physical modalities such as massage and electrotherapy, assistive devices, and patient education and training for the preservation, enhancement, or restoration of movement and physical function impaired or threatened by disability, injury, or disease. The following is a brief guide to the courses students will need to take at UCSB to meet the prerequisite course requirements for most Physical Therapy programs.

 

 

PREREQUISITES:  THESE ARE GENERAL PREREQUISITE COURSES THAT MANY PHYSICAL THERAPY SCHOOLS REQUIRE FOR ADMISSION; HOWEVER, COURSE REQUIREMENTS OFTEN VARY FROM ONE SCHOOL TO THE NEXT.  ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COURSES THAT ARE NOT REQUIRED BY PHYSICAL THERAPY SCHOOLS, BUT ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.  WE ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO VISIT THE WEBSITES OF THE PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS YOU PLAN TO APPLY TO IN ORDER TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH EACH SCHOOL'S ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESS.  IF YOU ARE STILL UNSURE WHETHER COURSES YOU'VE TAKEN WILL SATISFY A PARTICULAR SCHOOL'S REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL.

Chemistry (Full Year/3 Quarters)

CHEM 1A (4 units): General Chemistry

CHEM 1B (3 units): General Chemistry

CHEM 1C (3 units): General Chemistry

CHEM 2AL (2.5 units): General Chemistry Lab

CHEM 2BL (2.5 units): General Chemistry Lab

 

Biological Sciences (Full Year/3 Quarters)

MCDB 1A (4 units): Intro. To Biology I

MCDB 1B (3 units): Intro. To Biology II--Physiology

MCDB 1LL (1.5 units): Intro. To Biology I Lab 

EEMB 2 (2 units): Intro. To Biology II—Ecology and Evolution

EEMB 3 (3 units): Intro. To Biology III

EEMB 2LL (1.5 units): Intro. To Biology Lab II

Physics (Full Year/3 Quarters)

PHYSICS 6A (3 units) and PHYSICS 6AL (1 units): Introductory Physics w/Lab

PHYSICS 6B (3 units) and PHYSICS 6BL (1 units): Introductory Physics w/Lab

PHYSICS 6C (3 units) and PHYSICS 6CL (1 units): Introductory Physics w/Lab

Note: Students who complete the PHYSICS 1 series will need to take PHYSICS 1-2-3-4-5 and PHYSICS 3L-4L-5L to satisfy a full year of Physics with labs.  If your major only requires you to complete through PHYSICS 4 and PHYSICS 4L, then you may enroll in PHYSICS 6AL to satisfy the final lab requirement.

If allowed by your major, we encourage students to complete the Physics 6 series instead.

Note:  Mathematics 2A or 3A or 34A or AP Math AB Exam score of 3 or higher are required for Physics 6A.  Math courses may be taken concurrently with Physics 6A

Human Anatomy & Human Physiology w/ lab (3 quarters/2 semesters)

*You will need to take these courses outside of UCSB as UCSB does not offer them with labs.  Students living in the Santa Barbara/Goleta area often choose to take these courses at SBCC (BMS 107 Human Anatomy, BMS 108 Human Physiology).  For information on how to register for these courses, please contact the school's admissions office.

Math* and Statistics

Please review the “Math Guidelines for Pre-Health Students"

English/Writing (Full Year/3 Quarters)

A combination of 3 UCSB courses taken in the Writing or English departments should fulfill the full year of English requirement for most California PT schools.  Courses that satisfy GE Areas A-1 and A-2 will satisfy the English requirement.  Click here for information on these courses.

Also, courses that satisfy the GE Special Subject Area Writing requirement should not be considered sufficient to satisfy the full year of English requirement.

Remember, it is your responsibility to check the admissions requirements at each physical therapy school you hope to apply to in order to make sure that the courses you take at UCSB and elsewhere will satisfy each program's specific requirements.

Social/Behavioral Sciences & Humanities (2 Courses)

PSY 1 and SOC 1 (Many PT programs require one or more courses in psychology.)

Possible additional coursework.

(*May not be offered at UCSB.)

-Kinesiology
-Exercise Physiology
-Biomedical Ethics
-Medical Terminology
Please check with individual schools for specific requirements. The Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service "Program Directory" link is a good way to compare program requirements.

Highly recommended: Prerequisite courses listed are minimum requirements; however, most successful applicants will have exceeded the minimum requirements by taking additional upper division science courses. Examples of appropriate courses include but are not limited to:

MCDB 101A - Molec. Genetics I

MCDB 103 - Cell Biology

MCDB 131 - Gen. Microbiology

If you choose not to major in one of the natural sciences, you may wish to include one or two additional science electives in your program of study if your schedule permits.

*Math requirements may vary by school so be sure to research individual prerequisites.

Sample Pre-Physical Therapy Course Schedule, Years 1 & 2 (To be used as a guide and is not intended to be strictly adhered to by all pre-PT students!)

 

 

Fall Quarter

Winter Quarter

Spring Quarter

Year 1

Chem 1A 

Mathematics or Statistics (See above)

GE or Elective

Chem 1B + 2AL

Math or Stats (See above)

GE or Elective

GE or Elective (if you feel you can handle another course)

Chem 1C + 2BL

Math or Stats (See above)

GE or Elective

GE or Elective

Year 2

MCDB 1A

PHYSICS 6A + 6AL 

GE or Elective

GE or Elective?

MCDB 1B

EEMB 2

MCDB 1LL

PHYSICS 6B + BL

GE or Elective

EEMB 3

EEMB 2LL

PHYSICS 6C + 6L

GE or Elective

*Intro. Biology Labs:  Beginning in Fall 2019, the Biology Program restructured its introductory labs, changing from three, 1 unit labs--MCDB 1AL, MCDB 1BL/EEMB 2L, and EEMB 3L--to two, 1.5 unit labs--MCDB 1LL and EEMB 2LL.  Most students will take MCDB 1LL in winter quarter and EEMB 2LL in spring quarter.  Although taken over two quarters rather than three, these will count as a full year of introductory biology labs.  Students who have completed part of the previous lab series, please contact the Biology department advisors for information on how to complete the rest of the series.

Note:  Students who began the introductory lab sequence and completed MCDB 1AL but who were unable to complete the remaining lab courses in that sequence due to their discontinuation will complete EEMB 2LL, which the Biology Department deems as satisfactory completion of the lab sequence and which professional school programs should also view as having successfully satisfied a "full-year" of laboratory work. 

Note that most programs require a year of physics with lab (Physics 6A & 6AL, 6B & 6BL, 6C & 6CL), and although some students complete physics by the end of the 3rd year, just when to take physics depends on how well students are meeting the demands of their other courses.

EXAM AND GPA:

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is a standardized examination that consists of four multiple-choice sections that cover basic mathematics and reading comprehension skills. The GRE is designed to measure general academic ability. It is required by most of the American PA schools. Typically, students take the GRE about one calendar year prior to their intended date of matriculation to professional school. The GRE is a nationally standardized test, similar to the ACT and SAT.  A GRE score is good for three years at most schools, so taking the test in the spring of junior year does not necessarily mean that you must enter PA school right after college graduation. Average scores are typically above a 300 (Combined scores from the Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning sections).

Grade Point Average (GPA):  Minimum GPA requirements vary from program to program, but MOST programs have a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement but competitive GPA’s are closer to a 3.5.  In addition, most programs require that all prerequisite courses must be passed with a “C” or better.

Transcript Review and Grade Trends:  Admission committees conisder a number of factors incluidng and beyond the final grades earned in courses.  For example, admission committees will review and consider the number of courses/units taken each quarter, whether courses were taken P/NP, retaken, and were withdrawn from, resulting in a W on the official transcript.  To learn more about what your official transcripts communicate to admissions committees, please review the AAMC's Anatomy of an Applicant Guide.  (A link to the guide can be found in the first paragraph in the Current Students section of our website.) 

TIMELINE

**Students should note that there is no set path or timeline that dictates when students have to take their admission test or apply to professional school.  Professional schools DO NOT penalize studenst for not applying at a particular time.  The timeline above is only a guide, and students should plan to meet with a pre-health advisor to discuss their individual goals and needs

Freshman Year

Visit Career Services to explore interest in health professions and learn more about your personal skills and interests.

Start taking intro sciences (General Chemistry sequence).

Think about possible majors (Study what you love).

Connect with a Pre-Health Staff or Peer Advisor

Consider volunteer opportunities (campus and community) 2nd quarter.

Start clinical experience (Shadowing, PT clinic, etc.) during breaks and summer.

Go to your professors’ office hours.

Explore student organizations.

Sophomore Year

Continue with next sequence of science courses (Fall: MCDB 1A; Winter: MCDB 1B, EEMB 2, MCDB 1LL; Spring: EEMB 3, EEMB 2LL)

Stay involved in extracurricular activities (Medical, volunteer, etc).

Begin to think about becoming an officer in your organizations or explore other leadership opportunities.

Begin research on professional schools, their requirements, and assess your competitiveness.

Investigate GRE preparation options.

BOTTOM LINE: Keep working on the things you established your first year!!

Junior Year (If not taking a Gap Year.) **If taking a Gap Year, then taking the GRE and completing the application can wait until senior year)

Talk to your staff pre-health advisor member to narrow program options and assess competitiveness.

Identify at least 3 individuals to write letters of recommendation.

Keep working on the things you have established thus far.

Schedule a mock interview with Career Services.

CLAS offers GRE preparation workshops.

**Register for the GRE, if taking.

**Study for GRE and take it.

**Complete Application (PTCAS).

Senior Year (If no Gap Year)

Submit Application(s) if you haven’t already.

Wait to be contacted for interview from pharmacy schools.

Continue with activities and professional experiences/shadowing.

Talk with an advisor about an alternate path if necessary.

Finish degree requirements and GRADUATE!

If Taking 1 or more Gap Years:

Schedule a mock interview with Career Services.

**Register for the GRE, if taking.

**Study for GRE and take it.

**Complete Application (PTCAS).

 
 

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Click Here

APTA Program Directory Click Here

Pre-requisite Courses Chart (by institution) Click Here

Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) Click Here

GRE Information/Dates Click Here

CHECK OUT THE PRE-PHYSICAL THERAPY FAQ!