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.
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Chemistry (Full Year/3 Quarters) |
CHEM 1A (3 units) and CHEM 1AL (2 units): General Chem. And Gen. Chem. Lab CHEM 1B (3 units) and CHEM 1BL (2 units): General Chem. And Gen. Chem. Lab CHEM 1C (3 units) and CHEM 1CL (2 units): General Chem. And Gen. Chem. Lab |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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Math* and Statistics |
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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. |
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Social/Behavioral Sciences & Humanities (2 Courses) |
PSY 1 and SOC 1 (Many PT programs require one or more courses in psychology.) |
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Possible additional coursework. (*May not be offered at UCSB.) |
-Kinesiology |
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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
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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. |
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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!) |
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Fall Quarter |
Winter Quarter |
Spring Quarter |
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Year 1 |
Chem 1A + 1AL Mathematics or Statistics (See above) GE or Elective |
Chem 1B + 1BL Math or Stats (See above) GE or Elective GE or Elective (if you feel you can handle another course) |
Chem 1C + 1CL Math or Stats (See above) GE or Elective GE or Elective |
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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 |
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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 | |||||
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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