Admissions
Admissions Requirements
The HU DPT program admits qualified individuals who wish to further their academic studies in the field of physical therapy and offers a career pathway for new graduates, physical therapy assistants, and nontraditional students alike to learn the necessary skills of a Doctor of Physical Therapy.
HU General Admissions Requirements:
- Final official undergraduate transcript(s).
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- A resume.
- Two letters of recommendation from academic or industry professionals.
DPT Program Admission Requirements:
- The program prefers but does not require a basic exercise science background. Most students in the program have completed undergraduate coursework in exercise science, physical therapist assistant, or athletic training programs prior to entry into the DPT program.
- Written essay and Video essay as part of the application process. (Video requirement found in application).
- Volunteer/observational work in the field is not required although it is highly recommended.
- For applicants whose native language is not English, the TOEFL is required with a minimum score of 79 on the iBT.
- TOEFL may be required: We are waiving this for individuals who have completed degree programs or are employed in the US
- 3.0 GPA undergraduate cumulative average (on a 4.0 scale).
- Completion of all prerequisite courses with a GPA of 2.8 (C) or greater on a 4.0 GPA scale.
- Applicants who are graduates of the HU Exercise Science PTA Pathway program Students who meet all application requirements have preferential consideration for admittance into the DPT program. After Harrisburg University Exercise Science graduates are accepted into the program, external candidates with an undergraduate degree, the required prerequisites, and the academic GPA requirements will be considered for the remaining seats. HU Exercise Science graduates who are accepted into the DPT program may defer the seat for a maximum of two years (admission cycles). Applicants who delay re-entry beyond this window must re-apply.
- Harrisburg University complies with the laws of each state regarding the delivery of education to its residents. The developing Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is currently accepting applications for the three-year curriculum from residents of the following states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia.
- HU is not accepting applications from prospective students residing in states where the institution does not have state authorization. However, prospective students are encouraged to contact the DPT program to obtain updates related to state authorization in additional states. Admitted students are also advised to monitor this page for any updates prior to relocating to another state, as this can have an impact on continued enrollment in the DPT degree program and the ability to be placed for on-the-ground activities or clinical field experiences. For states denoted with clinical field experience and other on-the-ground activity restrictions, HU does not have the necessary state authorization approvals to offer on-the-ground activities of this kind in those states at this time.
Would you like to connect to someone 1 on 1?
Students with records of criminal convictions may be disqualified from licensure. Students must assume the responsibility for ascertaining their status in this regard with the physical therapy licensure board in the state where they seek to apply for licensure. Individual state licensing boards develop their own policies and procedures regarding positive applicant reports.
* Notice of Accreditation Status
Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT;www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website.
Effective October 29, 2025, the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology DPT Program has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org). If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Tonya Y Miller PT, DPT, PhD (717-901-5100 ext. 1630) or email tmiller2@HarrisburgU.edu. Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.
