Doctorate of Physical Therapy

The DPT program is eight semesters in length and includes a combination of classroom and, laboratory coursework, two integrated part-time clinical experiences, and three full-time clinical experiences, along with participation in community outreach and interprofessional collaborations to promote professional development outside of traditional physical therapy training. In addition to the 116 required credits, students are required to complete 6 elective credits either within the department or by other graduate programs within the university.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted and verified through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) to be considered for admissions. The PTCAS application opens in June 15, 2023 and is due on November 1, 2023 by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (9:59 PM Mountain Time).

All application materials must be received by the application deadline of November 1, 2023. The UMPT program's non-refundable $80 supplemental fee must be paid electronically using this link.  Payment needs to be received by the deadline date in order for your application to be considered. 

Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree from a fully accredited college or university completed prior to the start of the program in August.

GPA

A minimum GPA of 3.0 for both cumulative and prerequisite GPA's.

UM Applicants

University of Montana students are guaranteed an interview for admission with the UM School of Physical Therapy if the following criteria are met:

GPA: Cumulative and Pre-req: 3.40 or higher

We maintain at least five spots in the incoming class for University of Montana students, provided they are competitive applicants.

International Applicants

International Applicants must complete the admissions requirements listed above along with submitting TOEFL scores.

  • Applicants whose native language is not English, must submit TOEFL scores of at least 525 (paper-based test) or 195 (computer-based test).  If you are a graduate of an English-speaking university, TOEFL scores are not required.

 

The School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science is solely responsible for the selection of incoming students.

Anatomy & Physiology - A complete introductory series, equivalent to 8 semester hours including labs.

*A comparative anatomy course and an animal physiology course may be substituted for human anatomy and physiology.

Chemistry - A complete introductory series, equivalent to 8 semester hours including labs.

Physics - A complete introductory series, equivalent to 8 semester hours including labs.

Statistics - A statistics course, equivalent to 3 semester hours.

Social Sciences - Courses equivalent to 6 semester hours offered by Psychology, Educational Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Anthropology, Ethics, Philosophy, Communications, or Women’s Studies departments.

- All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to matriculation, although an application may be submitted prior to completing all prerequisite coursework. Only two (2) prerequisite courses (7 out of 9 courses) may be in progress in the spring semester prior to matriculation. Chemistry I, and Physics courses must be completed prior to the start of the spring semester.

- Courses completed with a C- or below are not acceptable.

- Courses older than 10 years will need to be retaken.

- AP credits are accepted for prerequisites only if a letter grade appears on the official college transcript. If a college grade is not assigned to the course, the sequence needs to be completed in college to fulfill the prerequisite.

- We will accept CR/NCR grading for courses affected by the pandemic. 

Application Deadline and Verification

While the deadline to electronically submit an application is November 1, 2023, it is highly advised to submit early enough to have PTCAS verification completed by November 13, 2023. Applications not verified by PTCAS by this deadline will NOT be reviewed

*Please be aware that the PTCAS verification process is typically 4-6 weeks. It is the responsibility of the applicant to confirm with PTCAS that all application materials have been received in order for verification to occur. 

Supplemental Fee

The UMPT supplemental fee is a one-time, non-refundable, $80 fee that must be paid by the PTCAS application deadline of November 1st. The Supplemental fee MUST be paid in order for your application to be reviewed and considered by the UMPT Admissions Committee.

Observation Hours

We will be recommending observation hours, but they are not required. Any completed hours should still be listed and verified in the PTCAS application.

References

We require three letters of recommendation, including at least one from a licensed Physical Therapist. The most common references are from professors, supervisors, co-workers, and others in the medical field. We will not accept references from friends, family, clergy, or politicians.

Interviews

The interviews for the 2023-2024 application cycle will be held virtually in January 20, 2024. Invitations for interviews will be sent in mid-December.

Admissions Deposit

Students admitted to the UMPT program must submit a $300 deposit to hold their place in the class upon receiving an offer of admission. The deposit will be applied to the students fall tuition and is non-refundable.

Technical Standards & Essential Functions

All students must meet the technical standards of the UMPT Program. Every applicant offered admission must sign a document indicating they are able to meet the technical standards in order to be admitted.

Criminal Background Check

The DPT program at the University of Montana has partnered with PTCAS and Certiphi Screening to offer the requirement for all candidates to complete a national criminal background check (CBC) process before program matriculation. Once you receive an offer of admission from UMPT, Certiphi Screening will email you with instructions on how to complete the background check process. Receipt of this email indicates that the CBC is required as part of your acceptance to the program.

It is the responsibility of the admitted student to pay the required fee (presently $77.75), which is payable by credit card, debit card, or PayPal. The login credentials and information acquired from the CBC should be retained by the student for use later in the program.

For more information on this topic, contact the UMPT office at (406) 243-5190 or email physical.therapy@umontana.edu. You can also search “Background Checks” on the PTCAS website.

Completing of all outstanding prerequisite coursework

All prerequisite coursework must be successfully completed prior to the start of fall classes.

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts showing a conferred bachelor’s degree must be submitted directly to the UMPT program by August 1, 2024. Official transcripts from every higher education institution ever attended must also be sent to the UMPT Program.

Required Immunizations

Students are required to provide documentation of the required immunizations/titers, CPR certification, and health insurance. All students must be in compliance with updated vaccines and tests prior to matriculation. All documentation must be submitted to UM PT. 

Depending on your clinical experience placements, you may need additional immunizations, background checks, or drug tests.

Dual Degrees

At the University of Montana, students have the opportunity earn a dual degree in just three years: a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and a Master of Public Health or a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Master of Business Administration, thanks to our unique credit exchange agreement.

Master of Public Health/Doctor of Physical Therapy

Master of Business Administration/Doctor of Physical Therapy