Pre-Physical Therapy

Helping people help themselves.

You love working with people, and you're also interested in the field of health. Well, physical therapy is a great profession for combining those passions. To become a physical therapist, you must complete a bachelor’s degree and also earn a doctor of physical therapy degree (DPT). At UIndy, you can add pre-physical therapy as a concentration to whatever major you select. Then you can apply to our Krannert School of Physical Therapy when the time comes. It’s a highly competitive field, which can translate to a highly satisfying career.

Advantages

KSPT professors are practicing physical therapists
Undergraduate advisors who are knowledgeable about the requirements for and the demands of the PT program
Service learning opportunities in various health and human services organizations.
Learning and leadership opportunities within many campus organizations, including the Pre-Physical Therapy Student Organization

Common Majors

Pre-physical therapy is an area of concentration, which you can add to many majors. Following are some of the most beneficial majors for someone who wants to become a physical therapist.

Direct Admission/Early Assurance

Incoming freshmen interested in early assurance to UIndy's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, should declare pre-physical therapy on the application as their concentration to be considered. Students are then reviewed for early assurance three times per year: December, January, and February. Those selected will receive an email notification with an early assurance offer. To secure their spot, students must complete and return the electronic intent form by the deadline provided in the offer letter. Once admitted, students must meet specific academic and program requirements each year to retain their direct admission status.

Accelerated Undergraduate

UIndy offers an accelerated undergraduate program, known as the 3+3 program, for students who will complete both their bachelor's and DPT degrees at UIndy. UIndy students who complete 90 credits by the end of their junior year may enter the DPT program their fourth year on campus. The bachelor's degree is not awarded until the end of the fourth year. The first-year DPT courses are electives to round out bachelor’s degree requirements. Early admission after the junior year is not guaranteed, and eligible students must participate in the regular application process. Please also note:

Early admission via the accelerated undergraduate option is offered to only the most qualified UIndy undergraduate students. Students who wish to pursue this option need to be particularly serious students from the very beginning of their college career. The major advantage to the early admission option is the time and money saved by entering PT school a year early.
Disadvantages to the early admission program are that it limits flexibility within the undergraduate curriculum and limits the ability to participate in some traditional undergraduate activities. For this reason, many student athletes or student government leaders elect to complete a traditional four-year undergraduate experience before entering PT school.

Student Story

Rachel Schroeder

Pre-Physical Therapy Major

We are a nationally ranked physical therapy school. All of our professors are still practicing physical therapists, so they bring in patients that they allow us to work with very early on in our PT career. I get a little overwhelmed at times, but in the end I’m really glad I’m being challenged and know that when I graduate it will have been a good experience and I will be prepared.

Potential Careers

Physical therapists work in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and other settings to help patients. Following are examples:

Helping a patient with a spinal-cord injury develop the endurance needed to maneuver a wheelchair up and down ramps
Implementing an exercise program to enable an injured athlete to return to competition
Helping an infant with cerebral palsy learn to sit independently
Developing an exercise program as part of a multidisciplinary osteoporosis prevention program offered within a retirement community
Evaluating an assembly worker who sustained an on-the-job injury, recommending a physical therapy treatment program, and working with the shift supervisor to modify the workstation to prevent further injury
Providing ambulation training to enable an elderly person to return home after a hip fracture

Curriculum Guides

These curriculum guides outline the different classes you will need to take as a Pre-Physical Therapy major. The general education guide provides a list of all the classes you need in order to fulfill UIndy’s general education requirements. The Pre-Physical Therapy guide lists all of the classes you will need to take in order to fulfill the major’s requirements. Be sure to take a look at both guides in order to get a complete picture of what classes you'll take at UIndy.

Stephen F. Fry Professional Edge Center

The Stephen F. Fry Professional Edge Center empowers students to become confident, competitive, and career ready. The Center sponsors essential skills training, speakers and career-related events throughout the year in order to give all students a competitive advantage. Access to internships and employment opportunities is available for University of Indianapolis students and new graduates.

Find your edge