Physical Therapy Program Admission Criteria

To be considered for admission into Central Michigan University's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program, you must have completed or been in the final stages of completing a bachelor's degree, the prerequisite course requirements, and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Graduate record exam

All applicants are required to take the GRE, and all scores must be sent directly from ETS/GRE to PTCAS. 

Observation hours

A minimum of 24 career exploration hours is required.  Observation hours can be from one or more settings.  

Grade point average (GPA)

Applicants must have earned a minimum 3.0-grade point average in prerequisite and overall undergraduate academic coursework, with no grade below a 2.0 in each prerequisite course.

The average academic and practical qualifications from the 2020 to 2022 entering classes are noted below.  We provide this information to all you to assess your chances of admission and help in your planning process.  It is important to note, however, that applicants are evaluated based on their own credentials and merit. 

 2020 Entering Class2021 Entering Class2022 Entering Class
Average Cumulative GPA3.633.693.53
Average Prerequisite GPA3.613.633.60
Average GRE Verbal Percentile484138
Average GRE Quantitative Percentile403533
Average GRE Analytical Writing Percentile585045

GPA recalculation policy

Students will be allowed the opportunity to recalculate their cumulative GPA under the following circumstances:

  1. The career path and curriculum that they were pursuing had significantly changed so that they were now following a completely new area of academic study.
  2. The previous academic coursework and their current coursework are separated by a significant enough period of time to demonstrate a change in career direction.
  3. That they do not wish to use courses from their earlier academic career as prerequisites for the DPT Program.
  4. That all of their prerequisites were taken within the last six years.

If you meet these criteria, you can recalculate your cumulative GPA based on the last 75 credit hours that you have taken. These must include all prerequisite courses. The Admissions Committee will evaluate your records to confirm whether you meet the listed criteria and are eligible for a recalculation.

Should you have any questions regarding our recalculation policy, please contact the College of Health Professions graduate admissions at 989-774-1730.