Program Requirements for Pre-Physical Therapy
Students in the Pre-Physical Therapy program may choose to apply to one of our partner institutions, or may choose to apply to another graduate institutions. The following requirements apply to students applying to a partner institution graduate program in Physical Therapy:
New York Medical College (NYMC)
The following prerequisite courses are taken during the first three years of study at Mount Saint Mary College and represent the minimum prerequisites for entrance into NYMC:
Three courses in biology, including human anatomy and physiology
Two courses in chemistry (with lab)
Two courses in physics (with lab)
Two courses in psychology of which one must be general or introductory psychology
One course in mathematics
One course in statistics
To be eligible for our special admissions agreement with NYMC, students must earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in their freshman year and after the completion of 50 credits the student's GPA should be a 3.2 or higher. At the time of application, the minimum GPA in prerequisite courses must be a 3.0. Throughout the course of the program a student is only permitted to earn one (1) grade lower than a B-. All remaining courses must be B's or higher. Students must also demonstrate computer literacy and have acquired 100 hours of on-site volunteer observational experience in a physical therapy setting, of which 20 hours must be in an acute care/hospital environment. Candidates must also be certified in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After these requirements are met, the student then applies and interviews for admission into the Physical Therapy Program at New York Medical College.
Dominican University of New York (DUNY)
The following prerequisite courses are taken at Mount Saint Mary College and represent the minimum prerequisites for entrance into DUNY:
Biological Principles I and II
Anatomy Physiology I and II
Two courses in chemistry (with lab)
Two courses in physics (with lab)
Two courses in psychology of which one must be general or introductory psychology
One course in statistics
To be eligible for our special admissions agreement with DUNY, students must earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, and minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 credits of the student’s most recent coursework. Throughout the course of the program a student is not permitted to earn any grades lower than a C. Students have acquired 60 hours of voluntary or work experience where a licensed physical therapist is employed. These hours must be completed in diverse healthcare settings, providing exposure to therapeutic intervention across the life span. While 60 clinical experience hours are mandatory, it is recommended to complete 100 hours. Each applicant must also complete a successful interview with the Physical Therapy Admissions Committee.
Required Coursework
Psychology Electives: PSY 3560 Drugs and Society, PSY 3450 Health Psychology, PSY 3270 Cognitive Psychology, PSY 3280 Sensation and Perception, PSY 3530 Psychology of Motivation, and PSY 3000 Principles and Techniques for Interviewing and Counseling are recommended (but not required) electives for the student pursuing physical therapy as a career.