» Admissions

Chapman University’s entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program application for the new cycle is open between mid June and November 1.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their completed applications, official transcripts and anticipated prerequisite coursework, and all supporting documents in PTCAS as early as possible. Students may apply with coursework or degree in progress, but courses and degree must be completed before the program starts. Please contact PTCAS for any application questions, but note it can take 4-6 weeks to verify your application.

Chapman University offers two program enrollments, each consisting of 40 students.

Application deadlines for both program start dates is November 1, 2024:

Summer - program start

Fall - program start

Admission Requirements

• Completed and verified PTCAS application
• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or accredited international university
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• 40 hours of physical therapy observation/experience

A complete list of admission requirements may also be found on the PTCAS website.

Observation/Experience

Applicants are required to satisfactorily complete at least 40 hours of observation (shadow hours or paid work) to ensure knowledge of the practice of physical therapy.  It is recommended this experience is in minimum of 2 or more settings (inpatient, outpatient, etc.). Observation hours must be supervised by a licensed physical therapist. Applicants are required to report their hours on the PTCAS application; verification forms are not required.

Transcripts

Applicants are required to submit official transcripts from every accredited institution attended. Transcripts need to be submitted directly to PTCAS using the Transcript Request Form. Applicants must update their application and submit transcripts to PTCAS reflecting grades for in progress coursework.

The PTCAS academic update window is generally open between mid December to mid February. This is the time all transcripts may be updated via PTCAS.  All official documents during the application process must be submitted directly to PTCAS for consideration.

Additional Information

• Chapman University may require a supplemental assessment after application submission; applicants will be contacted on a rolling basis.
• Persons who have been dismissed from another physical therapy program are not eligible for consideration for admission to Chapman University.

Prerequisite Coursework

• Online, hybrid, and pass/no pass courses taken between March 2020 and June 2022 will be accepted
• All prerequisites taken before March 2020 or after June 2022 must be in person for a letter grade
• One repeat is permitted for each prerequisite course
• If a prerequisite course is repeated the two grades are averaged
• All science prerequisite courses must be designed for science majors.
• Introductory level science courses are not accepted
• Human Anatomy and Physiology must be completed within 5 years of application deadline
• All other prerequisite courses must be completed within 10 years of application deadline
• No prerequisite grade below "C" is considered.
• Courses which received advanced placement credit (AP or CLEP) may fulfill prerequisite  requirements.
• No more than two science prerequisite courses and one human behavior or statistics prerequisite course (a total of three prerequisite courses) may be remaining after the semester in which the application is submitted.

• Anatomy (human) with lab
• Biology 1 with lab
• Biology 2 with lab
• Chemistry 1 with lab
• Chemistry 2 with lab
• Physics 1 with lab
• Physics 2 with lab
• Physiology (human) with lab
• Statistics
• Human Behavior

View a complete list of prerequisite requirements.

Program tuition is subject to change and typically updated annually. For more information on Tuition, Student Health Insurance, Financial Aid, Refunds, and other student charges, visit the Student Business Services website.

The physical therapy department offers minimal fellowships as a non-renewable award for outstanding academic profile(s). All candidates who matriculate into the entry-level DPT program are considered. Please visit the APTA website for other scholarships and grants.

Students are responsible for health insurance, transportation, parking, room and board, textbooks, and supplies. There are no out-of-state resident fees.

Students are required to have Health Insurance, therefore the University bills health insurance as a part of the registration. For more information on the waiver or how to enroll in the health insurance plan please visit the Student Health Insurance webpage.

• 2022-2023 - DPT Students Financial Facts Sheet – 2022 Summer Cohort
  
  
• 2022-2023 - DPT Students Financial Facts Sheet - 2022 Fall Cohort

Webinars and tours are available, so please register.

We invite you to learn about the Rinker Health Science campus.

The Physical Therapy program is located at Chapman University's Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine.

Please make an appointment and visit us at the corner of Alton Pkwy. and Jeronimo Road, in Irvine, CA.

Mailing Address:
9401 Jeronimo Rd.
Irvine, CA 92618

(Google Map)

Please visit this link to view housing options close to the Rinker Health Science Campus. Currently, there is no official Chapman University graduate student housing.