» Admissions

Chapman University’s entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program application for the new cycle is open between June 15 and November 1. Preference is given to complete applications.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications and supporting documents as early as possible.  Applicants are responsible for contacting PTCAS to address any questions they may have.  Once the documents are received and the application is completed, it takes PTCAS 4-6 weeks to verify your application.  Final official transcripts maybe uploaded for all in progress coursework or degrees via PTCAS. 

We suggest you include all anticipated prerequisite coursework prior to submitting your application. This way, PTCAS will verify the grades once the corresponding transcripts are sent for verification.  You may send final official transcripts to the Physical Therapy Admissions office if requested.

Admission to the Chapman University Doctor of Physical Therapy program is competitive. Please review the program minimums and averages of admitted students.

Program content, class size of 40 students, and structure is identical, the only difference is the program start date. Students may apply to both cohorts if they wish to be considered for both. All applications must be e-submitted in PTCAS by November 1, 2023. Once submitted please check to ensure this information is verified and all documents submitted.

New student Orientation is mandatory and held 1-2 weeks before the first day of class.

Application deadlines for both program starts is November 1. 2023:

Summer - program start- April 29, 2024

Fall - program start- August 26, 2024

Students may apply with coursework or degree in progress; courses and degree must be completed before program start.

Acceptance decisions:
Summer - December
Fall - January

Prerequisite Course completion deadlines:
Summer-  April 2024
Fall-  June 2024

Admission Requirements

• Completed PTCAS application
• An earned B.A. or B.S. degree from a regionally accredited college or university
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or higher
• GRE is optional
  
• 40 hours of physical therapy observation/experience
• Letters of Recommendation are not required and maybe reviewed once submitted

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

Optional- Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

• We recommend taking the GRE examination four to six weeks prior to the application deadline.
• The exam must be taken within 5 years of the application deadline.
• Scores from various test dates are not combined. We accept the best test.
• Test results should be sent directly to PTCAS, program code 7669.

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 regionally accredited U.S. postsecondary 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 December 15 to February 15. This is the time all transcripts may be updated via PTCAS.  For course work or degrees completed after Feb 15, please email the final official transcripts to the Physical Therapy Admissions Office dptadmit@chapman.edu.

Additional Requirements

• Chapman University may require a supplemental assessment after application submission; applicants will be contacted on a rolling basis.
• Letters of recommendation are NOT required.
• Chapman University does not require a custom essay.
• All prerequisite course work must be completed by April 2024 (Summer cohort) or by June 2024 (Fall cohort).
• The awarding of a baccalaureate degree must occur before the student matriculates.
• Persons who have been dismissed from another physical therapy program are not eligible for consideration for admission to Chapman University.

Prerequisite Coursework

• 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
• Pass/NP courses taken between March 2020 and June 2022 will be accepted
• Online coursework taken between March 2020 and June 2022 will be accepted

• 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.

Prerequisite Limitations

• 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 (Fall 2018).
• All other prerequisite courses must be completed within 10 years of application deadline
• Prerequisite courses may be repeated only once; these grades will be averaged.
• No prerequisite grade below "C" is considered.
• P/NP grades received between March 2020 and June 2022 are accepted.
• Courses which received advanced placement credit (AP or CLEP) may fulfill prerequisite  requirements. The credit hours and grade points will not be computed in the prerequisite GPA calculation.
• 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.
• All remaining prerequisite course work must be completed before program start.

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.