Description

Students interested in pursuing professional degrees to become a physical therapist are required to complete a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related area (typically exercise science, the biological sciences, or psychology). To provide a solid foundation for bachelor’s degree work, students are encouraged to complete the Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree with an emphasis on pre-physical therapy coursework.

Entrance Requirements

While this program has no formal entrance requirements, individual courses may have prerequisites which must be met before enrollment.

Course Requirements

¹

HHPA activity courses (1 credit each) are not to be duplicated.

²

Most doctorate of physical therapy (DPT) programs require completing MTH 112Z Precalculus II: Trigonometry and STAT 243Z Elementary Statistics I. Work with your advisor to select appropriate MTH courses. 

³

The recommended elective courses are for students to explore the field of physical therapy. These courses are either preferred or required for applications to most DPT programs. Work with your advisor to identify the exact requirements for the particular schools you may apply to. 

⁴

Refer to advising notes and your assigned advisor for suggestions for a baccalaureate major.

Advising Notes

Pacific University and George Fox are the two Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in Oregon. These recommendations are based on their application prerequisites. Students pursuing other schools must look at the school's specific course requirements for application as they may vary.

Students should also complete requirements for a major; common choices include exercise science, biological science, and psychology. Courses associated with these majors include the following. See individual focus area descriptions for details.

• Exercise science: PHE 100 Introduction to Public Health, HHP 131 Introduction to Exercise/Sport Science, HHP 259 Care and Prevention of Athletic Injury, HHP 260 Anatomical Kinesiology, HHP 261 Exercise Physiology, HHP 262 Exercise Testing and Prescription, HHP 270 Sport and Exercise Psychology
• Biological science: BI 231 Human Anatomy and Physiology I, BI 232 Human Anatomy and Physiology II, BI 223 Principles of Biology: Populations, CH 221 General Chemistry I, CH 222 General Chemistry II, CH 223 General Chemistry III
• Psychology: PSY 201Z Introduction to Psychology I, PSY 202Z Introduction to Psychology II

The American Physical Therapy Association website is a helpful tool in identifying colleges across the U.S. which offer Doctorate of Physical Therapy degrees and their respective lower-division requirements.

Performance Standards

• Academic Requirements:
  • Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA to earn a COCC certificate or degree.
  • Options for additional standards:
    • All courses in the program must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Sample Plan