Applicants to the three-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents who currently and will continue to reside in the U.S. for the entirety of the program. They must also satisfy all requirements for USC Graduate School admission, which include:
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university by the date of projected enrollment, which is in May of each year.
The admissions committee requires that you have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum science GPA of 3.0. Higher GPAs tend to be more competitive within the applicant pool.
GRE scores are not required.
A minimum of 150 hours of clinical experience in a physical therapy setting is recommended, but not required. The Admissions Committee feels that applicants who have engaged in diverse clinical experiences tend to make a more informed decision when considering physical therapy as a professional career. We also recognize that some of these experiences present themselves in the context of having supported others who have received physical therapy services as patients. Through responses to the essay prompts and resume, applicants are encouraged to share these experiences with the Admissions Committee. If deciding to gain direct physical therapy exposure in a clinical setting, the Admissions Committee makes no distinction between volunteer or paid physical therapy aide experiences.
Grades of “C” or better are required in all prerequisite courses, outlined below. Prerequisite courses taken on a “pass/no pass” basis will not be recognized, and AP credits will not be accepted in lieu of college-level courses. All courses must be for science or pre-health majors. “Survey-style” courses will not be accepted in fulfillment of prerequisites.
1 A combined two-course sequence in anatomy and physiology with lab (8 semester hours) will also satisfy this requirement.
To apply to the DPT Program – hybrid pathway, you must submit the following items:
You must complete the online application and pay a nonrefundable application fee of $90. Access the online application here.
Sealed, official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended, including any community college coursework, must be sent to:
University of Southern California
Application Processing Center
DPT@USC
PO Box 30096 024-001
College Station, TX 77842
Please note: To be considered an official transcript, the transcript must be sent directly from your institution(s) or through an electronic transcript vendor retained by that institution. Transcripts submitted by enrolled or prospective students are considered unofficial documents, even if they are in a sealed envelope provided to you by the issuing university.
Many schools issue transcripts electronically, either through their own web services or through vendors. If this option is available through the institutions you attend(ed), please specify that your transcript(s) be sent to appsvcs@dpt.usc.edu, as this will expedite the delivery of your transcript(s) and the completion of your application.
We recommend using a sense of urgency when requesting transcripts from your university, as the turnaround time can vary from school to school.
Please upload an essay containing responses to ALL of the following prompts:
Keep in mind that this prompt is updated periodically and may have changed by the time you submit your application.
Three letters of recommendation are required. You should request recommendations from individuals who can speak to your professional or academic readiness to attend a rigorous graduate program. These recommenders must be: