Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, many people apply while they are in the last semester of their Bachelor’s Degree. Acceptance into the program is conditional upon successful completion of the degree (and any prerequisite courses still in progress) at least two weeks prior to the start of the Fall Semester in which they would begin attending classes in the PT Program.

You can have a Bachelor’s degree in any major in order to apply; you simply have to complete the required prerequisite courses.



For students who still have to get their Bachelor’s degree and are interested in PT, we recommend the Kinesiology: Exercise Science major. It is a precursor to PT and has most of the prerequisite courses within the degree.

It is strongly recommended that all prerequisite courses be taken for a grade. If a grade of “Pass” or “Credit” is earned, we assume the grade to be the lowest grade allowed by that University which in most cases, is a “C”.

There is no time limit for prerequisite courses. As long as you have the transcripts for the course is verified by PTCAS, we will accept the grade.

We accept course work completed at any WASC (Western Association of Schools & Colleges) accredited institution or a recognized equivalent regional accrediting body. This includes community colleges as well as four-year institutions. There is no preference given to courses taken at 4 year institutions versus community colleges.

Yes, online courses are accepted.

Prerequisite courses must be taken at universities or colleges accredited by WASC or a recognized equivalent regional accrediting body. As long at the school is accredited, and the official transcript is verified by PTCAS, we will accept the course.

In order for us to review your academic qualifications, you need to have your foreign transcripts converted to US equivalents (Translated AND Evaluated) from the approved companies. Please visit the “International Applicants” link on our website for instructions on processing international transcripts.

Yes, however, applicants can only have 1 prerequisite course in progress or planned by the application deadline.

When you apply through PTCAS you are asked to identify which prerequisite course is “IN PROGRESS” ” and which is “PLANNED”. If accepted into the program or on the wait list, all prerequisites must be successfully completed with a “C” or better before the start of the program.

Applicants may repeat courses to increase their prerequisite GPA. If you are repeating the same exact course, PTCAS will average the grades. You may take a different course in the same subject area to avoid an average grade. As long as the course meets our requirement description, we will accept it. For example, if you took Bio 101 and received a “C” grade, you may take Bio 106 instead since we accept any Biology course.

Each University has different repeat guidelines, so you should check those schools that you want to apply to.

Yes, all applicants must take the GRE. We accept the new and revised GRE as well as the old GRE (if taken within the last 5 years). You must send your official GRE scores to the 7794 code specifically.

If your cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) is less than 3.00, you must score above the 50th percentile on either the verbal or quantitative portion of the GRE in order to be eligible for acceptance.

No, the DPT curriculum requires full-time attendance. All members of a starting cohort move on together.

Except in the third year of the program (when students usually take most of their elective units) students should expect to be on campus attending classes at least four days a week (sometimes five days). Early classes begin at 8:00 am. Late classes usually end by 5:00 pm. Classes taught by part-time faculty or with guest lecturers from the community may sometimes be scheduled later in the day (ending at 8 or 9:00 pm) to accommodate work schedules of presenters.

Due to the demanding academic load (both in and out of class) it is recommended that students not be employed outside of school while in the DPT program. Many students do, however, manage to work at outside part-time jobs while in the program. Outside employment is never an acceptable excuse for missing class or assignments.

There are a large number of apartments in the San Fernando Valley in close proximity to the CSUN campus. Many students live in these, often sharing an apartment with classmates. In addition, there are over 1,600 bed spaces available in residence halls on campus. Suites are furnished, cable-ready and wired to the campus computer network. Some students commute to campus from other locations in the greater Los Angeles area. Visit http://housing.csun.edu/ for more information.

At the present time our Fall DPT class will consist of 32 students. Typically all attend lecture classes together. Lab classes are split, with a maximum number of 16 in each section. Elective classes can be smaller.

The Dept. of Physical Therapy is located in Jacaranda Hall (JD) on the main campus. Lectures are typically taught in classrooms within the building, and are sometimes shared with other departments. Students may be asked to attend labs or presentations in clinical settings off campus. The Dept. of PT has six dedicated labs in JD and one lab shared with the Dept. of Communicative disorders in another building. These labs are as follows:

• General-Purpose Teaching Labs (3): treatment tables and a variety of equipment for evaluation and treatment.
• Anatomy Lab: cadaver dissection.
• Applied Physiology Lab: ergometry, energy cost studies (cart-based and telemetered systems), body densitometry, isokinetic assessment, EKG.
• Gait/Biomechanics Lab: 3-D motion analysis, kinesiological EMG, force plates, automated gait analysis; balance studies (Balance Master System).
• Vestibular/Balance Lab (shared): Vestibular assessment, balance studies (Equi- Test system).

Students are encouraged to carpool to off-campus sites. It is difficult, however, to go through the program without access to reliable transportation (public transportation in the greater Los Angeles area is not comparable to that in most major Eastern cities).

Individuals in the community with a variety of disabilities volunteer to participate in lab experiences. This is common in labs dealing with gait, neurological disorders, and pediatrics. In addition, a full week of clinical experiences is generally scheduled within each spring semester. There is also an opportunity for selected students to work with a faculty member at Student Health Services on campus treating patients with primarily orthopedic dysfunction.

Full-time clinical experiences supervised by physical therapists occur every summer following each academic year (3 summer’s total).

• First year: 6 weeks
• Second year: 12 weeks
• Third year: 12 weeks

CSUN has contracts with over 250 clinical sites throughout the state in which students are placed for clinical experience. These include private clinics, acute care hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, schools, and extended care facilities. Students are exposed to a variety of settings in the course of the program. Full-time clinical assignments in the summer are made by the clinical coordinator in consultation with the students and faculty. Selection of locations takes into account as much as possible where students will be living during the placement period.

Students may opt to complete a research project or a doctoral project. To complete research they must be sponsored and supervised by a faculty member. Students interested in a more active research experience are encouraged to work with individual professors on faculty directed studies being carried out in our laboratories. Elective units for independent study are offered to those students who choose to become actively involved in such projects. Current faculty research activity is ongoing in the areas of 3-D motion analysis, kinesiological electromyography, bone density, energy cost analysis, vestibular/balance function, orthopedics and pediatrics.

The DPT is an entry-level degree and is not designed for those who are already therapists. You will need to look elsewhere for an advanced degree in PT. Post professional degrees are offered at some other institutions. See the website of the American Physical Therapy Association for information (http://apta.org/education). At CSUN you could, however, earn a Masters degree in a related subject at such as Kinesiology (MS) or Health Sciences (MPH).

You should contact the Physical Therapy Board of California (http://ptb.ca.gov/) to get information regarding your situation and how to become licensed.

At this time the PT program at CSUN does not allow enrollment in its classes unless the student has been accepted into the regular DPT curriculum. If you need classes in basic sciences you should contact the Dept. of Admissions and Records about course offerings through CSUN Extension. Our contracts with clinical locations to provide internships are specifically limited to our DPT students. We therefore cannot assist you in a clinical placement.

If you have the equivalent of at least a bachelor’s degree, you are free to apply to the DPT program like any other applicant. If accepted you will be expected to complete all courses within the curriculum regardless of your previous training.

See answer to previous question.

If you are in the Southern California area we offer group advisement sessions each semester, usually two sessions a month. A current schedule can be found on our website. If you unable to attend one of our advisement sessions, you may review the Advisement PowerPoint on our website.