Carroll Direct Admission Students | Doctor of Physical Therapy 

Application for Progression into the DPT Professional Phase Year I

Current Carroll direct admission students should submit their application and admission materials during fall semester of their junior year at Carroll. The deadline is December 15.

Note: If you are a current high school student interested in Carroll's Doctor of Physical Therapy program, learn more about our Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) 3+3 Direct Admission. 

Application Process

STEP 1: Complete the Graduate Studies application

STEP 2: Complete and submit the following:

1. Clinical Experience Document OR Alternate Essay
   • Observation in at least two unique settings for a combined minimum of 16 hours is required. Practice settings include inpatient acute care, inpatient rehab/sub-acute rehab facility, nursing home facility/extended care, outpatient free-standing PT or hospital clinic, school/pre-school, industrial/occupational health, or home health. An observation form is required for each experience.
   • Submit clinical experience documents to: ptinfo@carrollu.edu or mail to Carroll University Office of Admission, 100 North East Avenue, Waukesha, WI 53186
   • If you were unable to complete the observation hours due to the Covid-19 impact, watch this video and provide a statement (typed, 750-1000 words) using the following prompt:
     • Explore the nine specialty areas of physical therapy practice and explain how your approach may differ in each.
2. One letter of reference from a university/college professor who taught you. Please share this link with your references for submission of recommendations: https://www.carrollu.edu/admissions/graduate-recommendation.
3. Safety and Technical Standards form
4. Coursework in progress form

STEP 3: Submit Official GRE Record to Carroll University (School Code 1101, Dept. Code 0619)

Submit supplemental application materials to:

Carroll University Office of Admission
100 North East Avenue, Waukesha, WI 53186
gradinfo@carrollu.edu

Reference letters:

Please share this link with references for submitting letters of recommendation: carrollu.edu/admissions/graduate-recommendation.

Academic Requirements

• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) – fall 2021 entry term; candidates after fall 2021 entry term must have a 3.2 minimum cumulative GPA
• *Pre-Professional GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) prerequisite coursework- fall 2021 entry term candidates; candidates after fall 2021 entry term must have a 3.2 minimum pre-professional GPA – A minimum course grade of "C" or better is required. Pre-professional science courses must be completed within seven years of matriculation.
  • Physical therapy prerequisite courses may be taken at any accredited University or college, including two- year campuses, and technical schools. A grade of “C” or higher is required for each prerequisite course. Advanced placement credits may fulfill prerequisites.
  • Biology, chemistry and physics prerequisites must be taken in a complete sequence, i.e. Anatomy and Physiology I with lab and Anatomy and Physiology II with lab.
  • Prerequisite coursework and degree conferral must be completed by the end of the spring term.
  • A maximum of one course within the pre-professional (biology, chemistry physics, and psychology) may be repeated for a higher grade.
  • The DPT program uses the last grade awarded in the pre-professional science GPA calculations if a course was repeated.
• Courses identified with an asterisk are used to calculate the pre-professional science GPA (see the Carroll University catalog for course descriptions).
  • *Biology
    • Two semesters anatomy and physiology with labs or 2 general biology with labs (equivalent to Carroll's: ANP/BIO130 and ANP/BIO140 or BIO120 and BIO125)
    • Two semesters advanced anatomy and physiology with labs completed at Carroll over the summer prior to the start of the graduate program (equivalent to Carroll's: ANP402 and ANP403)
  • *Chemistry
    • Two semesters general chemistry or college chemistry with labs (Equivalent to Carroll's: CHE101 and CHE102 or CHE203 and CHE204)
  • *Physics
    • Two semesters general physics with labs (Equivalent to Carroll's: PHY101 and PHY102 or PHY203 and PHY204)
  • *Psychology
    • One semester (equivalent to Carroll's: PSY101 and above). Up to one additional psychology course, at a 200-level or higher, will be included in the pre-professional GPA calculation if completed.
  • Statistics
    • One semester statistics (equivalent to Carroll's: CMP112 and CMP114 or one course such as MAT112 or PSY205)

Matriculation Requirements

Current CPR and First Aid Certification

The CPR certification must be either American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers or American Red Cross CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer. Certification for American Red Cross CPR/AED and First Aid is occasionally available on campus to Carroll University students. First Aid certification must be through an organization recognized as a valid issuer of certification such as the American Red Cross or American Heart Association. Copies of your CPR and First Aid certifications are to be submitted during the first week of classes and certifications must be valid for at least one year at the time of entry into Phase I.

Health Screening and Background Check

Physical Therapy professional phase students are required to have completed a health screening, updated immunizations and tuberculosis screening according to current Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for health professionals, criminal background investigation and drug screening as required by internship placement sites. Exceptions to the immunization requirements will be considered on a case-by-case basis where, for example, a student has an allergy to a vaccine or one of its components. If an exception to the immunization requirements is approved, the University cannot guarantee that its affiliated hospitals and clinics will allow the student to participate in patient care, which is a fundamental requirement of the clinical education component of the Program.

Admission Questions

Please contact Jillian Groskreutz, Senior Assistant Director of Graduate Admission, at 262.524.7223 or email ptinfo@carrollu.edu.

Candidates are welcome to schedule an individual meeting with an admission counselor to discuss any questions about the program or application process at carrolluniversity-jillian.youcanbook.me.

The entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program admits qualified students regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or disability that does not interfere with the performance of professional physical therapy practice as provided by law. Applications and credentials for admission to the physical therapy program must be submitted for processing to the Carroll University Office of Admission. Decisions are made on applications by selection committees in the program, and applicants are notified through the Office of Admission.

Admission and standards are subject to change based on regulatory, licensing and or certification needs.