How to Apply for DPT (2024)

• Flexible asynchronous content, including pre-recorded lectures, videos, scholarly readings, podcasts, and active learning assignments.

• Real-time weekly synchronous sessions with faculty, fostering rich discussions, team-based learning, small group discussions, and case-based applications.

• Eight immersive in-person labs where you’ll practice hands-on skills and collaborate with peers and faculty (10:1 student-to-faculty ratio); lab sessions are 5-12 consecutive days each, including weekends, depending on the semester courses.

• In the last three semesters of the Tufts DPT program, you’ll apply your learning during 31 weeks of clinical education in a professional setting; this is an in-person requirement for all DPT programs that are accredited or seeking accreditation, so you should be prepared to travel or relocate based on site availability.

• If your answer is “within roughly two years,” an accelerated program is likely right for you. In accelerated programs like Tufts DPT, students graduate in seven semesters. This means you’ll begin your PT career sooner than with traditional three-year programs.

• Accelerated programs cater to students who prioritize their studies as their primary commitment. It's worth noting that students enrolled in hybrid programs may have the flexibility to pursue part-time or hourly employment to supplement their income, provided they effectively manage their schedules.

• Take a close look at what type of access students have to faculty. Consider things like student-to-faculty ratios (especially in labs) and opportunities for one-on-one engagement with faculty. At Tufts DPT, we offer:

  • Student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 in labs
  • Academic coaching model in the Boston and Seattle programs that includes the intentional pairing of students and faculty to promote personal and professional goal achievement
  • Learning communities model in the Phoenix program, where students are placed in intimate learning communities led by faculty who will serve as mentors

  See Also

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• Make sure you get a good sampling of student and alumni experiences as you do your research. SeeTufts DPT Student Stories here. If you don’t see a lot of student stories or ways to talk to people who have gone through the program, you might want to consider another program.

  Consider joining Tufts DPT Admissions Events to get access to one-on-one counseling, appointments, virtual access to DPT faculty, enrolled students, and more.

• You’ll want to consider the range of options available to students for clinical placement. The Tufts DPT Clinical Education Team works closely with students to ensure that they get placed in high-quality clinical education sites. As our programs expand, the Clinical Education Team continues to build relationships with clinical sites across the country.

• Ask institutions about the employment outcomes of their graduates. As an example, the Tufts 2022 class had a 100% employment rate (flagship Boston program). For more stats, visit the Career Outcomes page.

• In order to sit for the required licensure examination to become a physical therapist, you must graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Here is the status of all three of our locations:

  • Boston: Launched in 2022 and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
  • Phoenix & Seattle: Granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) and continues to move towards full accreditation at the standard pace; all credits and degrees earned and issued by a program holding candidacy are considered to be from an accredited program

  Visit our webpage for more information on accreditation.

How to Apply for DPT

Now that you’ve determined your preferred format, pacing, quality indicators, and culture, you can start familiarizing yourself with how to apply for DPT programs. We hope that after exploring Tufts, you'll consider becoming part of our next cohort in Boston, Phoenix, or Seattle! Here are some key things to know.

• Most professional DPT programs (including Tufts) participate in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS), a service provided by the American Physical Therapy Association. This method allows you to apply to multiple institutions at the same time.

  • The fees are $165 to apply to the first program
  • $60 for each additional program

• • Tufts DPT accepts applicants on a rolling basis, so the earlier you apply, the greater your chances of being accepted.
  • It can take up to 5 weeks for PTCAS to verify your file once it is in "complete" status. Then Tufts has to go through its own verification process. One of the key tips on how to apply for DPT is to apply early. This increases your chances of acceptance and takes the stress off.

• This depends on the program culture you’re looking for. Tufts DPT has opted not to require the GRE for admissions as part of our commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. We believe that a holistic evaluation of applicants, considering various elements beyond standardized test scores, provides a fairer and more comprehensive assessment of candidates' potential to excel in our program.

  While maintaining our reputation as a prestigious program, we also continue to be one of the DPT programs that don't require GRE.

  When considering how to apply for DPT programs with a holistic approach to application review, know that in addition to the standard “stats'' you'd normally include in your application, you should reference your diverse range of experiences—even if they don’t seem directly related to physical therapy. For example, customer service related positions are a positive, as you’ll be interacting with patients all day as a physical therapist.

• There are a set of courses you must have completed before the program begins.Visit the respective program pages to see required prerequisites for Tufts DPT here:

  • Boston Prerequisites
  • Phoenix Prerequisites
  • Seattle Prerequisites

  Did You Know?

  AP courses can be used to fulfill prerequisite courses if they were accepted from your undergraduate university towards your degree requirements. (e.g., Chemistry 1, Biology 1, etc.). Similarly, college courses taken in high school can be used as prerequisite courses as long as your undergraduate university accepted these credits.

  Not Sure If Something Meets the Requirements?

  Ask for a Prereq Check

• Only if it enhances your application; if you did well, show it off! Otherwise there’s no need to include it in a Tufts DPT application, as we understand you bring more than test scores to the field. That’s why we’re one of the few DPT programs that don't require GRE.

Physical Therapy Program Requirements

What Do DPT Programs Consider When Evaluating My Application? Here’s a window into what Tufts DPT considers as a part of the admissions process.

• • Overall GPA (3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale)
  • Prerequisite courses (3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale)
    • 7/10 required prerequisite courses must be completed at time of application (and 10/10 by the start of the program)
    • Anatomy and Physiology Courses must be from the last 10 years and must include a lab component
    • Visit the respective program pages to see required prerequisites for Tufts DPT here:
      • Boston Prerequisites
      • Phoenix Prerequisites
      • Seattle Prerequisites
  • Official transcripts: all previous colleges/universities attended
    • Sent directly from the institution to PTCAS
    • Foreign Credential Evaluations required for all transcripts from outside of the US/English-speaking Canada
  • GRE (Optional)

• • Two letters of recommendation (one must be from a PT, the other would ideally come from a professor)
  • Observation hours: minimum 40 hours (observation, volunteer, or work experience with licensed PT)

• • Advanced degrees
  • Work experience
  • Military experience
  • Volunteering
  • Extracurricular activities

• • By invitation only. If selected, you will participate in a virtual interview, where you'll respond to a series of prompts within a specified time frame while recording yourself. The video recordings of your interview will subsequently be reviewed by the admissions committee.
  • You can prepare for the interview by:
    • Thinking about the ah-ha moment you experienced when you decided to become a physical therapist—what inspired you?
    • Listing specific examples of your experience in PT (observation hours).
    • Thinking about the unique skills and/or perspectives you bring to the field.
    • Being able to clearly outline your career goals; what do you aim to do, specifically, and why?
    • Practicing – before you record your first answer, there will be an opportunity to practice within the interview module.