FAQs

What changes to the application requirements have been made due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions?

• We will accept online labs for prerequisite courses taken during the Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 academic terms only. We will return to only accepting in-person lab courses for prerequisite courses taken in Summer 2022 academic term moving forward.
• We will accept the in-home version of the GRE offered by ETS taken during 2020 and 2021 only. We will not accept the in-home version of the GRE in 2022 as the ETS testing centers are now open.
• We will accept Credit/No Credit or Pass/No Pass grades ONLY for prerequisite courses taken during the Spring and Summer 2020 academic terms. However, we specify a STRONG PREFERENCE for letter grades for these courses.

How can I check if the prerequisite courses I took will meet the criteria to be accepted?

• We strongly recommend you review the information on our website (CSULB PT Admissions info) regarding the course descriptions (CD). If the CD of the course you took is equivalent to the CD listed on the webpage, we would likely accept the course. You would also want to use www.assist.org if the course was taken at a community college in California. If the course you took is equivalent to the CSULB course listed on our webpage then we would likely accept the course. Please keep in mind that the course must be for science majors, allied health majors, etc., and have a lab component in order to meet the prerequisite requirement. Please refer to the website for possible substitutions that might be acceptable.  We strongly recommend you discuss your course choices with an undergraduate advisor at your university/college. 

Can you tell me what courses I should take at my college/university to meet the prerequisite requirements?

• We cannot advise an applicant on what courses to take at another university for obvious reasons. We feel that the information listed on the website (CSULB PT Admissions info) should be sufficient for an applicant to review and then understand what is required to submit an appropriate application.

Can I call someone/have a zoom call with someone/meet with someone in person to discuss what courses I should take or if my courses meet the prerequisite criteria?

• No. We prefer to have any questions regarding the prerequisite requirements, or about the program in general, to be emailed to CHHS-PT@csulb.edu. This way there is a written copy of the information shared from both sides which helps to avoid any possible confusion or miscommunication now and in the future.

What criteria is needed to make a science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Human Anatomy/Physiology) prerequisite course likely be accepted?

• The course(s) should meet the following criteria:
  • Must be for science, allied health, etc., majors.
    • If the course description states the course is for "non-majors" then we will not accept the course as meeting the required criteria.
  • Must have a lab component.
    • If the course is a lecture only, or you do not take the lab portion of the course, we will not accept the course as meeting the required criteria.
    • We will not accept a lab course that is from another (non-related) lecture course as meeting the required criteria.
      • For example, we will not accept a genetics lab course for being the lab component of a general biology lecture course.
  • Must have been taken within the last 10 calendar years, with the exception of Human Anatomy/Physiology which must have been taken within the last 5 calendar years.

How many prerequisite courses can I have in progress while applying to the program?

• We strongly recommend having no more than two (2) prerequisite courses in progress while applying to the program (during the fall academic term). Please note this is only a recommendation and not a requirement.

What if I took my prerequisite courses at a college/university that was on the quarter system, how would list the courses on the PTCAS application?

• Typically, for those from a quarter system, we would take the first two general chemistry (for example) courses as meeting the 1^st prerequisite requirement and then the 1^st of the two organic chemistry courses as meeting the 2^nd prerequisite requirement.

I took a science prerequisite course (e.g. chemistry) at a college/university that was on the quarter system and at another college/university that was on the semester system. How do I combine those courses to meet the 1 year requirement?

• If you took a science prerequisite course between different colleges/universities so that you have quarter courses and semester courses you can combine them to meet the 1 year requirement. You would have two quarter courses equal the 1st semester and the one semester course equal the 2nd semester to overall equal 1 year of the course.
  • Example #1: You took Chem 1 and 2 at a college/university that was on the quarter system and Chem 102 at a college/university that was on the semester system. Chem 1 and 2 (quarter) would meet the Chemistry I requirement and the Chem 102 (semester) would meet the Chemistry II requirement so in total you would meet the 1 year requirement. 
  • Example #2: You took Chem 1, 2 and 3 at a college/university that was on the quarter system. You then decided to retake the chemistry courses for a better grade so you took Chem 101 and 102 at a college/university that was on the semester system. To meet the 1 year chemistry requirement (Chemistry I and II) you could combine Chem 1 and 2 (Chemistry I requirement) with Chem 102 (Chemistry II requirement), or combine Chem 101 (Chemistry I requirement) with Chem 2 and 3 (Chemistry II requirement). The following combinations will not meet the 1 year requirement: Chem 1 and 3 with Chem 101, Chem 1 and 3 with Chem 102, Chem 1 and 2 with Chem 101, Chem 2 and 3 with Chem 102.

What if my college/university didn't offer a lab for the science course (e.g. anatomy/physiology, biology, chemistry, physics)?

• We require labs for the science courses (CSULB PT Admissions info). If your college/university did not offer a lab course for a science lecture course then you would need to take the appropriate course at another college/university.
• You may not substitute a lab course from another science course to meet the prerequisite requirement.
  • For example, you may not substitute a Genetics lab course as being the lab course for a General Biology lecture course.

How many prerequisite courses can I retake?

• We allow applicants to retake no more than three (3) prerequisite courses for credit towards improving their prerequisite GPA. If the grade is an improvement, we will take the higher of the two grades.
• When we notice more than 3 retaken prerequisite courses we will only take the three that will benefit the applicant the most during our initial review. 

Do you accept prerequisite courses taken at a community/junior college?

• Yes, as long as they meet the prerequisite requirements as stated on the website (CSULB PT Admissions info).
• We recommend that if the course(s) was taken in California that you check the compatibility with the courses listed on the website (CSULB PT Admissions info) at www.assist.org. If the course at the community/junior college matches up with one of the CSULB prerequisite courses then we will likely accept the course(s) as meeting the prerequisite requirement.

Do you accept prerequisite courses taken online?

• We will accept online lecture courses only. Any lab course must be done in-person.
• Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we will accept online labs for prerequisite courses taken during the Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021, Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 academic sessions only.

Do you accept Advanced Placement (AP) courses from high school for meeting prerequisite requirements?

• We do not accept AP courses for meeting the requirement for a prerequisite courses.
  • Not every colleg/university accepts the same score from the AP exam for college credit. This would not be fair to all applicants. 

What is the time limit for the prerequisite courses?

• All prerequisite courses (CSULB PT Admissions info) must have been completed within the last ten (10) calendar years with the exception of the human anatomy/physiology prerequisite courses which must have been taken within the last five (5) calendar years from the year applying.

Do you accept prerequisite courses taken outside of the US/Canada?

• If a prerequisite course was taken outside of the US/Canada but was approved by the sponsoring university (e.g. through a study abroad program) then we would accept the course as being equivalent to a course taken in the US/Canada. It would still need to meet all the requirements as any prerequisite course taken at a university in the US/Canada. If the prerequisite courses were taken at a college/university in another country not through a study abroad program you will need to submit those courses to the Center for Professional and International Education (CPIE) for assessment. 

Can you review my unofficial transcripts?

• We do not review unofficial transcripts (CSULB PT Admissions info). We feel that the information listed on the website should be sufficient for an applicant to review and then understand what is required to submit an appropriate application.
• We will only review official transcripts that have been submitted to, and verified by PTCAS.

Will I be eligible for admission if I am taking prerequisite courses in the spring academic term of the year I am applying?

• No. All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the fall academic term of the year applying.

Can I substitute another course(s) for a prerequisite course(s)?

• We will only accept the following substitutions for prerequisite courses (CSULB PT Admissions info):
  • Microbiology (lecture and lab) for the General Biology II requirement.
  • General Biology III (lecture and lab) for the Human Physiology requirement.
  • Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry or a combined Organic/Biochemistry (lecture and lab) for the General Chemistry II requirement.
  • Either algebra-based or calculus-based physics is acceptable.
  • Abnormal or Developmental Psychology for the General Psychology requirement.

Do I need to compete the PTCAS application?

• Yes. The PTCAS application is the application for the PT Department to the DPT program at CSULB. All material must be completed by the November 1 deadline.
• If you are taking any prerequisite courses during the fall academic term, you must submit the transcripts for these courses to PTCAS during the Academic Update window which opens in December.

Do I need to complete the Cal State Apply application?

• Yes. The Cal State Apply application (CSA) is the required application to the graduate school at CSULB. All material must be completed by the January 15 deadline. You must meet the requirements for admission to the DPT program (through the PTCAS application) and to the graduate school at CSULB (though the CSA) to be considered for admission.
  • The requirements for the graduate school are less than that for the DPT program yet both PTCAS and CSA applications must be completed by their respective deadlines. 
• If the CSA requirements are not completed by the January 15 deadline the applicant will not be considered for admission.

What are the deadlines for the PTCAS and the Cal State Apply applications?

• PTCAS application opens in mid-June and has a November 1 deadline.
• Cal State Apply application opens October 1 and has a January 15 deadline.

What academic term do I apply for on the Cal State Apply application?

• You would apply for the Fall semester of the upcoming academic year. Our program starts in the Summer of the year applying yet you would need to apply for the Fall semester.

Are there any tips for completing the Cal State Apply application?

• You must submit official transcripts from your degree-conferring college/university and any college/university which you attended after completing your degree.
  • Transcripts from colleges/universities which you attended prior to your degree do not need to be submitted.
• You must submit official GRE scores taken within the last 5 calendar years from ETS.
  • If you took the GRE multiple times it is up to you to decide how many exam results you want to submit.
• You do not need to submit any letters of recommendation, personal statements or experience hours through the Cal State Apply application.
  • You do NOT need to submit a personal essay, letters of recommendation or your experience hours. You can choose "I am not entering any experiences" in Quadrant 3 as this information will be reviewd by the Admissions committee on the PTCAS application.

What should my major be for my bachelor's degree?

• Applicants must hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in the US/Canada (CSULB PT Admissions info).
• Most applicants to the CSULB DPT program have a bachelor's degree in either kinesiology, exercise science, or biology. The admission committee will consider a bachelor's degree of any major as long as it comes from an accredited institution in the US/Canada.

What do I need to do if I received my bachelor's degree from outside of the US/Canada?

• You will need to complete both PTCAS and Cal State Apply applications and submit your official transcripts to CSULB Center for Professional and International Education (CPIE) for assessment.

How is my cumulative GPA calculated?

• PTCAS will calculate the cumulative GPA by the official transcripts that are submitted and verified. (CSULB PT Admissions info)

How is my prerequisite GPA calculated?

• During the initial review of an application the admissions committee will review the courses that the applicant has marked for meeting the prerequisite requirements. From those courses the prerequisite GPA will be calculated. (CSULB PT Admissions info)
  • If the admissions committee note a higher grade in a prerequisite course(s) that can be used as a substitute then that course(s) will be used for calculating the prerequisite GPA even if that course(s) had not been marked as a prerequisite course(s) by the applicant. 
    • Example: An applicant took General Biology I and II (and both met the prerequisite requirement) and received grades of an A for Gen Bio I and a B for Gen Bio II and marked both of those courses as their Biology prerequisite required courses. The applicant also took Microbiology and it met the prerequisite requirement) and received an A for that course yet was not marked by the applicant for their Biology prerequisite course. The admission committee would see this information and use the Gen Bio I and the Microbio courses as meeting the Biology prerequisite requirement. This would give the applicant a slightly higher prerequisite GPA than if using just the Gen Bio I and II grades.

What are the required and recommended GPAs I should have?

• The minimum cumulative GPA is at least 3.00.
  • We recommend to be considered competitive the cumulative GPA should be at least 3.50.
• The minimum prerequisite GPA is at least 3.00.
  • We recommend to be considered competitive the prerequisite GPA should be at least 3.50.
• The last 5+ cohorts admitted to our program had an average cumulative and prerequisite GPAs in the 3.60-3.70 range.

What are the minimum required GRE scores I should have?

• We do not have a minimum GRE score requirement yet we do recommend the following scores to be considered competitive:
  • at least 150 for the verbal section
  • at least 150 for the quantitative section
  • at least 4.0 for the analytical section
    • The last 5+ cohorts admitted to our program had average scores of 154, 155, and 4.5, respectively.

What is the time limit for taking the GRE?

• The submitted GRE scores must be from an exam(s) taken within the last five (5) calendar years.

What institution codes do I need to use to send my GRE scores?

• The PTCAS institution code for CSULB PT application is 7782.
• The CSULB Enrollment Services institution code for the Cal State Apply application is 4389.

How late can I take the GRE?

• We strongly recommend (CSULB PT Admissions info) that an applicant take the GRE no later than 1 month prior to the PTCAS deadline of November 1. This will allow time for ETS to submit the scores to PTCAS and for PTCAS to process and verify the scores.
  • Any GRE scores not verified by the November 1 deadline will delay the initial review by the admissions committee.
  • Any GRE taken after the November 1 deadline will not be considered in the application review.

Is there a preference for in-state applicants?

• We do not give a preference to in-state applicants.

Is there a minimum number of out-of-state applicants that are accepted each year?

• No. Traditionally the accepted cohort consists of 10-15% that are from outside of California.

If I have any questions about the DPT program, application requirements, or the admission process, how is the BEST way to contact someone to ask my question?

• Due to our busy schedules consisting of teaching, conducting research, and serving on university and national committees, along with assisting our currently admitted students, the best way to have any questions addressed would be to email them to the PT Department at CHHS-PT@csulb.edu. This will allow for a trail of information from both sides which helps reduce any miscommunication and possible confusion now and in the future.