FAQs

Classes begin at the start of the summer semester following your admission and run full-time in a tracked program for six consecutive semesters, including summers, on campus. During the third year of the program you will participate in 2, 12-week clinical experiences; one during each of the two final semesters in the program.

There are two application windows; the early priority admission application deadline is mid-August and the rolling admission application deadline is early November for the upcoming summer admission. Please see the Admission section above for additional information.

Strong applicants are encouraged to use the early priority admission window, as acceptance at this time will eliminate your need to apply to several programs during the admission window in November. You will receive notice of the early priority admission decision by October 15. Competitive applicants who have weighed their options for physical therapy education and have decided UWM is their top choice are encouraged to apply by the early priority deadline.

No, you do not need to reapply. If you do not receive an offer in the early priority admission phase,you will receive a decision before october 15th.

Prerequisites are listed under the Admission section above. One or two outstanding prerequisite courses may be in progress at the time of application and acceptance is conditional upon grades for those classes not completed. All coursework must be completed by the time the DPT program begins. Admissions preference is given to those who have completed the prerequisites.

The overall cumulative GPA and prerequisite GPA need to be a minimum of 3.0 in order for your application to be qualified for review by the selection committee. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must be taken and the score submitted to UWM by the application deadline. The GRE must be within the past 5 years, to reflect current student performance. For non-traditional students the coursework, including prerequisite science courses, are often more than 5 years old. This is accepted, but keep in mind that science is a dynamic field and if you feel that your knowledge is not current or the coursework content is dated, we encourage you to retake any prerequisite coursework. Time since completion of the prerequisite courses is considered by the selection committee in offering placements.

Over the past few years students who have successfully been admitted to the DPT program have had an average cumulative GPA of 3.65, average prerequisite GPA of 3.50, and average GRE score of 151 quantitative and 152 verbal, with the writing score 4.0. You should achieve a 3.30 cumulative GPA and prerequisites GPA to be competitive.

If you are being reconsidered in November, any additional coursework that is completed may be submitted. Retaking the GRE and improving your score is also an option. If you reapply the following year, an entire new application must be resubmitted. We will not pull letters of recommendation or GRE scores from old application files.

Please refer to the DPT Program Tuition (PDF) document for the cost of the program. Tuition is set by the Board of Regents every two years and should be expected to change. You will participate in clinical experiences located outside of southeast Wisconsin. Therefore, you should plan for living and transportation expenses during the clinical experiences, in addition to your time on campus.

Most students find the DPT program coursework very rigorous and time consuming. Therefore, we recommend that you not be employed during the program. This is particularly true during the first two semesters in the program.

Yes! Check out the Aid section on this page for more information.

Typically graduate students live off campus, but visit the University Housing website for more information.