Pre-Physical Therapy

Our Pre-Physical Therapy Program provides relevant coursework to help undergraduate students prepare for a career in physical therapy and acceptance into graduate training.

The Medical University of South Carolina offers a Master of Science in Physical Therapy; admission to the program requires a Bachelor's Degree. The MUSC admissions committee reviews three important criteria in assessing potential students:

• Score on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
• Courses taken and grades in those courses; the higher the GPA the better, with a minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Showing interest in Physical Therapy through volunteer or work experience in hospitals or similar situations where Physical Therapists are needed.

Note: MUSC requires a minimum of 100 volunteer hours.

Recommended Coursework

To best prepare for application to a graduate Physical Therapy program, our students typically major in either biology or chemistry and complete the courses listed below:

• Biological Science (BIO 121, 4 hours)
• Microbiology (BIO 212, 4 hours) [or similar course]
• Human Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 215-216, 8 hours)
• General Chemistry (CHE 113-114, 8 hours)
• Precalculus (MAT 150, 4 hours)
• Applied Statistics (MAT 200, 3 hours)
• Calculus I: Differential Calculus (MAT 211, 4 hours) [physics pre-requisite]
• Physics for Science and Engineering Students (PHY 213-214, 8 hours)
• General Psychology (PSY 120, 3 hours)
• Human Growth and Development (PSY 230, 3 hours)
• Abnormal Psychology (PSY 231, 3 hours)

NOTE: Completion of the Newberry College Core Curriculum will satisfy additional admission requirements at MUSC.