Undergraduate

Pre-Physical Therapy

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Your Path to a Career in Physical Therapy

Physical therapists specialize in helping people with injuries and lingering health conditions restore their physical function and mobility, manage pain, and improve their quality of life.

Admission to physical therapy programs can be competitive, and schools review a candidate’s eligibility on multiple factors such as GPA, physical therapy observation hours, GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores, and service and volunteer experience. 

Pre-Physical Therapy is considered an area of interest, in addition to your chosen major. Physical therapy schools accept a variety of majors (for example, Kinesiology, Biology or Psychology) as long as a student fulfills all requirements for admission. St. Edward’s University also offers a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology with a Pre-Physical Therapy emphasis. 

To prepare for a physical therapy profession, you must attend a postgraduate program in physical therapy. Upon completion, you are required to take a national examination to become licensed for practice in a particular state.

Career Opportunities 

A postgraduate degree in physical therapy prepares you to pursue a rewarding career as a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant. You can choose from a range of specialty areas in the field. Physical therapists most commonly work in hospitals, sports and fitness facilities, private practices, schools, outpatient clinics or nursing homes. They also work in policy and administration, as well as in research and academia. 

Explore Details About Pre-Physical Therapy

Prerequisites vary from program to program. Please review the Summary of Course Prerequisites provided by the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) for details.

Students enrolled in the BA in Kinesiology with a Pre-Physical Therapy emphasis at St. Edward’s will complete the prerequisites for most postgraduate physical therapy programs. Review the degree plan for our Pre-Physical Therapy emphasis program.

Physical therapists and other health care professionals are expected to perform community service while in school. Career and Professional Development can assist you in researching service and volunteer opportunities; following are local opportunities.

As part of earning your BA in Kinesiology with a Pre-Physical Therapy emphasis at St. Edward’s, you’ll be required to participate in at least one kinesiology internship or practicum. Students at St. Edward’s have gained hands-on experience interning at the following organizations, and more:

  • Austin Independent School District Athletic Office
  • KidTherapy pediatric physical therapy in Austin
  • Texas Physical Therapy Specialists
  • Lonestar Soccer
  • YMCA

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is the required entrance exam for physical therapy school. It assesses the following:

  • Verbal Reasoning
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Analytical Writing

View the test centers, dates and seat availability.

When selecting a test date, make sure your scores will be reported in time for your application deadlines (which vary from program to program). For computer-delivered tests, score reports are sent to your designated score recipients approximately 10–15 days after your test date. Please allow time for delivery of scores and processing by the institution.

You can take the computer-delivered GRE revised General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period. This applies even if you canceled your scores on a previous test. You may take the paper-delivered GRE revised General Test as often as it is offered.

Review the application instructions presented by the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) for details.