Pre-Physical Therapy | NMU Bulletin

Advising for students interested in the pre-chripractic program is done by select faculty in the Biology Department.

Students interested in a career in physical therapy will need to complete graduate studies in physical therapy after completing a baccalaureate degree program at NMU. Similar to medical doctor training, physical therapy students must complete the Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) degree program before they can become a licensed physical therapist.

While students may enroll in any baccalaureate degree program at NMU, there are specific prerequisite requirements for admission into DPT programs. Generally, these prerequisites include coursework in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and psychology. At NMU, the pre-physical therapy adviser works with students to understand the specific requirements of the various DPT programs around the country and helps students tailor their baccalaureate degree with the appropriate prerequisite courses. Because of the overlap between the DPT program prerequisites and the NMU baccalaureate degrees in Sports Science or Biology, many students choose one of these majors.

An undergraduate education at NMU provides students with the level of rigor required for admission into a DPT program. In addition, NMU maintains an articulation agreement with Central Michigan University (CMU) to provide two non-competitive interviews for possible admission into the DPT program at CMU. Students interested in the pre-physical therapy program should contact the advisor in the Biology Department.

For department information or additional degree requirements, go to the Pre-Professional Programs department page.

For related information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm

Total Credits Required

Biology Courses
BI 111 Introductory Biology: Principles [Div II]	4
BI 112 Introductory Biology: Diversity [Div II]	4
BI 207 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 or	4
BI 221 Comparative Anatomy (4 cr.)
BI 208 Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 or	4
BI 327 Animal Physiology (4 cr.)
Chemistry Courses
CH 111 General Chemistry I [Div II]	5
CH 112 General Chemistry II [Div II]	5
CH 220 Introduction to Organic Chemistry * (5 cr.)
Mathematics Courses
MA 115 Precalculus [Div II]	4
MA 171 Introduction to Probability and Statistics [Div V] or	4
PY 305 Psychological Statistics (4 cr.) [Div V] or
SO 208 Methods of Social Research I (4 cr.) [Div V]
Physics Courses
PH 201 College Physics I [Div II] and	5
PH 202 College Physics II [Div II] or	5
PH 220 Introductory Physics I (5 cr.) [Div II] and
PH 221 Introductory Physics II (5 cr.) [Div II]
Psychology Courses
PY 100S Psychology as a Natural Science [Div II] or	4
PY 100L Psychology as a Natural Science with Laboratory (4 cr.) [Div II]
PY 205 Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology or	4
SO 308 Methods of Social Research II (4 cr.)
PY 344 Lifespan Developmental Psychology	4
Optional Courses
BI 303 General Microbiology	5
BI 312 Genetics	4
ES 315 Physiology of Exercise	4
ES 317 Anatomical Kinesiology	3
ES 417 Biomechanics	2
HL 101 Medical Terminology for Health Educators	1
HN 301A Nutrition for Health Professions I	2

*Most DPT programs do not have organic chemistry prerequisites.

**The Lifespan Developmental Psychology course PY 344 is not currently being offered. Please contact the Psychology Department for additional information.

Bulletin Year: 2016 - 2017 Undergraduate Bulletin | View the current NMU Catalog.