Early Assurance/3+3 Admission Requirements

Early Assurance/3+3 Application Process:

Apply online at clarke.edu/apply. Please be prepared to submit the following within the application:

1. Contact information of three references including two from undergraduate faculty and one which may be from a physical therapist whom the applicant has observed.
2. Observance Hours documentation of a minimum of 30 total hours in at least three of the following areas: pediatrics, geriatrics, inpatient acute/subacute care, neurological rehabilitation, orthopedics, sports medicine. Forms are to be  uploaded into the application. Clinical forms are here.
3. Personal Essay one-to-two page written response to the following question: Describe how your observational experiences have influenced your decision to pursue physical therapy as a career. Concentrate on the areas described in the Student Log of Clinical Visits.

Please request official test scores to be sent directly to Clarke University Admissions, 1550 Clarke Drive Dubuque, IA 52001.

1. Official Competitive GRE Score
2. TOEFL Scores if English is not your first language (PBT score of 550 or IBT of 80)

Annual Entrance Dates

Application Deadline – November 1

Minimum requirements for admission for early assurance students

1. No more than 2 courses retaken for credit
2. 3.30 Cumulative Collegiate GPA with no grades lower than a “C”
3. 3.30 GPA in prerequisite Science courses:
   • BIOL 115 Fundamentals of Cell Biology/Genetics I
   • BIOL 211 Anatomy and Physiology I
   • BIOL 212 Anatomy and Physiology II
   • CHEM 110 General Chemistry I
   • CHEM 111 General Chemistry II
   • PHYS 110 Elements of Physics I
   • PHYS 111 Elements of Physics II
   • PSYC 111 Introductory Psychology
   • Another Psychology course
4. Completion of the following prerequisites:
   • PT 101 Introduction to Physical Therapy
   • MATH 117 Pre-Calculus (for Physics) or a 26+ on math portion of ACT
   • PHIL 212 General Ethics or PHIL 225 Biomedical Ethics are not required; however highly recommended

Acceptance in the Early Assurance pathway is competitive. Letters of Intent are signed and submitted prior to matriculation as first-year students and will be used to document the Early Assurance pathway. Students who meet all the Early Assurance requirements outlined in the Early Assurance Pathway Agreement signed as incoming first year students at Clarke will be guaranteed admission into the professional phase of the DPT program. Students must apply by November 1 of the year prior to starting the DPT program.

Minimum requirements for all candidates

1. No more than 2 courses retaken for credit
2. 3.0 Cumulative Collegiate GPA with no grades lower than a “C”
3. 3.0 GPA in prerequisite Science courses:
   • BIOL 115 Fundamentals of Cell Biology/Genetics I
   • BIOL 211 Anatomy and Physiology I
   • BIOL 212 Anatomy and Physiology II
   • CHEM 110 General Chemistry I
   • CHEM 111 General Chemistry II
   • PHYS 110 Elements of Physics I
   • PHYS 111 Elements of Physics II
   • PSYC 111 Introductory Psychology
   • Another Psychology course
4. Completion of the following prerequisites:
   • PT 101 Introduction to Physical Therapy
   • MATH 117 Pre-Calculus (for Physics) or a 26+ on math portion of ACT
   • PHIL 212 General Ethics or PHIL 225 Biomedical Ethics are not required; however highly recommended

The DPT admissions committee reserves the right to make justifiable exceptions to these requirements on a case-by-case basis.
Students must earn a baccalaureate degree before the start of the second year of the graduate program.