Physical Therapy
Career Info
According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), physical therapists are experts in the examination and treatment of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular problems. For people with health problems resulting from an injury or disease, the physical therapist assists in the recovery process - making them stronger, relieving their pain, and helping them to regain use of an affected limb, or to relearn activities of daily living.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for physical therapists in 2022 was $97,720. The job outlook is great, with a projected growth of 15% by 2032. Over two-thirds of physical therapists are employed in either hospitals or offices of physical therapy. Other jobs are in home health agencies, outpatient rehabilitation centers, offices and clinics of physicians, and nursing homes. Some physical therapists are self-employed in private practices.
More Information
Outlook: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm
Education & Training
All accredited schools of physical therapy offer degrees at the doctoral degree level, in accordance with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. There are 14 Physical Therapy schools in California, all of which currently offer a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.
All states require physical therapists to pass a licensure exam after graduating from an accredited PT program before they can practice. Entrance into all PT schools is competitive. To be considered for admission, most programs require a minimum 3.0 GPA, as well as 40-200 hours of volunteer/observation experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The average cumulative GPA of students who gained admission in 2019 was 3.57, and the average combined science and math GPA was 3.42. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is also required by most schools. The GRE is broken down into three sections including analytical writing, quantitative, and verbal.
Semester Course Recommendations
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Admission requirements vary by institution Check with professional schools to ensure you satisfy course content & unit requirements |
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| General Biology |
| BIO 1150 (GE 5B/5C) & BIO 1151 (GE 5B/5C) |
| General Chemistry |
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CHEM 1120 (GE 5A/5C) & CHEM 1122 (GE 5A/5C) |
| Anatomy and Physiology (course selection varies by major) |
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BIO 2231 & BIO 2232 (For non-Bio majors) |
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BIO 4431 & BIO 4432 (For Bio or Mcro major degree credit) |
| Physics (course selection varies by major) |
| PHYS 1121 (5A/5C) & PHYS 1123 |
| or PHYS 1141 (5A/5C) & PHYS 1143 (5A/5C) |
| Psychology (amount varies by pt program) |
| PSY 2201; PSY 2256 and/or PSY 4405 and/or other psychology coursework |
| Statistics |
| STAT 1110 (GE 2) |
| exercise physiology (need varies by PT program) |
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KINE 3303
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| English proficiency (oral & written communication) |
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GE 1A - Written Communication & GE - 1C Oral Communication
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| medical terminology (need varies by pt program) |
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Hlth 2297
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| suggested preparation or additional prerequisites |
| Check PTCAS website for the comparsion of course prerequisites by program chart |
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CA Physical Therapy Schools
Azusa Pacific University
CSU Fresno
CSU Long Beach
CSU Northridge
CSU Sacramento
CSU San Diego
Chapman University
Loma Linda University
Mount St. Mary’s College
Samuel Merritt University
UCSF/SFSU
University of Southern California
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
University of the Pacific
West Coast University
Western University of Health Sciences
Professional Association Links
For more information, visit the American Physical Therapy Association website at http://www.apta.org.
Cal Poly PT/OT Club
To get involved with the Cal Poly PT/OT club, please email pt-otclub@calpoly.edu or check out their social media pages:
- Facebook - @calpolyptotclub
- Instagram - @calpoly.ptotclub
Click HERE to view Cal Poly Physical Therapy (PT) Acceptance Data (2023-2025)
