Physical Therapy (DPT)

Requirements

• Baccalaureate from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) with at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale).
• GRE General Test score as follows:
  • GRE General Test, a minimum score of 146 on the verbal section and a minimum score of 140 on the quantitative section, and a minimum score of at least 3.5 on the analytical writing section. We 'superscore'; we take the best score for each section over all GRE attempts. 
  • 7732 is the code to select for submission of GRE scores to PTCAS-UNG.
  • Only those scores less than five years old will be considered.
• Complete prerequisite science and statistics courses from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog) with at least a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. 
  • One academic year of the following:
    • General Chemistry with labs.
    • General Physics with labs.
  • Life Sciences Sequence to include one of the following combinations:
    • Full academic year of general biology with labs (for biology majors) AND an advanced course in biology (not botany or ecology).
    • Full academic year of human anatomy & physiology (for biology majors with labs) and either one general biology course (not botany, ecology or environmental biology) and an applied health science course that has A&P as a prerequisite (e.g., exercise physiology, kinesiology, etc.).
  • One course in statistics: Math; Elementary Statistics or Psychology; Behavioral Science Statistics
  • Two courses in social sciences (psychology/sociology).
• Demonstrate evidence of appropriate interest in and knowledge of the profession, 100 hours of exposure in a physical therapy treatment environment is required for admission, applicants are expected to be familiar with various settings in which physical therapy is practiced and to provide clear evidence of their commitment to physical therapy as a career choice. Satisfaction of this expectation will be determined through the professional judgment of admissions personnel.
• Completion of a personal interview.
• All applicants applying to the DPT program at the University of North Georgia are required to complete an online assessment (Casper) through Acuity Insights. More information and instructions can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section below or by visiting Acuity Insights.
• Meet all other program admission requirements.

Applying to UNG

An international student is someone who has not been granted or does not have U.S. citizenship or permanent U.S. residency. In order for these students to study in the United States, they must obtain an F-1 visa.

International students are not admissible for the summer term. This program only admits new students in the summer term and therefore, does not permit F-1 visa student admission.

A candidate who was invited for an interview, but whose application is denied, has the right to appeal the decision. Appeals must be made in written form to the DPT Admissions Committee, Department of Physical Therapy, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001. The letter should clearly state the grounds for appeal. Students whose appeal is accepted will be reconsidered for admission.

We do not accept any materials sent directly to UNG or the UNG DPT department – all application materials must be submitted through PTCAS.

• GRE scores must be taken within the prior five years to count.
• We do take the best score for each section of GREs across all attempts – “superscore”
• You do need to meet the minimum for each component of the GRE to be considered for admissions (140 Quantitative; 146 Verbal; 3.5 analytical) regardless of your combined GRE score.
• You should have completed the GRE and submitted the scores to PTCAS through the ETS GRE process prior to submitting your application.

• You must meet the minimum GPA of 3.0 for both overall GPA and prerequisite GPA to be considered for interviews and potential admission to the UNG DPT program.
• Courses that are retaken (multiple attempts) will be averaged and considered within the GPA. We cannot recommend if you should or should not retake the course – that is up to you as you consider the benefit that re-taking the course will have on your GPA
• At this time, there is no limit on the age of the coursework you have taken. We accept coursework from all years.

• There are a total of 10 prerequisite courses required. Applicants must complete a minimum of eight of these prerequisite courses prior to applying to the UNG DPT program.
• Although we do accept course credits accomplished through advanced placement (AP) credits, it is recommended that no more than one major course of the 10 prerequisite courses be completed via AP credit. This is particularly problematic if the coursework on the transcript is simply scored pass or fail as we cannot use it to calculate a prerequisite GPA score.
• Courses may be taken at a two year or four year level as long as the course is equivalent to the required courses.
• Applicants must complete all prerequisite coursework prior to beginning classes in the UNG DPT program. Classes typically begin mid-May of the year following application.
• To determine if coursework fulfills the prerequisite requirements, you can check the UNG registrar’s page and use the transfer equivalency tool. If your school and/or course is not listed, you may need to check with our admissions team via email. 

• You may choose any undergraduate degree you like prior to applying to the UNG DPT program.  However, programs based in the sciences often contain coursework that is prerequisite to the DPT admission process. Thus, choosing a major like biology, physics or exercise physiology/science, kinesiology, biomechanics will parallel those courses most closely and potentially streamline the process.
• That being said, healthcare involves quite a bit of business in the current system so a business degree may be helpful. A minor in a language may be helpful to you if you plan to serve in areas in which that language is primarily spoken. These are all each candidate’s decision.
• You must have finished your undergraduate degree prior to beginning classes in the UNG DPT program. Classes typically begin mid-May of the year following application.

• We currently require 100 hours of shadowing or other PT-related work experience. These may be accomplished through paid or unpaid volunteer experiences. Applicants should consider requesting shadowing hours in a home town or smaller community that does not house a PT program for less likelihood of the healthcare system being inundated with students, volunteers, etc. You may consider unique opportunities such as shadowing a PT presenting at a support group, a PT serving a camp for children or adults with special needs, and outpatient facilities. Students often use tech or aide positions to gain experience in an outpatient PT facility. Extended care facilities (nursing homes) and elementary, middle and high schools often involve background checks and offer limited availability particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Applicants should have experience in a variety of settings. This means that you should not simply shadow or work at only one type of facility (ortho or neuro or peds). Instead, sample settings serving a variety of types of patients – different age populations, different impairments (ortho, neuro, cardiac, wound care, ertc.). We want to know that you understand the multiple facets of the PT profession. We will educate you in all of these areas – your degree will indicate that you are a general DPT as opposed to being degreed or licensed in a single type of PT. 

• Once your application is received, it will be considered with all applications submitted to date. Top applicants will be offered the opportunity to interview with faculty and the remaining applicant files will continue to be considered with the next wave of applicants.
• Interviews are conducted with a single student interviewing with multiple faculty. For 2024, interviews will be conducted in-person on the Dahlonega campus. The UNG DPT Admissions Committee will offer multiple virtual open houses to help potential applicants learn about our program. Sign up for updates and notification of virtual open houses as they are schedule by completing “Request Information”. Once virtual open house dates have been set, they’ll also appear in the “Attend a Virtual Information Session” tab above.
• During your interview, it is recommended that you think about those aspects of your background experience that make you stand out. Not every student needs to be a leader but that might be your strength. We do not look for one particular type of student.
• We also want to make sure that UNG DPT is the right fit for you. Please be prepared to ask questions that are important to you. Consider what UNG has to offer and how that fits your learning style, lifestyle, and other needs. 

• Applicants are encouraged to apply early, particularly if UNG is your first choice. Although we are no longer able to offer the early admission option through PTCAS, we will begin considering applications after the initial August 15, 2024 deadline. We will fill the class with candidates as we progress throughout the application timeline. October 1 is the hard deadline after which we cannot consider any further submissions. If your application is complete and verified at that time, you will be considered. However, applicants may not continue to submit any further files after October 1, 2024.

Overall, we know that this is an important decision for you and for the UNG DPT program. Please seriously consider your decision as each student selected takes an important spot that is sought after by multiple applicants. It is important to keep the program updated in a timely fashion if any decisions change for any reason.

Acuity Insights Assessments – Comprehensive Admissions Assessment 

All applicants applying to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, at the University of North Georgia are required to complete Acuity Insights Assessments for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. Acuity Insights Assessment (Casper) is a standardized, multi-part online assessment that measures different competencies and attributes that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. This assessment will complement the other tools that we use for applicant review and evaluation. In implementing Acuity Insights Assessment, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.  

Acuity Insights Assessment consists of a section called Casper. Casper is a 90-110 online, open-response situational judgment test.

How to complete the assessment

To take the assessment, you will be responsible for securing access to a laptop or desktop computer with webcam and audio capabilities and a reliable internet connection with an internet speed of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speed of at least 2 Mbps.

You will require the following for both account creation and completing the Acuity Insights Assessment: 

• Government-issued photo ID (English/French) for account validation 
• Valid email address (the same one you will use to submit your application) 
• Desktop or laptop computer 
• Working webcam 
• Working microphone 
• Reliable high-speed internet connection 

1. Please go to www.acuityinsights.app to sign up for Acuity Insights Assessment for US Professional Health Science Test (CSP-10101) under your specific country and register for a test date. 
2. Select a Casper test date. You will be provided with a limited number of testing dates and times, which have been pre-arranged/approved by your program(s) in accordance with their admissions timelines. Please note that these are the only testing dates available for your Casper test based on your program selection(s). There will be no additional tests scheduled. Please use an email address that you check regularly and that you have used for your application; there may be updates to the test schedule.
   • Note: To account for identity verification and payment processing timelines, ensure that you register for your test at least three days before your preferred test date and time. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
3. Ensure you have selected the University of North Georgia’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) for distribution before the posted distribution deadline. It is likely there will be no additional tests scheduled, but the most up-to-date information can be found by browsing the Test Dates and Times on acuityinsights.app. 
4. Please direct any inquiries on Acuity Insights Assessments to support@acuityinsights.app. Alternatively, you may use the chat bubble in the bottom right corner of your screen on the acuityinsights.app website. 

 Accommodations

Applicants requiring testing accommodations to complete their Acuity Insights Assessments should submit an Initial Request Form (part one and two) at least four weeks prior to their scheduled Casper test date. More information regarding the accommodations policy can be found in this helpful article.