STUDENT ADMISSIONS | Doctor of Physical Therapy

Application Information: Students apply through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). There is no supplemental application requirement for the university. The PTCAS portal opens mid-June annually.

Deadline for PTCAS applications: October 1, 2026
Classes begin: May 25, 2027

The LSU Health Shreveport Doctor of Physical Therapy Department accepts applications for admission via the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). All materials, including transcripts and GRE scores, must be sent directly to PTCAS—not to the department or LSU Health Shreveport. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the PTCAS application instructions before applying.

There are two DPT programs within the Department of Physical Therapy: the residential program in Shreveport and the hybrid program in Lafayette. Applicants will submit one application to the Department of Physical Therapy. The application includes a special question where applicants can indicate their preference for the Shreveport residential program, Lafayette hybrid program, or both. 

Residency: Preference will be given to Louisiana residents. Information regarding establishing LA residency may be obtained on the Office of the Registrar's website.

MINIMUM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The following are the minimum admission requirements for application to the Physical Therapy Department.

Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university by the first day of class in the PT program. Official final transcripts showing conferral of degree must be submitted to the Registrar by the first day of class in the PT program.

Minimum average math/science GPA of a 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale). 

• Undergraduate math/science grades are used in calculation of the average. Math/science classes are defined as courses with subject headings of biology, zoology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, chemistry, math, physics, statistics, etc.
• Courses with subject headings of kinesiology, community health, exercise science, health and human performance, etc. are NOT considered part of the math/science GPA; even though they may meet pre-requisite requirements.

• The LSUHS DPT Program allows up to 8 hours of grade forgiveness. This means that if an undergraduate science/math course is repeated at a 4-year university, the higher grade will be substituted (up to 8 hours).

• The LSUHS DPT Program uses whole number quality points to calculate science/math GPAs; therefore, plus/minus grades are converted to whole grades. A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0

Minimum Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from within the last five years sent to GRE DI code 7739:

• 285 combined quantitative and verbal scores. The highest score from each section is accepted.

• 3.0 from the written analytical writing portion of the GRE. The highest overall score is accepted.

NOTE:  Applicants must arrange for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send official GRE scores through PTCAS using the code designated specifically for our physical therapy program. The PTCAS Program Code for the LSUHS Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is 7739.

Grade of “C” or better in required pre-requisite courses from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university by the first day of class in the PT Program:

• English Composition (6 hours)

• Advanced English Composition, Technical Writing, or Exposition (3 hours)

• Chemistry (8 hours) – Lab based

• Physics (8 hours) – Lab based

• Biology/Zoology (8 hours) – Lab based

• Advanced Biology (3 hours) – recommended: Histology or Cell Biology

• Anatomy (3 hours) – recommended: Human Anatomy

• Physiology (3 hours) – recommended: Human Physiology

• Mathematics (3 hours) – Must complete a math course of at least one level above college algebra.

• Psychology (6 hours) – recommended: Abnormal Psychology, Growth and Development

• Statistics (3 hours) – Behavioral or Experimental

• Public Speaking (3 hours)

• Medical Terminology (1 credit)

  
  Credits in Statistics may be used to meet Math requirements if taught in the Math department. Credits in Statistics may be used to meet Psychology requirements if taught in the Psychology department. They cannot be used twice to additionally meet Math/Psychology requirements.
  
  Prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the first day of class in the LSUHS DPT program, but may still be in progress when the application to the program is submitted. To be eligible to start in May 2027, all admissions requirements must be completed by May 1, 2027.
  
  ►View a list of prerequisites for select colleges and universities.

At least 60 hours of practical experience in physical therapy. Practical experience must be under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist. It is suggested to earn a minimum of 30 hours at two different sites.

At least two letters of recommendation from two different licensed physical therapists that provided direct supervision during your practical experience. It is suggested that these letters are written by a PT that knows you well enough to reflect on the listed items. Applicants must arrange for letters of recommendation to be submitted electronically through PTCAS. Each evaluator providing a reference will be contacted using an email address provided in PTCAS by the applicant.

Application Submission: The final application deadline for the May 2027 start date is October 1, 2026 at 11:59PM CST. Applications must be submitted by this deadline and include all official transcripts, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation. Late applications will not be accepted. Applicants may submit one application per admissions cycle.  Admitted students who begin the program in May 2027 will graduate in May 2030.

When an electronic application is submitted to PTCAS it will move through three different statuses. The LSUHS Department of Physical Therapy will not review applications until they have moved through the PTCAS verification process. Applicants are encouraged to track their application as it moves through these PTCAS statuses and follow up with PTCAS directly if the application doesn’t move forward as expected:

• Submitted – This status means that the application has been submitted and is awaiting verification.
• Complete – This status means that the application is submitted and all required documentation is accounted for. 
• Verified – This status means that the application is submitted, complete, and has successfully moved through the PTCAS verification process. Verified applications are sent to LSUHS Department of Physical Therapy for review.

NOTE:  If an applicant chooses to utilize the PTCAS professional transcript entry service, the applicant MUST log back into PTCAS and approve the transcript work when complete. If this step is missed, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be sent to LSUHS for review.

Application Review: The DPT Admissions Committee will review all verified applications. Applicants are evaluated based on the minimum admission requirements listed above, plus the personal essay. An evaluative process will be used to ensure nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all applicants. The DPT admissions committee will grant admission interviews by invitation only.

During the pre-interview review, the program verifies that all applicants meet minimum admission requirements, notes any concerns in recommendation letters (e.g., below-average ratings or reservations), flags transcript issues (e.g., three or more withdrawals), and identifies outstanding math or science prerequisites that may affect GPA calculations. Professionalism and written communication are also evaluated—exceptionally positive or negative interactions, as well as notable strengths or weaknesses in the personal essay, may be documented and considered in the review process.

NOTE: The personal essay should represent the applicant’s original writing and perspective. To maintain the integrity of the admissions process, applicants should not use artificial intelligence (AI) or automated writing tools when composing their essay.

Interview Process: The DPT Admissions Chair will contact applicants and provide an update regarding their individual qualification status, as well as any instructions for completing the interview process should they meet the outlined minimum requirements.

Our in-person interview process has applicants participate in both group/panel and one-on-one interviews with members of the faculty admissions committee. These interview formats allow the committee to assess each applicant’s professionalism, communication skills, and readiness for graduate-level study in a collaborative and individual setting. It is during these one-on-one interviews that the candidate can share their preferred learning style and preference of campus and delivery model if they applied to both locations. Standardized questions and a structured scoring rubric are used to ensure fairness and consistency in the evaluation process. All faculty interviewers are trained on the rubric criteria and evaluation procedures to promote reliable and equitable scoring.

Applicants are ranked based on a composite review of their math/science GPA, GRE scores, and interview scores. Admission offers are extended to the top 60 applicants—the Shreveport campus has a cohort of 36 and the Lafayette campus has a cohort of 24. Additional applicants are ranked on a waitlist, and offers are made sequentially from that list until both cohorts are filled.

Students are protected throughout the admission process through the transparency of the process, as indicated in this policy, by their anonymity during the initial assessment process meeting minimum standards, and by rubrics and multiple graders. All applicants are notified by email and/or mail regarding final selection decisions.

Please note: Accepted students are assigned a provisional admissions status until meeting conditions outlined in the acceptance letter and completing pre-matriculation requirements set forth by the Office of the Registrar. As part of the pre-matriculation requirements, accepted students are required to pass a drug screen and criminal background check prior to matriculation. Offers of acceptance are contingent on passing both.

Important Application Information:

• There are two DPT programs within the Department of Physical Therapy at LSU Health Shreveport: the residential program in Shreveport and the hybrid program in Lafayette. Applicants will submit one application to the Department of Physical Therapy. The PTCAS application includes a special question where applicants can indicate their preference for the Shreveport residential program, Lafayette hybrid program, or both. 
• LSU Health Shreveport (residential program in Shreveport and hybrid program in Lafayette) and LSU Health New Orleans have separate admissions. If a student desires to apply to both campuses, they must submit an application to each campus individually.