Doctor of Physical Therapy Prerequisite Course Information

  • You must have completed approximately 2/3 of the Life and Physical Science prerequisites by the end of the Fall Quarter/Semester in which you apply. The remainder of the Behavioral, Life, and Physical Science prerequisites must be completed during the Winter and Spring Quarter/Semesters following submission of your application. The Ohio University DPT program begins at the start of Ohio University’s summer term, and all prerequisites must be completed before the start of classes.
  • Human anatomy, human or animal physiology, and exercise physiology courses must be taken at a 4-year institution. However, the admissions committee will review requests to consider coursework completed at a 2-year institution on a case-by-case basis. To initiate this review process, applicants must provide a course description and syllabus. The admissions committee considers the strength of the institution, course description, course content, laboratory experience, schedule of topics and depth of content to determine acceptability of these courses.
  • Pre-requisite coursework older than 10 years will be evaluated by the admissions committee on a case-by-case basis.
  • All prerequisites must be completed at a US regionally accredited institution.
  • Combined anatomy and physiology courses — Two courses of combined anatomy and physiology may be used to meet both the anatomy and the physiology prerequisite requirements provided the content in the combined anatomy and physiology courses is similar to the content of the individual anatomy and physiology courses described below. These combined anatomy and physiology courses must include a laboratory component. Online labs will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, however it is encouraged that any lab that can be offered in person to be taken live.
  • Science course for non-science majors — Science courses for non-science majors are not acceptable to meet the prerequisite requirements.

Pre-Requisite Courses

  1. Statistics:
    a. Requirement: One course.
    b. Content required: Introduction to descriptive and inferential statistics with emphasis on inferential statistics. Inferential statistics includes topics such as t-tests and ANOVA.
    c. OU course: PSY 2110
  2. Medical Terminology:
    a. Requirement: One course.
    b. Content required: Medical terms associated with body systems, disease processes, laboratory tests, and clinical procedures commonly used in the health care setting.  
    c. OU course: HLTH 2300 or CLAS 2110
  3. Developmental/Child Psych:
    a. Requirement: One course.
    b. Content required: Basic principles of human development from the prenatal period through adolescence; Theory and literature on physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development.
    c. OU course: PSY 2410
  4. Psychology:
    a. Requirement: One additional course (excluding statistics).
    b. This course may not duplicate the Developmental Psychology requirement.
  5. Introduction to Physics:
    a. Requirement: One year (3 quarters or 2 semesters); all courses must include a laboratory component as part of the course or as a separate course.
    b. Content required: Mechanics of solids and liquids, electricity, magnetism, heat, thermodynamics, waves, sound, light, relativity, quantum, atomic, and nuclear physics; all courses must include a laboratory component as part of the course or as a separate course.
    c. OU courses: PHYS 2001, 2002
  6. Chemistry Principles:
    a. Requirement: One year (3 quarters or 2 semesters); all courses must include a laboratory component as part of the course or as a separate course.
    b. Content required: Atomic and molecular structure, the periodic table, states of matter, gases, solutions, acids, bases, equilibrium, and a survey of organic and biochemistry; all courses must include a laboratory.
    c. OU courses: CHEM 1210,1220 or CHEM 1510,1520
  7. Biology:
    a. Requirement: Two courses, both must include a laboratory component as part of the course or as a separate course.
    b. Content required:
    i. Cellular and molecular biology: Designed for science majors and pre-professional students. Introduction to the chemistry of life, cell structure, and function, and the principles of inheritance. ii. Animal organ systems: Introduction to multi-cellular life, organ systems, anatomy, physiology, and animal development. Biology courses must be designed for science majors and pre-professional students. All courses must include a laboratory.
    c. OU courses: BIOS 1700 and 1705 (lab) and 1710 and 1715 (lab)
    d. Note: Biology courses must be designed for science majors and pre-professional students.
  8. Human anatomy*:
    a. Requirement: One course with a laboratory component as part of the course or as a separate course.
    b. Content required: Structure and general function of all body systems with an emphasis on the human musculoskeletal system and human structure/function relations.
    c. OU courses: BIOS 3010 and BIOS 3015 (lab)
    d. Note: Comparative vertebrate anatomy with a laboratory component is also acceptable.
  9. Human or animal physiology*:
    a. Requirement: One course with a laboratory component as part of the course or as a separate course.
    b. Content required: Basic cell physiology through most organ systems, particularly those of humans; emphasis on physiological regulation and physiological responses to various stresses.
    c. OU courses: BIOS 3450 and 3455 (lab)
  10. Exercise Physiology*:
    a. Requirement: One course. (An Exercise Physiology Lab is not required.)
    b. Content required: Application of organ system responses to exercise, including skeletal muscle metabolism, energy expenditure, cardio-respiratory regulation, and training and environmental adaptations.
    c. OU course: BIOS 4450 or EXPH 4140