Frequently Asked Questions

APTA is a great resource for everything PT. Learn more here

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on July 19, 2007. The Department implemented the program Summer 2008. Applications received by early October of each year will be considered for admission to the DPT program that will start in the Summer I semester of the following year. The DPT replaced the MSPT program. The DPT is a three year, nine semester cohort program with 99 credit hours that culminates in a doctor of physical therapy degree.

Between 40 and 46 students are accepted yearly. Approximately 600+ applications are reviewed each year, and of these, just under 200 qualified students are invited to interview.

In-state tuition (books and fees included) is about $50,000 for the 3 year PT degree. Non-resident tuition (books and fees included) is about $89,000 for the 3 year PT degree. Does not include health insurance (recommended), travel to and from clinical assignments, and licensure, housing. 

Click here for more information on the cost of our program. 

Financial Aid is available through the Texas State Financial Aid Office (512) 245-2315. The Graduate College (512) 245-2581 also has several scholastic achievement scholarships available for graduate students. The PT program has no specific financial aid funding for its students.

APTA Financial Solutions - The American Physical Therapy Association Financial Solutions website offers tools and information to help you make the best financial decisions possible during and after PT school. Check out their site for financial planning information, student loan refinancing information, and scholarships, grants, and awards. The site also features a career center section with a list of current job openings in the field.

The "best" major of study is any area in which you would enjoy working after graduation. The PT program does not have a preference as to your baccalaureate degree.

The most common majors have been biology, kinesiology, exercise sports science, psychology, and athletic training. However, any major of study is acceptable as long as the degree has been completed prior to entering the PT program.

Yes, undergraduate courses can be completed at Texas State, or any other accredited college or university. However, no PT program courses can be completed prior to acceptance into the PT program.

No, your undergraduate degree may be earned at any accredited university or college.

The minimum GPA required for the PT program is 3.0 (out of 4.0) in the last 60 hours completed toward your baccalaureate degree. Any additional courses taken after the degree is completed are NOT used to calculate the last 60 hours GPA, but may be used to calculate the science GPA and/or the prerequisite GPA.

In addition to the last 60 hours GPA (last 60 hours toward a degree), a science GPA and a prerequisite GPA are calculated separately. The science GPA is calculated from all science courses in the biological sciences, chemistry, and physics. The prerequisite GPA is calculated by considering only the prerequisite courses for the PT program.

If all prerequisites will be completed by May of an academic year, then the application should be completed by early September of the previous academic year.

The online application can be found on the Graduate College website here: and the PTCAS application can be found on the PTCAS website here.  Both applications need to be completed. Incomplete applications or those received after the deadline will not be considered for admission.

A new graduate class is enrolled at the beginning of the first summer session each year. The DPT is completed in nine continuous semesters (through summers). For example, students entering in June  will graduate three years later in May.

We do not require clinical experience hours. It is a good idea for you to have some idea of what PT is all about whether thru volunteer or paid employment.  However, it is recommended that a variety of clinical experiences (average range from 4-6 different settings) be sought to gain experience in the field and to determine if physical therapy is the right choice for you.

If the Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) course offered at your institution is offered in a two course sequence, then both courses must be completed to get credit for the Texas State equivalent. Thus, the second semester of A&P must be taken but does not substitute for the physiology requirement.

Texas State has worked with apartment complexes located near the campus to offer student-friendly lease terms.  There are no residence halls on the Round Rock campus. 

You can use Texas State University's Course Equivalency Tool to see how the course you took at another university will transfer. That tool can be found here. 

You must apply to Texas State Graduate College AND the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). See the “Apply” section of our website for more information.

The DPT Program at Texas State operates with a FIRM application deadline of September 16th. Materials MUST be complete by the stated deadline in order to be considered, this includes having verified GRE and GPA information in PTCAS.

PTCAS processing may take up to 4-5 weeks once all required materials are received.  Therefore, it is recommended that all materials be received by PTCAS no later than August 15 if you would like the opportunity to resolve any issues that arise during the processing period. The PT Department cannot guarantee that application materials will be processed prior to the application deadline. It is in the applicant's best interest to submit all application materials 4-6 weeks in advance. 

We are not responsible for missed deadlines due to PTCAS processing time. No late applications will be considered. 

The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is a very important component to your application and must be completed. 

When applying you must have your offical scores sent by ETS (the Educational Testing Service) directly to PTCAS using code 7405. The official scores must be received by the deadline in order for your application to be considered.

The earlier the better. You can retake the exam as many times as you like. PTCAS will “superscore” and take the highest of all attempts in each category. 

We recommend you do not take the exam for the first time close to the deadline as it can take up to 10 business days to receive your scores and another 5-10 business days for your scores to be sent to PTCAS. 

We are not responsible for missed deadlines due to ETS processing time. 

Official transcripts and official GRE scores must be sent to your Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) application. Applications will be considered incomplete if transcripts or GRE scores are sent directly to Texas State Graduate College.

PTCAS GRE code: 7405