Pre-Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy

Main Content

Although there isn’t a specific major needed for graduate physical therapy (PT) or occupational therapy (OT) study, majors like movement science, biology or other natural science-based fields make sense.

PT and OT programs typically require specific science and math courses:

• General Biology for science majors (8 hours)
• Chemistry with lab (8)
• Anatomy and Physiology with lab (8)
• Physics with lab (8)
• College Algebra or higher (3)
• Statistics (3)
• Psychology, including developmental (6-9)

Internship Requirement

Internships provide real-world experience in the career field of one wants to pursue, strengthening one’s commitment to a field or helping them realize it's not the right fit.

Before applying to PT or OT school, students should have acquired proficiency in medical terminology and complete a 150-hour internship in a PT or OT setting. While 150 hours are the minimum for this requirement, it’s beneficial to gain broader exposure through more extensive internships, shadowing or observation in PT or OT settings.

PT and OT schools also often require letters of recommendation from practicing therapists; your internship supervisors can write these letters.

The Internship Process

1. Meet with the internship supervisor before reaching out to an internship facility.
2. With the internship supervisor’s guidance, select a PT or OT setting that matches your interests and contact the facility supervisor for an interview.
3. If both parties agree, establish a schedule and list of activities for the semester.
4. The internship supervisor approves the list and schedule before starting the internship.

There are additional written materials that must be submitted for KINE 40903.

PT Internship Location Partners

• SporTherapy
• Texas Health
• Cook Children’s Rehabilitation Clinic
• HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Worth

Students have the option to arrange internships at various clinics in the metroplex. Our KINE 40903 internship course is available every semester, including the summer, so if they have connections in another location, it may be possible to complete their internship outside the metroplex during the summer.

Advising

As students near the end of their undergraduate studies, it’s a good idea to check the specific requirements of the PT or OT schools they’re interested in.

Most schools set a minimum GPA of 3.0 for admission, but due to high competition, successful candidates often have GPAs of 3.5 or higher in both cumulative and science coursework.

For additional information, students can contact one of the advisers for TCU’s pre-PT and -OT programs, even if they are pursuing a major other than movement science.