Admission Criteria | Prerequisites | Application Materials

Courses
Prerequisite courses are expressed in terms of semesters. Three quarter courses are regarded as the equivalent of two semester courses. Ideally, required science and math courses will have been taken within five years of application. Science and math courses taken before that time will be considered as meeting requirements for prerequisites but may weaken an applicant's potential for admission.

Science Prerequisites
(must have lab components and qualify for majoring in the sciences) 
General Biology
Human Anatomy*
Human Physiology*
Two semester courses of Chemistry
Two semester sequence of General Physics

Other Prerequisites
Applied Statistics
Calculus**
Introductory Psychology
Developmental or Abnormal Psychology

* Or a year of human anatomy/physiology combined.
** Pre-calculus does not satisfy this prerequisite. Calculus for mathematics, engineering, or natural science is preferred, but business calculus is accepted.

Advanced Placement credit courses must appear on a college transcript to be considered for satisfaction of a prerequisite.

Course descriptions for prerequisite courses as taught at UIC are provided here to assist you in selecting courses at your chosen school and to assist your local school counselors in advising you on which courses to take that are most likely to be equivalent to the prerequisite courses.

Introductory Psychology Requirement
PSCH 100 Survey of basic concepts of contemporary psychology. Introduction to the nervous system, perception, motivation, learning and memory, social behavior, personality, developmental and clinical psychology. Participation in research.

Abnormal or Developmental Psychology Requirement
PSCH 270 Abnormal Psychology Survey course covering the assessment, description, causes, and treatments of many psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, sexual dysfunction and personality disorders.
PSCH 320 Developmental Psychology Analysis of research and theory concerning social, cognitive, and biopsychological aspects of human development

Statistics Requirement
PSCH 242 Introduction to Research in Psychology Techniques and problems associated with the study of behavior. Emphasis on measurement, descriptive statistics, and the principles of experimental design. Exercises involving data collection. Participation in research.

General Biology Requirement
BIOS 100 Biology of Cells and Organisms Processes of cellular and organismic function. Cell structure, respiration, photosynthesis, molecular genetics and development, structure and physiology of plants and animals. Lecture, laboratory and discussion.

Human Anatomy & Human Physiology Requirements
KN 251/252 Human Physiological Anatomy I and II (only available to Movement Science majors)
KN 251 The structure and function of mammalian cells and tissues and human skeletal, muscular and nervous systems are discussed. Integrating the functions of the various systems is emphasized.
KN 252 The structure and function of the human endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, sensory, and reproductive systems are discussed. Integrating the functions of the various systems is emphasized.

General Chemistry Requirement
CHEM 112/114 General College Chemistry I and II
CHEM 112 Stoichiometry, periodicity, reaction types, the gaseous state, solution stoichiometry, chemical equilibria, acid-base equilibria, dissolution-precipitation equilibria. Includes a weekly three-hour laboratory.
CHEM 114 Phase transitions, thermochemistry, spontaneity and equilibrium, electrochemistry, kinetics, bonding theory, order and symmetry in condensed phases, coordination compounds, descriptive chemistry.

Calculus Requirement
MATH 180 Calculus I Differentiation, curve sketching, maximum-minimum problems, related rates, mean-value theorem, antiderivative, Riemann integral, logarithm, and exponential functions.

General Physics Requirement
PHYS 105/106 and PHYS 107/108 Introductory Physics I & II
PHYS 105/106 A non-calculus course. Kinematics; Newton's laws; momentum; work and energy; torque and angular momentum; rotational dynamics; gravitation; oscilliations; waves physical; optics; relativity.
PHYS 107/108 A non-calculus course. Electrostatics; electric current; magnetism; Farady's law; Maxwell's relations; electromagnetic radiation; geometric optics: quantum mechanics; the Heisenberg uncertainty principle; Bohr model; nuclear and particle physics.

Clinical Experiences
40 hours of physical therapy experiences of observing, volunteering, or working are required to be completed at the time of application. The experiences must be documented by physical therapists licensed in the United States.  It is recommended that the experiences be of different specialties. The more extensive and varied the physical therapy experiences, the better the applicant will be prepared for elements of the program and that preparation may be reflected in application review.

Applicants may consult hospitals, nursing homes, community organizations (e.g., Easter Seals, United Cerebral Palsy, or March of Dimes), home health agencies (e.g., Visiting Nurses Association), health maintenance organizations, or stand-alone physical therapy clinics (consult Yellow Pages phone directory) for opportunities to observe physical therapy. The UIC Department of Physical Therapy does not assist applicants in finding a volunteer placement.

Clinical experiences are documented on PTCAS.