Applying

Applications are due October 1, 10:59 pm CDT.

• UIC application
• PTCAS application
• Transcripts
• GRE scores
• Letters of recommendation

Submit your UIC application online via the UIC website—just follow the instructions listed there. There is a non-refundable application fee for all applicants.

Submit your PTCAS application online via the PTCAS website. The application opens in July and closes the first weekday of October.

Don’t wait for the last minute to submit your application! Applicants are often contacted by PTCAS to take some corrective action, so it’s recommended to provide a buffer of time for that possibility.

Arrange for PTCAS to receive an official transcript from every U.S. college and university you have attended. Refer to instructions on the PTCAS website.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required for all applicants.

There are several UIC departments, so be careful to send your GRE results to the right one. Scores should be sent directly from Education Testing Service to Code 7784. Plan ahead so that scores will arrive before the Oct 1 deadline.

The GRE must be taken within 5 years of the application due date — request that scores be sent from ETS to Code 7784.

Submit at least two and no more than four letters of recommendation on PTCAS. Do not send any as supplemental materials. Only letters submitted through PTCAS will be accepted.

A letter of recommendation should attest to the character, personal qualities or life experiences that make you suitable for a career in physical therapy. Letters from fellow students or family members are not accepted. Letters from physical therapists and from persons with knowledge of the applicant’s academic and interpersonal capabilities are particularly desirable.

If English is not your native language, you might need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the exam of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the PTE-Academic. Check out the International Requirements to see if this applies to you. Our program has the same minimum score requirements as the Graduate College.

TOEFL scores must be submitted to UIC directly from ETS using the institutional code 1851. This test score can’t be more than two years old.

The Declaration and Certification of Finances form must be signed by both you and your sponsor.

College-level coursework completed outside of the U.S. must be documented with the following:

• A subject analysis evaluation from World Education Services (WES) for advising and application evaluation purposes. The evaluation should be submitted to PTCAS.
• An original transcript in the native language AND a translated copy in English. A verbatim, literal translation, NOT an evaluation of equivalencies, is required. A translation agency (such as ATA) may provide a referral to a certified translator if the institution doesn’t provide an English translation. UIC requires a verbatim, literal translation, NOT an evaluation of equivalencies, even if a WES evaluation is included.
  • The original transcript and English translation should be sent to:
    DPT Admissions
    Department of Physical Therapy
    University of Illinois at Chicago
    1919 W Taylor St (MC 898)
    Chicago, Illinois 60612

Course work completed outside the United States as part of a study abroad program and that appears on the transcript of a U.S.-based college does not require the evaluation described above.