Physical therapists help their clients restore, maintain and promote optimal health, so they can live active lives. Optimal physical function is important at all stages of life and drives the growing need for physical therapists.
Program Overview
Become a force for healing and recovery.
Although the demand for physical therapists is on the rise, acceptance into Doctor of Physical Therapy programs continues to be highly competitive. Through hands-on coursework in Biology, Exercise & Sport Science, Chemistry, Math, Physics and Psychology, you’ll be well-prepared to apply for advanced degrees in the flourishing and competitive field of physical therapy. In the program, you’ll also have access to our Healthcare Advisory Board, who will offer you guidance and connect you with immersive educational opportunities inside and outside of the Gunnison Valley.
Set up for success
Our hands-on coursework, 1:1 advising, original research and shadowing opportunities are designed to set you up for success.
Program Requirements
At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.
The Pre-Physical Therapy Emphasis requires a minimum of 74 credits, including the 26-credit Biology Nucleus, 10 additional credits in Biology, and 38 credits of supporting courses.
All Biology majors require the 26-credit Biology Nucleus.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Biology Nucleus | ||
| BIOL 150 | Biological Principles (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| BIOL 151 | Diversity and Patterns of Life (with laboratory) | 4 |
| BIOL 301 | General Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 310 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 312 | Genetics (with recitation) | 4 |
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry Laboratory I (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| CHEM 113 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 114 | General Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 26 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Biology courses | ||
| BIOL 372 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I (with laboratory) | 4 |
| BIOL 373 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II (with laboratory) | 4 |
| At least two credits of Capstone Experience courses: | 2 | |
| BIOL 495 | Senior Seminar | |
| BIOL 496 | Senior Thesis | 2-4 |
| Total Credits | 12-14 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum supporting courses: | ||
| CHEM 331 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 332 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 334 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| CHEM 335 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| CHEM 471 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| ESS 185 | Lifetime Wellness | 3 |
| ESS 330 | Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| ESS 331 | Exercise Physiology Lab | 1 |
| ESS 380 | Biomechanics | 3 |
| MATH 213 | Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| PSY 100 | General Psychology (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| At least one of the following: | 3 | |
PSY 270 | Development Psychology | |
PSY 368 | Psychopathology | |
| Select one of the following pairs of courses: | 8 | |
PHYS 170 & PHYS 185 | Principles of Physics I (GT-SC2) and Laboratory Physics I (GT-SC1) | |
AND | ||
PHYS 171 & PHYS 186 | Principles of Physics II (GT-SC2) and Laboratory Physics II (GT-SC1) | |
| OR | ||
PHYS 190 & PHYS 185 | General Physics I (GT-SC2) and Laboratory Physics I (GT-SC1) | |
AND | ||
PHYS 191 & PHYS 186 | General Physics II (GT-SC2) and Laboratory Physics II (GT-SC1) | |
| Total Credits | 38 | |
Capstone Course Requirement
The following courses in the Biology Major fulfill the capstone course requirement: BIOL 495 Senior Seminar, BIOL 496 Senior Thesis or EDUC 409 Secondary Student Teaching.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BIOL 150 | Biological Principles (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry Laboratory I (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| HWTR 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 151 | Diversity and Patterns of Life (with laboratory) | 4 |
| CHEM 113 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 114 | General Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| ESS 185 | Lifetime Wellness | 3 |
| PSY 100 | General Psychology (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 310 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 372 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I (with laboratory) | 4 |
| CHEM 331 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 334 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| MATH 141 | Precalculus (GT-MA1) | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 301 | General Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 373 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II (with laboratory) | 4 |
| CHEM 332 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 335 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| General Education course | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 312 | Genetics (with recitation) | 4 |
| CHEM 471 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| ESS 330 | Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| ESS 331 | Exercise Physiology Lab | 1 |
| PHYS 170 or PHYS 190 |
Principles of Physics I (GT-SC2) or General Physics I (GT-SC2) |
3 |
| PHYS 185 | Laboratory Physics I (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ESS 380 | Biomechanics | 3 |
| General Education courses | 3 | |
| MATH 213 | Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| PHYS 171 or PHYS 191 |
Principles of Physics II (GT-SC2) or General Physics II (GT-SC2) |
3 |
| PHYS 186 | Laboratory Physics II (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| Psychology Elective course | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 495 or BIOL 496 |
Senior Seminar or Senior Thesis |
1 |
| General Education Courses | 6 | |
| Elective | Elective | 6 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 495 or BIOL 496 |
Senior Seminar or Senior Thesis |
1 |
| General Education Course | 3 | |
| Elective | Elective | 11 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Careers
Take the first steps toward your dream career.
Career preparation is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling role in hundreds of professional fields after graduation.
The data is automatically collected by Lightcast, a firm that sources job market data. The statistics illustrate general trends in U.S. careers, but do not precisely represent every job and salary.
Scholarships
Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your scholarships!Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your scholarships!Alumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship
The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.
Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.
- This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
- Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
- GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).
Due date has been extended to April 30 for 2024. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.
Alumni Legacy Scholarship
The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).
Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:
- This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
- Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
- The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
- The admission application fee is waived (a $30 value).
- GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).
The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.
Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship
The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.
Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).
- Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
- The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
- The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.
The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.
For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.
For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.
Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.
For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.
Get Involved
Expand your community and your network.
There are so many ways that you can maximize your educational experience at Western. Take advantage of these opportunities to advance your career.
- Lab Assistantships: Students commonly land positions helping their professors with fieldwork and research.
- Pre-Health Club: Brings together students with a common interest in health fields to network and to provide career preparation, advice and peer support.
- Shadowing: Opportunities to shadow practicing professionals exists both locally and throughout the United States.
- Thornton Biology Research Program: Students work with faculty mentors on funded and original research.
- Tri-Beta: Honor society for biology student researchers.
- Pre-Health Mentorship Program: Students are paired with a qualified health professional to help them gain hands-on experience and prepare for a career after graduation.
A competitive advantage
By combining hands-on coursework in Biology, Exercise & Sport Science, Chemistry, Math, Physics and Psychology, Western has created an emphasis that’s tailor-made for students interested in the flourishing and competitive field of physical therapy.
News & Research
Additional Resources
Department Information
Natural & Environmental Sciences (NES) Department
Department Chairperson
Anne W. Ryter, Ph.D.Professor of Chemistry
Administrative Assistant
Lori ClementNES Administrative Assistant
Campus Location
Western Colorado University
Hurst Hall 128
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231
