Physical Therapy Early Assurance Pathway

• Complete or be in process of completing no less than 3 semesters of full-time academic study at UMU in a degree granting Bachelor of Art or Science program of study.
• Maintain enrollment at UMU throughout the application process.
  
  
• Possess a minimum overall/cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.4 for all post-secondary coursework, to include 24 completed hours in the following areas: Psychology, Chemistry, Biology, Statistics, and/or Anatomy and Physiology, labs preferred where applicable.

• Interested candidates must apply using the UMU DPT Early Assurance Application. Information regarding application should be attained via contact of Dr. Bob Woodward, Director of the Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professions Program at (330) 823-3672 or prehealth@mountunion.edu. Applicants are invited to apply in the fall semester if they are in the process of completing or have already completed at least three (3) semesters of full-time coursework at UMU. Applicants must complete the entire application and submit all required credentials by the published deadline.
  
  
• Interviews will be granted by invitation-only following Early Assurance application review. Early Assurance interviews will be conducted in spring or summer semester of the sophomore year. A successful in-person interview at UMU is required prior to an official offer of Early Assurance.
  
  
• Selection into the Early Assurance Pathway is via an annual selective process. Early Assurance offers will typically be made in April with a student response due in early May.
  
  
• Candidates who are not offered an Early Assurance reservation are eligible to apply through the typical application process (applications due October 15^st prior to the following end of August start of the program).

The second step allows a student who has been granted Early Assurance to the UMU Doctor of Physical Therapy Program the opportunity to apply for admission to claim that reserved seat. This second step is the actual process of obtaining admission to the UMU DPT Program.

To receive admission to the DPT program, undergraduate students granted Early Assurance through the Early Assurance Pathway are required to complete the following: 

• Successfully complete all prerequisite coursework for DPT program admissions with a grade of C or better (you may have 1-3 courses pending at time of application to UMU PT Program).
  
  
• Complete all DPT admissions criteria (including minimum GPA requirements for overall and pre-requisite course, 40 hours of PT shadowing/observation hours, 3 letters of recommendation, and writing sample).
  
  
• Maintain an annual meeting with a PT faculty member (mentor/advisor) with a positive performance review. (Candidates will not typically require a PT program interview during the admission cycle as the earlier in-person interview and these annual meetings take the place of the traditional interview that follows completion of their PTCAS application. Exceptions to this will be based on Admission’s committee recommendations due to identified concerns.)
  
  
• Apply to UMU PT Program through PTCAS. Students must follow all PTCAS application procedures and deadlines in order to have a completed application. As with all candidates for this program, it is solely the student’s responsibility to meet all admission dates and deadlines. Early Assurance is a privilege of the opportunity to secure a seat in the DPT program and not a right to matriculate into it. 
  
  
• Graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Mount Union.
   

EARLY ASSURANCE PATHWAY Process Description Summary: Undergraduate students at the University of Mount Union who complete all of STEP 1 will have applied for Early Assurance, formalizing their desire to become a physical therapist and to apply for admission to the UMU DPT Program once closer to completion of the baccalaureate degree. Students will receive a STEP 1 decision from the DPT Program in April (typically in the 4^th semester of undergraduate coursework). Once Early Assurance is awarded, students will complete STEP 2 prior to October 15th of their senior year. If STEP 1 and STEP 2 are completed successfully, Early Assurance UMU students will not typically be required to interview in the fall semester prior to matriculation (as is required of all non-Early Assurance applicants considered for admission). Admission decisions for enrollment in the DPT Program will be made by the UMU DPT Admissions Committee. Grade point average (GPA) data used for the STEP 2 admission decisions will reflect applicable coursework available in October in PTCAS (prior to matriculation in May); Early Assurance students should successfully maintain competitive cumulative and science GPAs throughout their college career.

Early Assurance students who do not meet their matriculation admission requirements in the October PTCAS review may be eligible to have a second review of their application credentials in December by the UMU DPT Admissions Committee. All December review admission decisions are final for the admission cycle and candidates that do not meet admission standards at that time will be denied Early assurance admission for that admission cycle. Denied candidates shall not be reviewed again for that cycle but can apply in the normal process for the next admission cycle.