The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program residential pathway participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). All applicants must apply using the PTCAS online application form, which can be found on the PTCAS website.

The residential pathway’s application process comprises the following steps:

Step 1: Complete the PTCAS application. If you have any questions regarding the application itself, please contact PTCAS directly at ptcasinfo@ptcas.org or 617.612.2040.

Note: GRE scores are not required.

Step 2 (Optional):  Make an appointment to attend an in-person information session where you can tour the on-campus facilities and speak with a USC faculty member. This appointment can be arranged by contacting USC Admissions Administrator Heather Reynolds at heather.reynolds@pt.usc.edu. or 213-740-6217.

The final application deadline for our next residential pathway start date is December 2, 2024.

The USC admissions committee considers applications on a semi-rolling basis. This means complete applications are reviewed by the committee once they are verified by the PTCAS system, and all decision notifications are sent out in a timely fashion. To be considered complete, an application must include official transcripts and letters of recommendation. View a full list of application requirements.

Once the DPT program is full, competitive applications that are submitted prior to the deadline may be placed on the waitlist. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you submit your application as soon as possible. All applicants receive a final admission decision by March or April prior to the anticipated fall start date.