Admissions Overview
California State University, Long Beach offers an entry-level physical therapy professional curriculum that leads to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. The Physical Therapy Department admits 35-38 students per year to the DPT program. Admission to the University as a graduate student in physical therapy is on a competitive basis using the selection criteria described in the Application Requirements.
Thinking about a career in Physical Therapy? Watch the video below for prospective students from the American Physical Therapy Association.
We strongly recommend that you review the application requirements and admission process. If you have questions regarding admissions to our program, please email the PT Department. We would prefer you email the PT Department instead of calling as this way there is a "paper trail" regarding your question and response.
The DPT Program at CSULB utilizes two separate applications:
1. PTCAS
The DPT Program at CSULB participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). Applicants applying to the DPT Program will apply online using the PTCAS application. The PTCAS application open filing period begins July 1st and closes November 1st of the year prior to admission. The DPT Program at CSULB begins the following summer semester. To learn more about the PTCAS application process, please visit the PTCAS web site.
2. Cal State Apply
Applicants MUST ALSO simultaneously apply to CSULB by submitting a completed CSU Post baccalaureate and Graduate Admissions Form available through Cal State Apply or one can be obtained by contacting the University's Office of Enrollment Services, Brotman Hall 101, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840. The University application filing period is from October 1st of the year prior to admission to January 15th of the year of admission. To learn more about the application process, please visit Cal State Apply.
Although the CSULB DPT program begins in late May in the year of admission, when applying to Cal State Apply, you must apply for the Fall semester of the year of admission.
Application to the University is a separate process than application to the Physical Therapy program. Admission to the University does not guarantee admission to the Physical Therapy Program and admission to the Physical Therapy Program is contingent upon being accepted by the University. Contact the Office of Enrollment Services for University application information and requirements for acceptance to the University.
See detailed instructions for applying to the CSULB DPT program.
The application window for the current cycle is July 1st to November 1st through PTCAS and October 1st to January 15th though Cal State Apply. The CSULB DPT program does not have rolling admissions.
Applicants are notified beginning in mid-January.
When an applicant is approved by the PT Department, the PT Department will notify the Office of Enrollment Services. If the applicant has applied to CSULB and meets the University's minimum requirements, the applicant will then be admitted by the University and accepted into the DPT program.
View a list of application requirements.
Waitlist
Qualified applicants who are not initially sent an acceptance letter will be placed on the waitlist based upon scoring from the admissions rubric.
View more information on the admissions rubric.
The waitlist consists of the following tiers:
High Tier
The top qualified applicants based upon their admissions score will be placed in this tier. The number of actual applicants in the high tier will vary based upon the overall number of qualified applicants on the waitlist. Being placed on the high tier waitlist does not guarantee acceptance to the program.
Low Tier
The remainder of the qualified applicants based upon their admissions score will be placed in the low tier. Applicants on the low tier waitlist, while qualified, historically have not received an acceptance letter into our program.
The admissions committee will notify qualified applicants of their waitlist tier but will not disclose their rank on the waitlist.
If you do not hear from our program by February then it is most likely that you were denied consideration for admission due to an incomplete application, GPA lower than the required minimum, or other reason.
All students accepted into the program must attest that they can perform the essential functions required of physical therapy education and clinical practice outlined in the department's Essential Functions (
In addition, technical literacy in word processing, use of spreadsheets and slide presentation programs is expected.
