Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional)
Helping people recover movement, strength, and function.
Physical therapy focuses on restoring movement and managing pain after injury, surgery, or illness. Like OT, it requires a graduate doctorate (DPT), so undergraduate study is a pre-PT track, often kinesiology, health sciences, or biology, built around the specific prerequisites PT programs require.
Undergraduates typically need direct observation hours with licensed physical therapists, so most programs build in structured opportunities to shadow or volunteer in clinical settings alongside anatomy- and physiology-heavy coursework.
Typical courses you might take
- ✓Human Anatomy & Physiology
- ✓Biomechanics
- ✓Exercise Physiology
- ✓Physics (often required)
- ✓Statistics
- ✓Neuroscience Fundamentals
- ✓Medical Terminology
- ✓Clinical Observation Hours
Sample four-year plan
Illustrative, not a registration planOne possible way these courses could be sequenced alongside general education and elective credit. Real programs vary in order, pacing, and prerequisites by school, use this to get a rough sense of the arc, not to plan actual registration.
- ✓Human Anatomy & Physiology
- +General education requirement
- ✓Biomechanics
- +General education requirement
- ✓Exercise Physiology
- +General education requirement
- ✓Physics (often required)
- +Free elective
- ✓Statistics
- +Free elective
- ✓Neuroscience Fundamentals
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Medical Terminology
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Clinical Observation Hours
- +Capstone, thesis, or culminating project (common in many programs)
Skills you'll build
This major might be a good fit if you...
- ★Interested in movement, biomechanics, and rehabilitation
- ★Enjoys hands-on, people-facing work
- ★Willing to commit to a long pre-professional and graduate pathway
- ★Comfortable with physically and academically demanding coursework
Common minors & double-major pairings
Kinesiology · Biology · Psychology
Roles this major could lead to
Factual, day-to-day descriptions from our Career Role Encyclopedia, not a guarantee this major leads to any specific job.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional) major?
Helping people recover movement, strength, and function.
What courses do Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional) majors take?
Typical coursework includes classes like Human Anatomy & Physiology, Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology, among others, see the full course list above for this major's typical lineup.
What skills do you build in a Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional) program?
Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional) coursework typically builds skills like Strong foundation in anatomy and biomechanics, Understanding of movement and rehabilitation principles, Patient communication and motivation, Scientific literacy and lab technique.
Is Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional) a good major for me?
It tends to be a good fit if signals like "Interested in movement, biomechanics, and rehabilitation" or "Enjoys hands-on, people-facing work" describe you. See the full "good fit if you..." list above for more.
What can you do with a Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional) degree?
Majors in this field often go on to roles like Physical Therapist. See our Career Role Encyclopedia for more, a major shapes what you study, not a guarantee of any specific job.
What other majors pair well with Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional)?
Common minor or double-major pairings include Kinesiology, Biology, Psychology.
How is Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional) different from Kinesiology & Exercise Science?
They're related but distinct. Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional): Helping people recover movement, strength, and function. Kinesiology & Exercise Science: The science of human movement, fitness, and physical performance. Use the compare tool to see courses and skills side by side.
How long does it take to earn a Physical Therapy (Pre-Professional) degree?
Most bachelor's degrees, including this one, are designed to be completed in about four years of full-time study. Exact timing depends on your school, course load, transfer credit, and any changes of major along the way.
Printed from majoratlas.com/majors/physical-therapy-pathway