The Physical Therapy program at the University of New Mexico is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (505) 272-5479 or email HSC-UNMPTProgram@salud.unm.edu
(CAPTE)
3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22305
Phone: 703-706-3245
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Website: www.capteonline.org.
Accreditation through this national professional organization ensures that our graduates become highly skilled Doctors of Physical Therapy, who are recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice.
Thank you for your interest in the University of New Mexico Physical Therapy Program.
We are located at the UNM Health Sciences Center campus, between the towering Sandia Mountains to the east and the Rio Grande Valley to the west. Northern New Mexico is high desert (Albuquerque sits at 5,000 ft above sea level), offering wonderful weather throughout the year. It is one of the only places in the world where one can ski in the mountains in the morning and bike in shorts in the valley the same afternoon. It is truly a special place for outdoor enthusiasts.
We are committed to student centered learning and have many non-traditional ways of learning, including: a faculty led 2-week clinical experience abroad; a rehabilitation, exercise and community health (REACH) service learning lab were students can obtain real world clinical experience beginning the first semester of the program; and simulated patient labs to address clinical skill development in a realistic setting. In addition, we offer full anatomy dissection in our state of the art gross anatomy laboratory.
Other highlights of our program include a motion analysis lab that we use for teaching, research and clinical gait analysis. Our research endeavors have grown considerably over the last few years, with active collaborations within exercise physiology, athletic training, and engineering. Additionally, we are involved with the North campus fitness center where students are paired with PT faculty on select Friday afternoons to develop custom fitness programs for UNM employees.
All in all, we are striving to provide creative ways to prepare students for the ever-evolving profession of physical therapy.
We are proud of our program and invite you to explore our website with updated news and events, attend an advisement session and contact our student success specialist Victoria Garcia or our Director of Admissions, Dr. Jodi Schilz, with any questions.
Beth Moody Jones, PT, DPT, EdD
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
Professor & Division Chief
It is highly recommended that students interested in the UNM Physical Therapy Program attend a formal group advisement session to obtain the latest information about our program. These hour-long advisement sessions are held from March through September to provide an opportunity for students to gather important information about the admissions process. All times listed are MST.
Please register for these advisements sessions by emailing HSC-UNMPTProgram@salud.unm.edu.
Any additional questions can be answered by our Director of Admissions, Dr. Jodi Schilz at jschilz@salud.unm.edu or (505) 925-4218.
Date |
Day and Time |
April 6 Zoom |
Tuesday, 12:00 PM |
April 28 Zoom |
Wednesday, 5:00 PM |
May 18 Zoom |
Tuesday, 5:00 PM |
May 31 Zoom |
Thursday, 12:00 pm |
June 15 Zoom |
Tuesday, 3:00 PM |
June 30 Zoom |
Wednesday, 12:00 PM |
July 7 Zoom |
Wednesday, 5:00 PM |
July 22 Zoom |
Thursday, 1:00 PM |
August 10 Zoom |
Tuesday, 9:00 AM |
August 25 Zoom |
Wednesday, 3:00 PM |
September 7 Zoom |
Tuesday, 12:00 PM |
Group advisement session and our website will answer 99% of your questions, any additional questions can be answered by:
Preview the Advisement Session Slides
For general information regarding physical therapy as a profession, and about other PT schools, visit the American Physical Therapy Association web site or visit the PTCAS web site.
Thank you for your interest in the UNM DPT Program. If you have questions about our program please attend one of our advisement sessions (see schedule on Advisement tab).
If you applied during the 2020-2021 application cycle and want feedback on your application, please email HSC-UNMPTProgram@salud.unm.edu in April to make an appointment to speak with the Director of Admissions.
Thank you and stay safe,
Admissions Committee
Application changes for the 2021-2022 cycle:
Applications must be completed in PTCAS by October 1st.
Students are admitted once a year with classes beginning in August. We will notify applicants of admissions selections by March 1.
Although the majority of our students are residents of New Mexico, residents of other states are invited to apply. Residents of Alaska, Hawaii, and Wyoming are eligible to apply to our program under the Professional Student Exchange Program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Please verify that your state is participating in WICHE the year in which you are applying. Students who complete the WICHE application process in their home state prior to the WICHE submission deadline and get certified as eligible for WICHE will be considered as in-state residents for admissions purposes. If you are admitted to the program as WICHE, you must complete the program and fulfill your WICHE contract. For more information on WICHE, please visit their website at www.wiche.edu.
Female/male: 17/14
GRE verbal (mean): 63
GRE quantitative (mean): 47
Prerequisite GPA (mean): 3.79
Cumulative GPA (mean): 3.74
Instate/WICHE/Out of State: 24/0/7
Requirements for a complete application include all of the following:
We rank your prerequisite GPA heavily in the application process. In order to facilitate the highest GPA possible, we recommend you do the following when selecting your prerequisite courses:
Psychology (3 credits): You must have one upper level psychology class. For a complete list of classes that are accepted please visit the UNM PTCAS directory page under course prerequisites
Not accepted: Sports Psychology or Psychology of Human Sexuality.
Statistics (3 credits): Must be a standalone statistics class (not just part of a research class).
Anatomy & Physiology I (4 credits): Lecture and lab is required to total 4 credits. Class must include structure and function of the HUMAN body and organization/integration of systems. Must be taken within the last 5 years.
Anatomy & Physiology II (4 credits): Lecture and lab is required to total 4 credits. Class must include structure and function of the HUMAN body and organization/integration of systems. Must be taken within the last 5 years.
Chemistry I (4 credits): Lecture and lab required to total 4 credits.
Chemistry II (4 credits): Lecture and lab required to total 4 credits.
Physics I (4 credits): Lecture and lab required to total 4 credits.
Physics II (4 credits): Lecture and lab required to total 4 credits.
If you are unsure of how many prerequisite courses you have completed: Complete this prerequisites worksheet and send it to HSC-UNMPTrogram@salud.unm.edu along with copies of your transcripts. We will be happy to review the classes you have selected as your prerequisites and confirm/deny if they qualify.
The University of New Mexico PT Program understands that 2020 was a difficult time for everyone and that several parts of the application process were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to helping future applicants by altering our admissions process to reduce the burdens on future candidates.
Do I need to perform an academic update in PTCAS?
There are many qualities that make up a competitive candidate and although it is difficult to paint a picture of someone guaranteed to get in, here are some guidelines:
The application process works in 2 parts. The first part is to present an application that aims for the best in your GPA’s, test scores, essays, and all other PTCAS application requirements so that you are considered a top applicant and granted an interview.
The interview is the second part which if granted, gives you the opportunity to let the panelists know who you are, why you want to be a PT, how you would contribute to the field, and how you will overcome obstacles to succeed once admitted. This second portion gives us the opportunity to see the whole picture.
It is important to note that the UNM DPT program is 3 years full time, with classes and clinical experiences taking place in the spring, summer, and fall semesters- it is pretty much 8-5 Monday-Friday with some weekends and many evenings required for REACH Lab and other projects. The content is compounding and rigorous even for experienced students so it is very important to have a clear plan when entering the program.
We have drafted a PDF which estimates the costs of the program. Please note that these are estimated costs and actual expenses will vary:
Division of Physical Therapy
MSC09 5230
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Phone: 505-272-5479
Fax: 505-925-1143