For academic and program requirements, please contact the Office of the Dean at (412) 396-6652.

Admissions Policies

Please note that admissions policies are subject to change at the discretion of the RSHS and the Office of Admissions. Students will only be considered for admission into one specific program; students are not able to apply to the RSHS as undecided.

New Students

All new incoming freshmen (any student who has not begun taking courses at the college or university level) should contact the Office of Admissions for application information.  Undergraduate students who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree are considered transfer students.  Any student seeking to transfer into the RSHS from another school at Duquesne University and any student within the RSHS who seeks to transfer from one program to another within the RSHS itself is considered an internal transfer student and should visit the school page for instructions on how to apply.  Any student who is not currently enrolled at Duquesne University should contact the Office of Admissions for application information. 

Students who have earned a bachelor's degree applying as a Post-Baccalaureate or Graduate student should contact the school to insure that they complete the proper application.  All students applying to the Master of Health Administration degree should submit their application through Duquesne University.  All students applying for the Occupational Therapy Masters of Science and Doctorate Degree and Doctorate of Physical Therapy should submit their application through the appropriate online centralized application service before completing a supplemental application through Duquesne University.  

Students with Disabilities

All students seeking admission to the RSHS will be expected to perform certain physical, mental and emotional tasks, with or without accommodation as defined by the RSHS Performance Indicators/Technical Standards in order to complete graduation and professional/accredited requirements as measured by state and national certification, licensure and registration processes.

Students with disabilities must notify the Office of Freshman Development and Special Student Services if accommodations are needed to complete academic and professional/accredited performance requirements or skills. Modification of requirements will be in compliance with ADA standards, RSHS Performance Indicators/Technical Standards, and discipline-specific accommodation standards.

Waitlist Process

Once spaces have been filled in a particular program, qualified students may be selected for placement on a waitlist in the event that spaces do become available at a later date. Should students accept a waitlist position, they should complete any required course work, continue to update their file with any additional transcripts or other materials, and apply for financial assistance in the event they will later be offered a seat. Waitlisted students may be contacted as late as the start of the academic year. Waitlisted students who are not offered seats for the current academic year will be notified after the start of classes to provide them an opportunity to reactivate their applications for another year. Programs may or may not utilize a waitlist in a given year.

Changes in Admissions/Enrollment Status

An offer of acceptance into a particular RSHS program (i.e., Athletic Training); class level (i.e., as a third year student); or academic semester (i.e., Fall 2021) is only valid for that respective program, class level or academic semester.

Students who are granted approval to change programs, class levels or academic years must meet the academic and program requirements dictated by their new status. Student who are granted a change in class level after matriculation will not be able to request any subsequent change in class level.

Admission of Freshmen

Admissions Deadlines for Freshmen

All applications to the Physician Assistant Studies programs must be completed and postmarked by December 1. This is the only deadline for this program.

Applications to all other programs must be completed and postmarked by May 1.

Note: After May 1, programs will stop reviewing applications when all seats in the program are filled.

Admissions Criteria for Freshmen

Freshmen admissions will be on a selective basis. Prospective freshmen should have graduated from an approved secondary school and demonstrated exemplary personal conduct in that institution. Applicants who have not completed four years of high school must submit a High School Equivalency Diploma issued by their state department of education. Applications should be sent to the Office of Admissions.

Candidates should have:

  1. Seven units of math and science, including Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry and Pre-Calculus (with Calculus recommended for Physical Therapy, but not required for other programs) and General Science, Biology and Chemistry (with Physics or advanced sciences strongly recommended). All RSHS programs have an intensive science component; students who feel they do not have a strong background in Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry should seriously consider taking college preparatory courses, particularly in College Algebra or Pre-Calculus.
  2. A recommended QPA of at least 2.75.  Athletic Training, Biomedical Engineering, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies and Speech-Language Pathology candidates must have a QPA of at least a 3.0.
  3. A recommended SAT score of at least 1180 (between the math and critical reading sections) or a recommended composite ACT score of at least 24. Questions about test-optional admissions should be directed to the Office of Admissions.

Volunteer experience in the field to which they are applying is not required for the admission of freshman applicants, but it is highly recommended, excluding Physical Therapy, which requires 40 hours of volunteer experience by the start of the Fall Semester of their Freshman year.  Please note that once enrolled, students in the Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs are required to participate in shadowing and/or volunteer experiences prior to entering the professional/accredited phase of their respective program.

Credit by Examination/Challenge Examinations

Credit by examination/challenge examinations are examinations for recognition of proficiency and credit in a subject area. These examinations are available only to currently enrolled students who by previous experience or exposure have acquired mastery of the subject matter. The examinations should be taken at least one semester prior to the semester in which the student is expected to take the course.

Some departments do not offer courses through credit by examination. Under no circumstances may any clinical education course be taken through credit by examination. Each department will determine which, if any, courses can be challenged and will administer its own examinations.

Students who are interested in taking a challenge examination must contact either the professor for that course or the Department Chair at least one semester prior to the semester in which the course is offered. A passing grade will be determined by the Department Chair.

Applications for credit by examination may be obtained from the Office of the University Registrar. A per credit fee will be charged at time of application. Advanced standing credits will be awarded for successful completion of these exams.

University-Level Courses Taken While in High School

University-level courses taken while in high school will be evaluated for credit if the following criteria have been met:

  1. The courses are recorded on an official transcript from an accredited institution of higher education.
  2. The grades are “C” or better.

The individual program makes a determination whether or not transfer credits will be awarded.

Admission of Transfer Candidates

Admissions Deadlines

All applications to the Athletic Training, Health Administration, Health Sciences, Public Health and Speech-Language Pathology programs must be completed and postmarked by December 15 for spring admission and July 1 for fall admission. Transfer applications to the Physical Therapy program must be completed and postmarked by December 15 for spring admission and May 1 for fall admission. 

Students may be considered for transfer into any of the programs listed above at any level, based upon their credentials, courses completed at other institutions, courses yet to be completed prior to entry into the professional/accredited phase, and space availability in the desired program.

Prospective internal transfer, transfer and second degree candidates should carefully investigate the financial implications of entering any RSHS program.

All candidates must be able to meet the RSHS Performance Indicators/Technical Standards upon admission to the program.

Admissions Criteria

In order for applications to be considered complete, all applicants must submit/have the following by the application deadline:

  1. The application form - please visit duq.edu/health-sciences for the correct application form.
  2. A minimum cumulative QPA of at least a 2.75 for Athletic Training (with "B" or better grades in all science and required Athletic Training courses) and Health Administration, Health Sciences and Public Health; a minimum cumulative QPA of at least a 3.0 for Biomedical Engineering, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, and Speech-Language Pathology; a minimum cumulative QPA of at least a 3.0 for Physical Therapy with a QPA of 3.0 in the following prerequisite courses: Biology I & II with labs, Chemistry I & II with labs, Physics I & II with labs, Introduction to Biostatistics, and Introduction to Psychology; and a “C” or better in all courses.
  3. All candidates must be able to meet the RSHS Performance Indicators/Technical Standards with or without accommodation upon admission into the program.

Readmission

Students who voluntarily withdraw from the University must apply for readmission through the Office of Admissions regardless of the time interval involved since withdrawal. Similarly, students who do not enroll at the University for two consecutive academic terms that are required for their RSHS program also must apply for readmission through the Office of Admissions. Students who are no longer enrolled, but graduated from Duquesne University, and are interested in another undergraduate program at Duquesne must apply as a second degree student through the Office of Admissions.

Former RSHS students who have been dismissed because of academic difficulties or violations of professional conduct cannot apply for readmission into the same academic program. These students must contact the intended Department Chair before submitting an application for readmission. Prior to being readmitted, all outstanding financial and/or judiciary issues must be resolved.