Graduate Admissions Requirements

  • An application for admission. Students applying to Health Administration should apply directly through Duquesne University (please see the main Health Sciences page). Applications to the Duquesne-China Health Institute are by invitation only. Students applying to Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy must apply through centralized application services. Please see the Health Sciences page for directions to those application sites.
  • Official transcripts of all previous college work. For Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy applicants, these transcripts should be submitted directly to the centralized application.
  • Three letters of recommendation. For Physical and Occupational Therapy, guidelines for recommendation letters including acceptable and unacceptable sources are defined in and should be submitted directly to the centralized application. Not required for Duquesne-China Health Institute applications. For Biomedical Engineering, only two letters from academic professional mentors are required.
  • Physical Therapy applicants must submit documentation of 100 hours of volunteer, paid or shadowing hours with a licensed PT. Volunteering/shadowing must be evenly divided between two different areas of physical therapy practice. Occupational Therapy applicants will be required to provide documentation of a minimum of 40 shadowing hours directly with a registered and licensed occupational therapist.
  • Documentation of Basic Life Support Certification.
  • An Essay/Goal Statement.
  • Health Administration applicants must provide a resume or curriculum vitae. 
  • International students must submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo scores.

Rehabilitation Science Ph.D. requirements

Applicant Eligibility (subject to discretion of Program Director)

  • An entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy degree or a master's degree in athletic training, occupational therapy, physical therapy or related field.
  • Recommended to have a license to practice physical therapy, athletic training or respective discipline (e.g. Occupational Therapy; Physician Assistant) in Pennsylvania or be eligible for a license to practice in Pennsylvania
  • Two years of professional experience.

Additional Requirements (Rehab Science)

  • Prospective students must identify a faculty member within the department of Athletic Training or Physical Therapy whom they wish to server as their Faculty Advisor.
  • Three letters of recommendation detailing your qualifications to enter advanced graduate education, qualifications as a clinician and your abilities/potential for research.
  • A minimum combined score of 297 on the Quantitative and Verbal sections of the GRE.
  • Official copies of all undergraduate and graduate college transcripts sent directly from the institution(s) to Duquesne University.
  • If English is a foreign language for the applicant, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required, and the student must meet all published RSHS English Language Proficiency Policies including a minimum score of 90 on the TOEFL iBT and a Speaking subtest score of at least 24. The iBT must have been taken within one year of application.

All RSHS students will be expected to perform certain physical, mental, and emotional tasks in order to complete graduation and professional requirements as measured by state and national certification, licensure and registration processes. Information about these performance indicators can be found on the Health Sciences site. This information is also available to students in the RSHS Academic Student Handbook.