Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

For details regarding the items below, please review the Admission Application Instructions.

Graduate Admission Application

Applicants may only apply to one program. All documents submitted by you or on your behalf in support of this application for admission to Drexel University become the property of the University, and will under no circumstances be released to you or any other party. Please note, an application fee of $65 U.S. is required.

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Transcripts

Official transcripts must be sent directly to Drexel from all of the colleges and universities that you have attended. Please note that transcripts are required regardless of number of credits taken or if the credits were transferred to another school. An admission decision may be delayed if you do not send transcripts from all colleges and universities that you have attended.

Transcripts must show course-by-course grades and degree conferrals. If your school does not notate degree conferrals on the official transcripts, you must provide copies of any graduate or degree certificates.

If your school issues only one transcript for life, you are required to have a course-by-course evaluation completed by an approved transcript evaluation agency.

Precise, word-for-word English translations of all non-English language documents are required along with official documents in the original language. All translations must be completed by the issuing institution or an ATA-certified translator. Visit the American Translators Association website to search for an ATA-certified translator.

International students: If you have already graduated from your previous institution at the time of your application, please email your graduation certificate(s) attached as PDF or Microsoft Word documents to enroll@drexel.edu. Note: Any international applicant, regardless of program, may be required to provide a transcript evaluation should the Admissions Committee determine it is needed for the application to be reviewed. If your transcripts are selected for a course-by-course evaluation by an external agency, you will be responsible for supplying all necessary documentation and paying all necessary fees to have your transcripts evaluated.

If you have questions regarding what documents you must submit to fulfill the transcript requirements, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions.

International Transcripts

Transcripts must be evaluated by an approved agency for admittance into this program. Drexel University accepts course-by-course transcript evaluations from members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). For a list of member agencies, please visit the NACES website.

Standardized Test Scores

GRE test scores are optional. While not required by the department, students are welcome to submit GRE scores if they believe the scores will help strengthen their application.

Test of English as a Foreign Language

International applicants are required to demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL minimum scores: 90/577/233), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS minimum Overall Band Score: 6.5), the Pearson Test of English (PTE minimum score: 61), or the Duolingo Test (Duolingo minimum score: 110) unless they meet the criteria for a waiver.

Essay

Your essay should address the following points:

• Introduction: Tell us why you want to earn a PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Drexel University. What knowledge and skills do you want to learn? What career path are you planning to pursue with a PhD?
• Research Experience and Interest: What research experience do you have? What is your research area of interest? How did you become interested in this area? Briefly indicate a gap in knowledge in your area of interest that might be addressed in dissertation research.
• Based on having identified and communicated with a potential PhD mentor, how does your area of research interest match the research of one of the PhD faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences at Drexel?

Submit your essay with your application or through the Discover Drexel portal after you submit your application.

Résumé

Upload your résumé as part of your admission application or through the Discover Drexel Portal after you submit your application.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required. Recommendations should include one from a previous supervisor and one from a mentor/advisor.

To electronically request recommendations, you must list your recommenders and their contact information on your application. We advise that you follow up with your recommenders to ensure they received your recommendation request — they may need to check their junk mail folder. Additionally, it is your responsibility to confirm that your recommenders will submit letters by your application deadline and follow up with recommenders who have not completed their recommendations.

Request recommendations with your application or through the Discover Drexel portal after you submit your application.

Alternatively, you may submit your recommendation letters by mail. Letters must include the address, phone number, and signature of the recommender. The recommendation envelope must be submitted unopened to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Interview

The department will contact competitive applicants who have completed applications for an interview.

Academic Experience

Applicants must provide proof that they have earned at least a graduate degree (a master's, DPT, or other advanced degree) from an accredited U.S. college or university, or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. university or college. A degree in physical therapy is not required. Applicants from all health or rehabilitation-related backgrounds (e.g., kinesiology, occupational therapy, exercise science, biomedical or rehabilitation engineering, etc.) are welcomed. Prior research experience is preferred.

Clinical Experience

It is preferred that applicants with clinical degrees (PT, OT, etc.) have two years of relevant clinical experience beyond that required to complete the professional degree.

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