Course Requirements

Four-Year Plan

The following represents only one of many paths students can take to prepare for study to become a physical therapist. (The coursework is based on the University of Iowa’s requirements for admission.) Courses needed work well with a biology major. Graduate programs may vary in their required courses for admission, so be sure to check your preferred school’s requirements.  

Note that students typically take four courses per semester for a total of eight each year. Check the Coe catalog to review all of your options.

First Year

• BIO-145 Cellular and Molecular Biology 
• BIO-140 Introduction to Biology Laboratory
• BIO-155/ -150 Organismal and Ecological Biology and Laboratory
• CHM-101/ -101L General Chemistry I and Laboratory
• PSY-115 Introductory Psychology

Second Year 

• MTH-135 Calculus I 
• CHM-101/ -102L General Chemistry II and Laboratory
• BIO-235/ -230 Genetics and Genetics and Laboratory
• BIO-245/ -240  Integrated Human Anatomy and Laboratory

Third Year

• BIO-370/ -375 Integrated Human Physiology and Laboratory
• PHY-115/-110 Basic Physics I & Laboratory
• PHY-135/-130 Basic Physics II & Laboratory
• STA-100 Statistical Foundations and STA-110 Inferential Statistics

Fourth Year

• PSY-225 Introduction to Biopsychology