What should I get my BS in?

[Meadows22]

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I have my Associates degree and I am in a cross roads on what to do for my BS. I want to become a DPT, theres absolutly no question about that. I was originally going to get my BS in exercise science from FSU but I found out that I am moving to Germany for three years. UMUC is the only college I can go to know and the best they have is a minor in Biology. I am thinking about getting my BS in Psychology and minor in Biology. So I guess my question is, does it really matter what your BS is in if you are applying for a DPT program?

 

[RizDPT]

I have my Associates degree and I am in a cross roads on what to do for my BS. I want to become a DPT, theres absolutly no question about that. I was originally going to get my BS in exercise science from FSU but I found out that I am moving to Germany for three years. UMUC is the only college I can go to know and the best they have is a minor in Biology. I am thinking about getting my BS in Psychology and minor in Biology. So I guess my question is, does it really matter what your BS is in if you are applying for a DPT program?

It really doesn't matter what you get your Bachelor's in. My suggestion, choose something easy like Psychology to beef up your Cumulative GPA.

 

[djb051]

You can get your bachelor's degree in anything and be able to apply for PT school.
I would imagine though that most people who apply to pt school have their bachelor's in exercise science, kinesiology, or biology.

If it were me, I would major in one of those three, if they have any of them. If so, it might better prepare you for pt school. The prerequisites will also be sufficient in preparing you, but majoring in one of those might make you more familiar with medical terminology or something like that.

if they do not have one of those three majors, I would major in something as closely related as possible and not have a minor. I do not think it will make a difference whether you have a minor or not in a related field as long as you get good grades in your actual major and in the prerequisites. Not having the minor will also allow you to have more time to do extracurriculars, volunteer work, ect... to make you a more rounded applicant.

If they do not offer any majors that are more related, you can get your degree in anything. You could even get your degree in theater or dance if you wanted to, and you would still be able to apply for any pt schools. Good luck!

 

[thekman]

So I guess my question is, does it really matter what your BS is in if you are applying for a DPT program?

The short answer is that it does not matter what your major is when applying to DPT programs. I would suggest tailoring your undergraduate elective coursework toward fulfilling your target schools' prerequisites.

In terms of actual PT school performance, friends have said (obviously anecdotally) that non-science majors and career-changers tend to lag behind during the first year. Of those friends, a few have said that a strong grasp of anatomy correlates with early DPT school success. Everyone I've talked to said that things tend to equalize during the rest of school, depending on effort and intelligence. Good luck and enjoy this process!