Prephysical Therapy Program
Investigate the relationship between exercise, diet and health and prepare for a career helping people live healthy and active lives.
Why Study Prephysical Therapy at Albion?
Our prephysical therapy program will equip you with the academic, clinical and research experience you need to pursue a successful career in the health and fitness professions.
As a prephysical therapy student, you’ll select a major–often biology or exercise science–and follow a complementary curriculum that provides you with the academic and clinical foundation you’ll need to pursue graduate study in a professional school. Along the way, you’ll learn alongside a tight-knit cohort of peers, develop close ties with faculty and advisors and benefit from a broad liberal arts curriculum that prepares you to think critically and creatively when confronted with problems.
What Will You Learn as a Prephysical Therapy Student?
You’ll build on your broad foundation in biology, chemistry, kinesiology and physics with classes in exercise physiology, human anatomy and nutrition.
Our liberal arts core will expose you to diverse perspectives and make you a better communicator and critical thinker. You'll take classes in English, math and psychology that will contextualize your scientific study and ensure you meet the requirements for PT school.
You'll learn by doing, gaining hands-on experience through clinical placements, internships, community engagement and research.
Highlights
Wilson Medical Institute
As a prephysical therapy student at Albion College, you’ll gain immersive clinical, research, and community engagement experience through the Wilson Medical Institute, which prepares students for graduate school and future healthcare careers in physical therapy dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, physician assistant studies, nursing and allied health professions.
Partnerships with Professional Schools
Our preferred admission agreements enable you to pursue graduate study at highly-respected professional programs around the country. Through our partnership with the University of Michigan – Flint, you’ll have guaranteed admission into the Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy (“DPT”) degree program, provided you meet certain admissions requirements.
Job Shadowing and Professional Experience
As a member of the Wilson Medical Institute, you’ll obtain an abundance of observation and volunteering hours prior to applying for graduate programs. Our dedicated staff advisors will provide you with resources and placements to make this process go smoothly and to ensure you get the experience you need.
Human Performance Lab
Gain hands-on experience putting your knowledge into practice in our Human Performance Lab. Learn how to assess the various aspects of health and fitness and then use those skills in the classroom and in research opportunities with our faculty. You will be measuring body composition, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, flexibility and more.
Careers & Outcomes
Students from our prephysical health program go on to pursue graduate school in health professions like physical therapy, nursing and occupational therapy before pursuing careers in the health and fitness fields. Below are examples of some of the professions our students choose, as well as graduate programs our students have recently attended.
Job Titles
- Physical Therapist
- Exercise Physiologist
- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists (CSCS)
- Occupational Therapist
Graduate Schools
- Western Michigan University
- University of Michigan - Flint
- Central Michigan University
- Grand Valley State University
- Oakland University
- Wayne State University