IL · Campus
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL · Accreditation
Application cycle: 2026-2027 · Directory checked 2026-10-29
Application timing
Final Deadline: October 1, 2026 · Rolling admissions: No · Additional timing instructions on the source page.
A past date remains past; no date is advanced to a future year. Confirm whether the program requires submission, completion, or verification by its deadline.
Observation experience
30 minimum hours; licensed PT verification required; 30 hours recommended. Additional program-specific setting, timing, or documentation rules are published; review the linked source.
View observation settings and accepted experience
PT Experience Acceptable Individuals to Observe
| Experience | Policy | Min. hours | Max. hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Therapist (PT) | Required | 30 | 30 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
| Other | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
PT Experience: Type
| Experience | Policy | Min. hours | Max. hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Person | Required | 30 | 30 |
| Virtual/Telehealth | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
| Hybrid In-Person/ Virtual | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
PT Experience: Recognition
| Experience | Policy | Min. hours | Max. hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| Volunteer | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
PT Experience: Setting Inpatient
| Experience | Policy | Min. hours | Max. hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute Care Hospital | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| Nursing Home/ Skilled Nursing Facility/ Extended Care Facility | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| Rehabilitation/ Sub-acute Rehabilitation | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| Other Inpatient Facility | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
PT Experience: Setting Outpatient
| Experience | Policy | Min. hours | Max. hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free-standing PT or Hospital Clinic | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| Home Health | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| Industrial/ Ocupational Health | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| School/ Pre-school | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| Wellness/ Prevention/ Fitness Facility | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
| Other Outpatient Facility | Accepted/Considered | 0 | 30 |
PT Experience: Setting Other
| Experience | Policy | Min. hours | Max. hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attended PT Session as Patient | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
| Attended PT Session w/ Family Member | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
| Observe Non-PT/PTA Healthcare Provider | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
| Special Olympics Volunteer | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
| HOSA: Future Health Professionals PT Competitive Event Participant | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
| Other | Not Accepted | 0 | 0 |
Blank hour limits are unspecified. Narrative conditions may further restrict these categories.
Hours alone do not establish eligibility. Check accepted settings, supervision, verification and completion timing.
GRE
Required
Save program & plan →Tuition and published program costs
NIU's DPT row separates base tuition, differential tuition and general fees; the published all-in per-hour amount is $777.18 domestic or $1,174.57 international.
Rate period: 2026-2027
- These include the general fee and $225 tuition differential. No tuition-only total was reverse-calculated from the bundled rate.
PTCAS COMBINED PROGRAM COST
- In-state
- $77,604
- Out-of-state
- $77,604
Full-program tuition, fees and other program costs combined; not tuition alone or a complete living-cost budget. Reported in cycle 2026-2027; the rate year is not separately specified. Do not substitute this figure for tuition in your budget.
Published prerequisites
Review the official source for minimum grades, outstanding-course limits, substitutions and course recency exceptions.
4 semester credits; Lab: required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
A&P: COMBINED Course (eg. A&P); A&P: Physiology; A&P: SEPARATE courses; A&P: Advanced; A&P: Human
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
4 semester credits; Lab: required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Biology: Advanced; Biology: Cell; Biology: General I; Biology: General; Biology: Microbiology; Biology: Molecular; Biology: Histology; Biology: General II
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
4 semester credits; Lab: required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Biology: Advanced; Biology: General II; Biology: Microbiology; Biology: Molecular
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
4 semester credits; Lab: required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Chemistry: Advanced; Chemistry: Inorganic; Chemistry: Organic
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
4 semester credits; Lab: required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Chemistry: Advanced; Chemistry: Inorganic; Chemistry: Organic; Chemistry: Biochemistry
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
1-3 semester credits; Lab: not required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Medical Terminology
4 semester credits; Lab: required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Physics I
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
4 semester credits; Lab: required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
A&P: COMBINED Course (eg. A&P); A&P: Physiology; A&P: SEPARATE courses; A&P: Advanced
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
3 semester credits; Lab: not required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Psychology: General I; Psychology: General; Psychology: General II
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
3 semester credits; Lab: not applicable; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Social/Behavioral Science: Sociology; Social/Behavioral Science: Community Health; Psychology: Developmental; Psychology: General II; Psychology: Advanced; Psychology: Human Behavior; Psychology: Rehabilitation; Psychology: Abnormal; Psychology: Life Span Development; Psychology: Social
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
3 semester credits; Lab: not required; Level: General or College; Four-year institution required: no.
Accepted course categories
Biology: Biostatistics; Mathematics: Statistics; Psychology: Statistics
Program-specific notes apply; read the prerequisite tab on the official profile.
Accreditation entries linked to this profile
- Northern Illinois University — DeKalb, IL · Accreditation
A shared profile does not establish identical requirements or tuition at every campus. Confirm your intended campus and entry term.
Official sources
PTCAS current-cycle program profile ↗
Institutional prerequisite page linked by PTCAS ↗
CAPTE / APTA accreditation directory ↗
Official institutional source reviewed in tuition follow-up ↗