In an effort to simplify the application process for prospective physical therapist (PT) students and to facilitate the admissions process for professional PT educational programs, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) first launched the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) on August 1, 2008. PTCAS allows PT applicants to use a single web-based application and 1 set of materials to apply to multiple PT programs. PTCAS is a service of the American Physical Therapy Association and is administered by Liaison International, an education information technology company located in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Applicants who apply through PTCAS submit a completed web-based application comprised of biographical data, institutions attended, academic course history, physical therapy observation hours, list of reference providers, work experiences, extracurricular activities, honors, professional licenses, and a personal essay. It is the applicant’s responsibility to read and follow all PTCAS and program-specific instructions.