Doctor of Chiropractic Admissions Requirements

Consistent with its goal to be a renowned and selective Doctor of Chiropractic degree program, Parker University College of Chiropractic seeks to admit those students whose prerequisite coursework, co-curricular and service activities, as well as life and professional experience, have prepared them to successfully complete the program and contribute meaningfully to the well-being of the public and the profession.

While completion of a bachelor’s degree is not a requirement for admission, some states require a bachelor’s degree as a condition of licensure. Parker University offers a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy which eligible students can complete concurrently with the Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Prospective students should familiarize themselves with the licensure requirements of the states in which they intend to practice by visiting www.fclb.org.

In accordance with the requirements of the Council on Chiropractic Education, the minimum standards for admission to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree program include the following.

1. 90 hours of undergraduate level coursework with a minimum 3.0 GPA from an institution accredited by the US Department of Education or an equivalent foreign agency.
2. 24 semester hours of life and physical sciences (within the 90 hours), at least half of these courses with a substantive laboratory component.
   1. Parker requires at least one course in each of the following as part of this 24 hours.
      1. Human Anatomy or Human Anatomy & Physiology
      2. General Chemistry
   2. The remainder of the 24 hour requirement may be satisfied by a combination of courses in the life and physical sciences.  Courses in the following subject areas may be helpful in preparing students to succeed in the Doctor of Chiropractic degree program.
      1. Biomechanics
      2. Kinesiology
      3. Organic Chemistry
      4. Physics
      5. Zoology
      6. Human Biology
      7. Cell Biology
      8. Physiology
      9. Microbiology
3. Courses in the humanities and social sciences (within the 90 hours) that provide a well-rounded general education background.
   1. Parker recommends courses in one or more of the following subjects be among those used to satisfy this prerequisite.
      1. English 101 or 102
      2. Psychology
      3. Communications
      4. Social Sciences
      5. Business
4. Applicants may, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, be required to appear for an interview or pre-admittance examination.
5. Credit must have been completed within 10 years of matriculation, unless the applicant has a health care/sciences degree and has been working in the field).  VPCOC can waive this requirement.
   
   

Alternative Admissions Track Plan

Students who do not meet the minimum standards for admission to the College of Chiropractic, but have at least a 2.75 GPA for 90 hours of acceptable undergraduate coursework, may be eligible for an Alternative Admissions Track Plan (AATP). Such applicants should contact the Office of Admissions for further information. Students admitted as AATP will be provided with individualized academic plans that may include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following: reduced course loads, required tutoring, assigned mentors, and regular progress monitoring. AATP students take the Chiropractic College Aptitude Test (CCAT).

1. Submit an online application: admissions application.
2. It is the students’ responsibility to contact a reputable foreign evaluation services, such as one of the following organizations to request that a foreign transcript review be prepared and mailed directly to Parker University, Office of the Registrar, 2540 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, TX 75229. Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., P.O. Box 92970, Milwaukee, WI 53202-0970. Phone: 414-289-3400. Web: www.ece.org or World Education Services, Inc., P.O. Box 745, Old Chelsea Station, New York, NY 10113-0745. Web: http://www.wes.org
3. Submit an original letter of support from a financial sponsor. Pledging to provide funding to pursue educational goals in the United States. No photocopies or facsimiles accepted. Written on the financial sponsor’s personal or business stationary. Signed by the sponsor. You may sponsor yourself.
4. Submit an original letter of financial ability. Documenting sponsor’s capability to financially support you (This is often called the “bank letter”.) Written and signed by an officer or official of your sponsor’s financial institution on the institution’s letterhead and bearing a current date. No photocopies or facsimiles accepted. Stating the financial sponsor has at least $38,630 available for the student’s financial support (this amount is subject to change – check with your international advisor before submitting).
5. Submit the completed educational experience form. List all colleges and universities that you have attended.
6. Submit a completed financial information form. List all expected financial aid that you are planning to use from your country or any other sources to finance your education at Parker. If dependents are accompanying the student, list them on the financial information form; otherwise, they will not be able to enter the United States.
7. Submit all official transcripts: Submit to Parker University, Registrar’s Office, 2540 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, TX, 75229. It is the student’s responsibility to request that official transcripts be sent from all prior institutions where credits were earned. Official transcripts must be mailed directly to the Registrar’s Office at Parker University. A transcript stamped “Issued to Student” or hand-carried into the Registrar’s Office is not considered to be an official transcript.
8. Provide course descriptions for all science prerequisite courses that were completed at a college or university outside the United States. Descriptions must detail lecture and lab contact hours.
9. Submit official ETS/TOEFL or IELTS scores (Test of English as a Foreign Language) for students whose primary language is not English. Contact ETS/TOEFL at PO Box 6151, Princeton, NJ, 08541-6151, USA. Phone: 800.257.9547. Students must obtain these minimum scores: Paper-Based Test (PBT) – 550; Computer-Based Test (CBT) – 213; Internet-Based Test (IBT – Total score of 79 or above compromised of the following minimums: Reading: 21; Writing: 18; Speaking: 19; Listening: 21. The scores must be submitted directly to Parker University from the ETS/TOEFL office to be considered official. International students holding a bachelor’s degree wholly obtained in the United States can be waived from the TOEFL requirement at the discretion of the international student advisor. Contact IELTS at http://www.ielts.org/default.aspx. Students must obtain a minimum score of 8. The scores must be submitted directly to Parker University from the IELTS office to be considered official.
10. Provide proof of health insurance.

*Policies applicable to foreign students only and do not apply to green card holders.

Parker University College of Chiropractic will consider for admission those applicants who, with or without accommodations, possess the academic, technical and physical qualifications required for successful completion of the Doctor of Chiropractic degree and for the safe and ethical practice of chiropractic. In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Parker University does not discriminate against, and makes accommodations* for individuals with disabilities.

Applicants should realistically consider whether or not they possess the capacity to learn and perform tasks in the areas represented in the technical and physical qualifications, with or without accommodations. If accommodations are needed in order to meet the College’s technical qualifications, the chair of the Admissions Committee will arrange a consultation with the ADA Coordinator , as well as academic leadership within the Doctor of Chiropractic program, to determine whether and how accommodations may be provided without compromising either the student’s acquisition or performance of the functions of a Doctor of Chiropractic or patient care.

Students with disabilities must complete the same scholastic requirements as all other students, including that all students must complete the entire Doctor of Chiropractic curriculum in order to graduate. The College reserves the right to reject requests for accommodations that would fundamentally alter the nature of the Doctor of Chiropractic program, lower the academic standards, cause an undue burden on the College, or endanger the health or safety of other students, clinic patients, or any other member of the College community.

The final determination of whether or not an individual meets the technical and physical qualifications is made by the College.

Parker University College of Chiropractic has established the following technical and physical qualifications for admission to the Doctor of Chiropractic degree program.

• Observation: The candidate must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences. Vision must be sufficient to identify histology, cytology, microbiology and pathology of structures through the use of a microscope. The candidate must be able to observe a patient accurately, and to read all forms of diagnostic imaging.
• Communication: The candidate must be able to speak, to hear and to observe patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal communications. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with all members of the health care team in both oral and written form.
• Motor Coordination/Function: The candidate must possess sufficient motor function to elicit patient information through palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers. Additionally, as the practice of chiropractic generally involves the delivery of manual care, the candidate must possess the strength, coordination and ability to stand and use the torso and all limbs in the performance of common chiropractic techniques.
• Intellectual Abilities: Doctors are required to think critically and solve problems. Thus, candidates for admission must be skilled in measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. In addition, candidates should possess the capacity to visualize and comprehend the three-dimensional and spatial relationships of structures.
• Social and Behavioral Attributes: Candidates must have the emotional health to engage in the academic and clinical program, exercise good judgment, and complete all responsibilities required for the diagnosis and care of patients, including the development of mature, effective and sensitive relationships with patients. Candidates must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively with stress. They must be adaptable to changing environments, and capable of functioning in the face of the uncertainties inherent in clinical decision-making and care. Empathy, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are personal qualities that candidates should possess.

* For purposes of this policy, the term “accommodations” includes reasonable modifications to policies,
practices, and procedures, provision of auxiliary aids and services, and removal of architectural barriers where such removal is readily achievable. All obligations of the College under this policy will be interpreted in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.