Requirements & Prerequisites
Admission Requirements for Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Program
A student entering Texas Chiropractic College must meet one of the paths listed below. All candidates must hold a degree or completed credits from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or a comparable foreign agency.
Path 1: Must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher
Path 2: Completed 90 semester credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for those 90 hours
Path 3: Completed 90 semester credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 – 2.99 on a 4.0 scale for those 90 hours with a minimum of 24 semester credits in life and physical science.
*Preference will be given to applicants who have successfully completed the recommended prerequisite courses.
**Students should contact the chiropractic licensing board(s) in the state(s) where they plan to practice in order to check for any pre-chiropractic college licensure requirements, such as a Bachelor’s degree, that exceed the above requirements (www.FCLB.org).
Recommended Prerequisite Courses for All Admission Paths:
General Biology, Anatomy, Physiology, General or Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, Biomechanics, and Exercise Physiology are recommended. Corresponding labs for these courses are also recommended.
Coursework in Kinesiology and Exercises Science will be considered upon evaluation of a course description.
A candidate's pre-professional education can be acquired through institutional proficiency examinations such as:
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- Institutional departmental examinations
Credits earned in this manner may NOT be applied to any of the science prerequisites in biology, chemistry or physics. A maximum of 20 credit hours is allowed.
Additional Admission Requirements for Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Program
Candidates must also complete the following:
- Complete application for admission and submit the non-refundable fee of $50.
- Submit official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions.
- A 2-3 page personal essay on why you’ve chosen a chiropractic career and TCC specifically.
- Complete a background check.
- Meet technical standards with or without reasonable accommodations.
- Students under the age of 22 must submit Meningitis immunization records or a Waiver of Conscience (Per Texas State Law).
International Applicants
International prospective students have additional admission requirements to complete their application.
- Have transcripts of course work completed at international colleges or universities, submitted through a U.S. Department of Education approved evaluation service.
- Show evidence of financial resources sufficient to complete at least one full year at Texas Chiropractic College (see TCC's Tuition & Fees).
- Show evidence of English proficiency in reading and writing. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is recommended.
- A minimum score of 79 on the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet Based. We are not accepting TOEFL Paper Based or Computer Based. Minimum scores for specific sections: reading, 21; writing, 18; speaking, 19; listening, 21.
- A minimum score of 8 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Contact the Office Enrollment Services for more information.
Technical Standards for Admission
All applicants/students should possess functional use of the somatic senses, adequate motor capabilities, professional attitudes and behaviors to manage situations in the classroom, laboratory and clinic in which these attributes would be employed, and must be able to integrate data acquired via these abilities sufficient to successfully complete the program.
Accommodation can be made for some disabilities in certain of these areas, but a candidate must meet the essential technical standards in such a way that he or she will be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. The use of a trained intermediary is not acceptable in many clinical situations as it implies that a candidate’s judgment must be mediated by someone else’s power of selection and observation.
The following entries are intended to provide a framework for applicants and students to understand the necessary personal attributes integral to satisfactory performance in chiropractic education:
Observational Skills: Students must be able to observe and hear in the lecture hall, laboratory and clinic setting sufficient that the
student can identify all necessary details, receive and record clinical information, and read and interpret all forms of diagnostic imaging.
Communication Skills: Students must be able to communicate professionally, effectively and sensitively with patients, their families and all members of the health care team. Candidates must show evidence of effective oral and written communication skills in the language of instruction.
Motor Function: Students must be able to perform basic diagnostic procedures (e.g., palpation, auscultation) and possess the strength and coordinated motor movements required to provide standard techniques and procedures associated with a chiropractic education in
a safe and effective manner.
Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, Quantitative Abilities: Students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize. Problem-solving, a critical skill demanded of chiropractors, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In order to complete the requirements for the DC degree, students must be able to demonstrate mastery of these skills and the ability to use them together in a timely fashion in clinical problem solving and patient care.
Behavioral and Social Attributes: Students must possess behavioral and social attributes including compassion, empathy, altruism, integrity, ethics, responsibility, emotional stability, tolerance and the ability to adapt to change. As much of the technical instruction in the programs requires reciprocal application of chiropractic and adjunctive techniques, students must have the ability and willingness to receive chiropractic and adjunctive procedures. The College may temporarily excuse a student from receiving chiropractic and adjunctive procedures provided that there is a specific medical contraindication, as determined in writing by a licensed health care professional.