Physical Therapy (DPT)

College/School: School of Physical Therapy

Program Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education

The Doctor of Physical Therapy consists of 122 credit hours over 33 months (8 semesters or 4 academic years) including 44 weeks of professional practice education. The entry-level DPT program uses problem-based learning (PBL), a rigorous, highly structured teaching methodology which places the student in a position of active responsibility for learning and mastering content. In small groups, the student learns by exploring clinical patient cases. Students work in groups of 7 or 8 with a tutor who facilitates discussion and asks guiding questions to ascertain that students are acquiring and integrating knowledge to the appropriate breadth and depth required of an entry-level physical therapist. The curriculum includes foundational sciences and patient/client management laboratory experiences as well as professional topic seminars which complement and reinforce content learned in PBL sessions.

Admissions

Earned bachelor’s degree (minimum of 120 credit hours)
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
Minimum GRE scores of 300 recommended
A minimum of 50 hours of observation in different physical therapy settings
Completed online Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS®) application: www.ptcas.org
Medical Terminology (or equivalent; to be completed prior to enrollment)
Beginning Spanish for Health Professions (or equivalent; to be completed prior to enrollment)

All students must apply for admission to the entry-level DPT program using the PTCAS® online process between July 1 and December 1 of the previous year. Applicants must have official transcripts from all colleges attended, undergraduate and graduate, 3 letters of recommendation, and documentation of 50 hours of observations of physical therapy practice. After the review of all applications, applicants under consideration for admission will be invited for an on campus interview at their own expenses. Interviews are conducted during the Fall and Spring semesters prior to matriculation.

Completion of the following courses with a grade of “C” or above

Biology—1 semester

Human Anatomy with lab—1 semester *

Human Physiology with lab—1 semester *

Chemistry with Lab—2 semesters

Physics with Lab—2 semesters

Statistics—1 semester

Psychology/Sociology—2 semesters

Introduction to Psychology or equivalent

Human Growth and Development or equivalent

* can be substituted by Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab—2 semesters

Apply to UIW

Application for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program

Curriculum

Year 1

DPT 5511	Physical Therapy Reasoning 1	5
DPT 5312	Patient/Client Management 1	3
DPT 5513	Foundational Sciences 1	5
DPT 5514	Professional Topics I	5
DPT 5521	Physical Therapy Reasoning 2	5
DPT 5322	Patient/Client Management 2	3
DPT 5524	Professional Topics II	5
DPT 5115	Professional Critical Self-Reflection 1	1

Year 2

DPT 6311	Physical Therapy Reasoning 3	3
DPT 6212	Patient/Client Management 3	2
DPT 6313	Foundational Sciences 3	3
DPT 6314	Professional Topics III	3
DPT 6115	Physical Therapy Reasoning 3	1
DPT 6119	Capstone I	1
DPT 6318	Professional Practice Education I	3
DPT 6521	Physical Therapy Reasoning IV	5
DPT 6322	Patient/Client Management 4	3
DPT 6523	Foundational Sciences IV	5
DPT 6524	Professional Topics IV	5

Year 3

DPT 7511	Physical Therapy Reasoning V	5
DPT 7312	Patient/Client Management V	3
DPT 7513	Foundational Sciences V	5
DPT 7514	Professional Topics V	5
DPT 7321	Physical Therapy Reasoning VI	3
DPT 7222	Patient Client Management IV	2
DPT 7323	Foundational Sciences VI	3
DPT 7224	Professional Topics	2
DPT 7428	Professional Practice Education II	4
DPT 7115	Physical Therapy Reasoning5	1
DPT 7119	Capstone II	1

Year 4

DPT 8115	Professional Critical Self-Reflection IV	1
DPT 8119	Capstone III	1
DPT 8728	Professional Practice Education IV	7
DPT 8818	Professional Practice Education III	8