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Physical Therapy (DPT)

See: 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 5313Foundational Sciences 1

3
DPT 5514Professional Topics I

5
DPT 5323Foundational Sciences II

3
DPT 5524Professional Topics 2

5
DPT 5511Physical Therapy Reasoning 1

5
DPT 5312Patient/Client Management 1

3
DPT 5521Physical Therapy Reasoning 2

5
DPT 5322Patient/Client Management 2

3
DPT 5115Professional Critical Self-Reflection 1

1
Total Credit Hours:33

Year 2

DPT 6115Professional Critical Self-Reflection 2

1
DPT 6311Physical Therapy Reasoning 3

3
DPT 6212Patient/Client Management 3

2
DPT 6313Foundational Sciences 3

3
DPT 6314Professional Topics III

3
DPT 6119Capstone I

1
DPT 6318Professional Practice Education I

3
DPT 6521Physical Therapy Reasoning 4

5
DPT 6322Patient/Client Management 4

3
DPT 6523Foundational Sciences IV

5
DPT 6524Professional Topics 4

5
Total Credit Hours:34

Year 3

DPT 7511Physical Therapy Reasoning 5

5
DPT 7312Patient/Client Management 5

3
DPT 7513Foundational Sciences V

5
DPT 7514Professional Topics 5

5
DPT 7321Physical Therapy Reasoning 6

3
DPT 7222Patient Client Management IV

2
DPT 7323Foundational Sciences IV

3
DPT 7224Professional Topics

2
DPT 7428Professional Practice Education II

4
DPT 7115Professional Critical Self-Reflection 3

1
DPT 7119Capstone II

1
Total Credit Hours:34

Year 4

DPT 8115Professional Critical Self-Reflection 4

1
DPT 8119Capstone III

1
DPT 8728Professional Practice Education 4

7
DPT 8818Professional Practice Education III

8
Total Credit Hours:17