Doctor of Physical Therapy
The Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program consists of 104 credit hours over 29 months (7 semesters) including 34 weeks of professional practice education. The entry-level DPT program uses problem-based learning (PBL), a rigorous, highly structured teaching methodology that 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 plan includes five main threads: Professional Reflection, Physical Therapy Reasoning, Patient/Client Management, Foundational Sciences, and Professional Topics. Professional Practice opportunities are integrated throughout the curriculum.
Admission Requirements
— Earned bachelor’s degree (minimum of 120 credit hours)
— A recommended GPA of over 3.0 and a prerequisite GPA of 2.9 or above are required.
— GRE score of 150 for each component (quantitative and verbal) is strongly 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)
All students must apply for admission to the entry-level DPT program using the PTCAS® online process between July 1 and January 15 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 interview at their own expense. 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—2 semesters
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
Developmental, Lifespan or Abnormal Psychology
* can be substituted by Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab—2 semesters