Chair: Dennis W. Fell (434-3575)
Professors: Wall
Associate Professor: Fell
Assistant Professors: Gray, Jefferson, Martin
Instructor: Harrison

Department of Physical Therapy Web Site

Physical Therapists are primarily concerned with providing direct patient care to persons who have disorders of movement, whether caused by injury or disease, to achieve maximum rehabilitation. Physical Therapists have the necessary training to meet the total range of patient care responsibilities involved in preventing disabilities and promoting restoration of function to the physically impaired. Physical Therapists practice in rehabilitation centers, private practices, hospital based and out-patient based centers, home health care, sports medicine centers, and in colleges and universities.

As its mission, “The Department of Physical Therapy is dedicated to the education of physical therapists who will be able to provide the community with the highest levels of professional care while maintaining a commitment to life-long learning and the pursuit of excellence. We are further committed to advancement of knowledge in the profession through research and scholarly activity.”

The Master of Physical Therapy Program is an entry-level Physical Therapy practitioner program which consists of six semesters (93 semester hours as listed below) of full-time didactic and clinical study. The goals and objectives of the program are guided by the criteria and guidelines set forth by the Evaluative Criteria for Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapists (American Physical Therapy Association).

The program begins each year in early June. Application deadline for June entry is January 15th. Additionally, international students must apply to the University’s Office of International Services (including certified translations of transcripts) by October 15th, before making application to the Department of Physical Therapy.

Two categories of students are considered for admission:

Baccalaureate Degree Holders (Category I)

The student must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university including prerequisites listed below for students who hold the baccalaureate degree. They must also meet the minimum requirements for admission.

Or

Advanced Undergraduates (Category II)

The student must have completed a minimum of 96 semester (144 quarter) hours of prerequisite work as stated below for Advanced Undergraduate students and must meet the minimum requirements for admission.

Applicants interested in this category of admission should study the additional information for Advanced Undergraduate Applicants.

Additional Information for Advanced

Undergraduate Applicants:

Applicants who complete 96 semester or 144 quarter hours of prescribed and elective course work for Advanced Undergraduate Applicants and who meet all admission criteria and the terms specified below are eligible for consideration for admission. Students planning to pursue this category of admission must be working toward a major in a discipline of their choice. This will ensure that students who fail to gain admission to the PT program or who elect not to apply will be able to complete an undergraduate degree within a normal time period.

Students planning to pursue Advanced Undergraduate admission must comply with the following:

• Must have completed prerequisites for Advanced Undergraduate applicants including a minimum of 21 semester hours in a major of their choice. Courses must be major course work rather than prerequisites for a major.
  
• Must acknowledge an understanding of the following:

-that they will be officially classified as an undergraduate for the first 12 months of the program but will be taking graduate courses of the program.

-that for the entire two years of the program they will be held to the same standards and policies as students enrolled in the graduate school (see policies of the Graduate School).

-that upon satisfactory completion (minimum GPA of 3.0) in all course work during the first 12 months of the program, the student will be awarded a Bachelor of Pre-Professional Health Science Degree. The student will complete all necessary paperwork for reclassification as a graduate student and will continue through the last 12 months of the program. Upon satisfactory completion of the entire program, the student will receive a Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) degree.

-that tuition will be assessed at the graduate level for the entire six semesters of the professional program.

-that in the first 12 months of the program while classified as an undergraduate student, any financial aid awarded is restricted to the types and amounts for which an undergraduate student is eligible.

-that the academic program for Baccalaureate Degree holders and Advanced Undergraduate students is identical in its entirety.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION FOR ALL APPLICANTS
The applicant must either hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university including prerequisites given below for Category I or must have completed a minimum of 96 semester (144 quarter) hours of prerequisite course work as stated below for Category II applicants. A group of students will be selected for interviews based on evaluation of academic and GRE scores of all applicants. Acceptance into the program will be based on the student’s academic ability and aptitude for a career as a physical therapist. Places will be offered to students after both academic and interview scores are taken into consideration. The candidate is expected to satisfy the following requirements for consideration:

1. Completion of Graduate Record Examination (must have been taken within the last five (5) years.)
   
2. Completion of all prerequisite course work with a minimum 3.0 (A=4.0) overall grade-point average.
   
3. Documented observation or work experience in Physical Therapy under the supervision of a licensed PT: 50 hours minimum.

NOTE: If selected for interview, the applicant must achieve a satisfactory interview score, and if accepted into the program, submit a health form and physical examination which includes required immunizations.

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES ^a
Baccalaureate Degree Holders (Category I) and Advanced Undergraduate Applicants (Category II) must complete these prerequisites:

English Composition (2 courses)
Social Sciences (3 courses; at least two of which must be Psychology)
Statistics
College Physics - with labs (2 semester or 3 quarter sequence)
General Chemistry for science majors - with labs (2 semester or 3 quarter sequence)
General or Cell Biology for science majors - with labs ^b (2 course sequence) 
Microbiology or Infectious Disease
Human Physiology - USA course is BMD 335 or BMD 330

Additional Prerequisites for Advanced Undergraduate Applicants

Fine Arts (History or Appreciation) (1 course)
Literature I & II (World Lit, American Lit, or British Lit)
Oral Communication (Speech) (1 course)
History of Civilization or U.S. History (1 course)
Precalculus Algebra/Trigonometry or Higher Mathematics (1 course)
Computer Science (1 course)
Electives (21 semester hours) ^c

Advanced Undergraduate prerequisites should total at least 96 semester hours.

• For all prerequisite courses, credit older than ten years from the application deadline must be repeated or validated by examination or other appropriate mechanism.
• Botany may not be used to satisfy this prerequisite.
• Electives should be concentrated in a major of the student’s choice.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Core Performance Standards, which are fundamental tasks that must be performed to successfully complete the program, have been outlined and are available upon request from the program.

EXPENSES
Students should be prepared for extra expenses associated with professional studies including books, local travel to and from clinical facilities and for out-of-town travel and living expenses during the 27 weeks of clinical internship during the second year. Special lab fees are assessed for the following courses:

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
Courses (First Professional Year)

Courses (Second Professional Year)

  *Begins in Early August
**Students are required to take only one of these courses.

Descriptions of all Physical Therapy (PT) courses

College of Allied Health Professions