DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Chair: Giovanni De Domenico (334)434-3575
Professors: De Domenico, Wall
Assistant Professors: Fell, Gray, Jefferson, Martin
Instructor: Harrison

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, in private practices, in hospital based and out-patient based centers, in home health care, in sports medicine centers, in colleges, and in universities.

The Master of Physical Therapy Program is an entry-level Physical Therapy practitioner program which consists of 6 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).

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

Courses (First Professional Year)
Summer

Fall

Spring

Courses (Second Professional Year)
Summer

Fall

*Begins in Early August

Spring

**Students are required to take only one of these courses.

The program begins each year in early June. Application deadline for June entry is January 15th.

Two categories of students are considered for admission:
Baccalaureate Degree Holders

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

OR

Advanced Undergraduates
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 given on the following page.

Applicants interested in this category of admission should study the additional information for Advanced Undergraduate Applicants given below:

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. Thus, these students will be able to complete the MasterÆs Degree in 5 years from the time he or she entered college. Students planning to pursue this category of admission must be working toward a major in a discipline of his/her 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 listed on the following page including a minimum of 20 semester hours in a major of his/her choice. Courses must be major course work rather than prerequisites for a major.

• Must submit scores of the GRE exam (verbal and quantitative components)

• Must acknowledge an understanding of the following:

- that he/she will be officially classified as an undergraduate for the first 12 months of the program but will be taking graduate courses of the program and will be held to the same standards of performance as Baccalaureate Degree Students enrolled in the program.

- 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 then complete all necessary paperwork for reclassification as a graduate student and will continue on 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 6 semesters of the professional program.

- 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. a minimum GRE score of 1,000 (GRE must have been taken within the last 5 years),

2. completion of all prerequisite course work with a minimum 3.0 (A=4.0) overall grade-point average. Extra weight is given to math and science prerequisites.

3. documented observation or work experience in Physical Therapy under the supervision of a licensed PT: 50 hours minimum.

*Extra credit for science and mathematics courses is awarded for completion of any of the following courses with a grade of B or higher: Organic Chemistry, Anatomy (BMD 311 or higher), Histology, (Micro-anatomy), Medical Microbiology, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, Immunology, Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, and Biomedical Sciences Honors Research Thesis.

NOTE: If selected for interview, the applicant must achieve a satisfactory interview score, and if accepted into the program, complete a health form and physical to include required immunizations.

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES
Prerequisites a  for Applicants Who Hold the Baccalaureate Degree
(Applicants Holding the Baccalaureate Degree at the time of program entry)

General or Cell Biology for Science Majors (with labs)
Microbiology or Infectious Disease
Human Physiology*

*Must be at a 300 level or above

Prerequisites for Advanced Undergraduate Applicants
(Advanced Undergraduate Applicants Holding 96 Semester or 144 Quarter Hours at the time of program entry)

• For all prerequisite courses, credit older than ten years from the application deadline must be repeated or validated by examination or other appropriate mechanism.

• Must be at a level acceptable for Science majors.

• Must be at a 300 level or above.

• Electives should be concentrated in a major of the student's choice.

In selecting a major, students should be aware that for admission purposes, extra credit is awarded for completion of any of the following courses with a grade of B or higher: Organic Chemistry, Anatomy (BMD 311 or higher), Histology, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, Immunology, Biochemistry, Pathophysiology, Medical Microbiology, and Biomedical Sciences Honors Research Thesis.

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 28 weeks of clinical internship during the second year. Special lab fees are assessed for the following courses:

Descriptions of all Physical Therapy (PT) courses

College of Allied Health Professions

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