Physical Therapy, D.P.T.

Admission Requirements

1. Complete the university application to be admitted with graduate standing by the deadline of January 15 and complete the PTCAS application by the application deadline November 1 for admission the following summer.
2. Submit to the university and PTCAS results of the General Aptitude Section of the Graduate Record Examination (quantitative, verbal, and analytical), taken within the past 5 years.
3. Provide PTCAS with three letters of recommendation attesting to the potential for success as a physical therapist and/or the scholarly potential of the applicant;
   • At least one letter must be from a physical therapist with whom the applicant had a professional association, and
   • One from a professor for a prerequisite course which the applicant completed.
   • If the applicant previously has been employed, the third letter should be from an employer.
   • If the applicant previously has not been employed, the third letter should be from a physical therapist with whom the applicant had a professional association.
4. Provide documentation of knowledge of physical therapy through a minimum of 100 documented hours of paid or volunteer experience under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist; and
5. Provide a written statement of purpose reflecting the applicant’s commitment to physical therapy.
6. Meet prerequisite requirements

Prerequisites

1. Hold, or be eligible to hold, an acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association or have completed equivalent academic preparation as determined by an appropriate campus authority, by the end of the spring semester prior to admission to the program.
2. Have attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (A=4.0),
3. Have been in good academic, professional, and clinical standing at the last institution and if applicable in the last entry-level physical therapist educational program attended,
4. Successfully have completed the following courses with a minimum of “C” and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 by the end of the fall semester prior to the year of admission to the program. No course may be repeated more than once and no more than 3 prerequisite courses may be repeated. CR/NC grades, correspondence courses, or independent study courses cannot be used for prerequisite requirements. Only 2 classes may be in progress during the fall semester of application and all prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the Fall semester of application.

Retention

1. Maintain a 3.0 or better grade point average in all graduate work completed.
2. Make continuous satisfactory progress toward the degree objective.

Advancement to Candidacy

1. Satisfy the general University requirements for advancement to candidacy. 
2. Obtain classified status. 
3. Have earned a minimum 3.0 grade-point average in all program graduate work as well as a minimum overall 3.0 in all graduate work attempted. 
4. Successfully pass the Year 1 Competency exam. 
5. Complete a minimum of one semester (fall session) of graduate level coursework in the program. 
6. Be enrolled during the term in which advancement to candidacy takes place. 
7. Obtain approval for one’s individual program plan from the Graduate Advisor and then from the Associate Dean of the College of Health and Human Services. 

Qualifying Assessment

1. Successfully complete the Doctoral Project Proposal Paper and Oral Presentation.
2. Earn good standing in the clinical education program (beginner status on Clinical Performance Instrument [CPI] for DPT 781 ).
3. Demonstrate adherence to the essential physical, emotional and professional practice expectations of a physical therapist in the classroom and clinic (entry level on CPI skills 1 and 2 for DPT 781 , acceptable practice in the following:

• DPT 731 - Physical Therapy Principles of Acute Care (2 units)
• DPT 733 - Interventions for Individuals with Musculoskeletal Disorders (4 units)
• DPT 741 - Intervention for Individuals with Neuromuscular Disorders I (3 units)

Requirements for Clinical Coursework

Criminal background check, health insurance, titers and immunizations, medical clearance, malpractice insurance, CPR certification (lifesaving course with lab), and adhering to the department essential functions are required for clinical coursework.

Admittance to Terminal Clinical Internships

Successfully complete Didactic Curriculum

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program is a 116 to 117-unit, three year, full-time cohort program including summer sessions and 18 units of internship.

Core: