Physical Therapy, DPT

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The Doctoral’s Degree in Physical Therapy (DPT) is an entry-level graduate degree designed for the student with an undergraduate degree in a field other than physical therapy. The program entails two and a half years of full-time study, including summers.

Learning Outcomes

Provide quality learning experiences that challenge students to become independent life-long learners
Produce competent health care professionals to provide physical therapy services in a multi-faceted and technological society
Encourage students to become critical consumers of and participants in clinically relevant research and scholarly activity
Promote ethical and moral standards as the basis for providing physical therapy services
Prepare the student for continuing study at the graduate level

Process for Entry into Physical Therapy Profession

*Important - The Department of Physical Therapy at Winston Salem State University participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service, known as PTCAS. Applicants applying to the entry-level professional physical therapist program for 2011 entering class can apply online using the PTCAS application. Applicants can begin their PTCAS application immediately. The PT program application deadline is May 14th. Learn more about the PTCAS application process, please visit
the PTCAS web site at www.ptcsa.org.

The following procedures apply to students wishing to pursue a degree through the MPT program and to enter the physical therapy profession:

Application and acceptance for admission to the Graduate School
Application and acceptance for admission to the Physical Therapy Program
Assignment of departmental advisor
Successful completion of curriculum, including clinical internships
Conferring of degree/graduation
Application to sit for national licensure board examination
Passage of national licensure board examination
Entrance into practice

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for acceptance into the Physical Therapy program, the applicant must:

Complete a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
Attain acceptance as a full-time graduate student into the university
Complete prerequisite courses equivalent to the following:

Course	Semester hours
General Psychology (6 additional hours from the following courses required)		3
Pre-approved: Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Sports Psychology, Ethics, Sociology, Cultural Anthropology, Philosophy, Social Psychology.		6

Statistics		3
(Must include topics on common statistical measures, probability, sampling, correlation, t-test, and analysis of variance)

General Chemistry with Lab (2 courses)		6-8
General Physics with Lab (2 courses)		6-8
General Biology with Lab (3-4 hours)		3-4
Upper Level Biology (Must be 300 or 400 level course from a 4 year University)		4
Pre-approved: Exercise Physiology, Genetics, Immunology, Organic Chemistry, Kinesiology, Biochemistry, Cell Physiology, Histology, Embryology, Comparative Anatomy
Anatomy and Physiology (2 courses)		6-8

Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
Attain a minimum score of 800 on the -Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test
Complete a minimum of (50) total observation hours in any physical therapy settings.
100 hours is recommended with exposure to more than one physical therapy setting.
Demonstrate computer literacy, including the ability to use word processing, databases, and the internet

Application Deadline

Applicants to the Master of Physical Therapy program must submit a completed application packet by May 14th of each year for competitive admission to the Program in the late Summer/Fall each year with enrollment beginning each January.

The applicant is responsible for submitting all completed application materials to the Physical Therapy Centralized Application System (PTCAS) by the May 14th deadline. A personal interview may be required for all competitive applicants. (Deadlines are subject to change)

Transfer Credits

Six credit hours will be accepted from non-core clinical courses as approved by the faculty.

Degree Requirements

A total of one hundred (100) credit hours and thirty two (32) weeks of clinical practicum hours are required for completion of the MPT degree.

Time Limits for Completion

The MPT degree may be conferred upon a student who has successfully completed all coursework and clinical internships. Completion of this work is scheduled to occur in August of the third year. The student is eligible to sit for the national licensure board examination immediately upon graduation from the program.