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Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

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The Doctor of Physical Therapy prepares generalist practitioners for the assumption of professional roles consistent with contemporary physical therapy practice in the United States. The program's goals are to:

• graduate scholarly practitioners who have sound clinical decision-making skills and are well prepared for general practice;
• nurture self-responsibility, active learning, intellectual curiosity, and self-efficacy in lifelong learning;
• prepare students for the various professional roles of the physical therapist practitioner (e.g., clinician, manager, educator, advocate, researcher, consultant); and
• produce well-informed ethical decision makers who embrace cultural diversity and aspire toward service to others and contributions to broader social welfare.

The Physical Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

Admission Requirements

Students enter the three-year, full-time-only graduate program in the fall semester. Class size is limited. Students seeking early consideration should submit a complete Physical Therapy application to the Graduate Admissions Office by December 15, 2004. Subsequent application deadlines are February 16 and April 15, 2005. Applications may be submitted after April 15, 2005, and will be considered on a case-by-case basis until the class is filled. Application materials are available on the University Web site or from the Graduate Admissions Office. A complete application includes:

• the University application form for the Physical Therapy program;
• an autobiographical essay, as described in the application packet, that outlines the student's interest in physical therapy and educational and career goals;
• official transcripts for all college and university coursework;
• verification of completion of 40 hours of clinical observation or work in a physical therapy setting under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist;
• two letters of recommendation (using the form provided in the application packet) from faculty, academic advisors, or employers addressing the applicant's ability, motivation, and interest in pursuing graduate studies in Physical Therapy; and
• scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

The Physical Therapy program's Admissions Committee reviews all applications. Initial evaluation of applicants includes assessment of overall GPA, prerequisite science and math GPA, GRE scores, applicant's written statement, community activities, and recommendations.

Special consideration is given to current Marymount students who have completed at least two full-time semesters at Marymount prior to applying, Marymount University graduates, current James Madison University students who qualify for the Marymount University/James Madison University articulation, and persons from minority groups that are underrepresented in the profession.

Applicants are selected based upon their qualifications and potential to contribute to the profession and their community, and who represent a broad diversity of backgrounds. Applicants are invited to campus to participate in Interview Day. Interview Day consists of a personal interview, group activity, and facility tour. Please call the Office of Graduate Admissions to determine the dates of Interview Day for the upcoming year. Applicants who are unable to participate in Interview Day will be scheduled for an individual interview at the convenience of both the applicant and the program. Admission decisions are announced to applicants within 30 days following their scheduled interview. All accepted students must confirm acceptance within three weeks of notification.

Admission Eligibility

1. Bachelor's degree
   Except for students enrolled in an approved undergraduate/graduate articulation (Pre-Physical Therapy) program, applicants to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program must have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university prior to entry into the Physical Therapy program.
2. Prerequisite Coursework
   The following prerequisite courses, or their equivalent, must be completed with a grade of C or better (C- is not acceptable) prior to beginning the Physical Therapy program. No more than 12 credits from this group of courses may remain incomplete at the time of application to the program. For those students admitted to the program, final transcripts for these courses (if applicable) must be submitted to the PT office by mid-August.
   • CHM 151-152 Principles of Chemistry I & II
   • BIO 151-152 General Biology I & II
   • BIO 161-162 Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II
   • PHYS 171-172 General Physics I & II
   • College-level Math and MA 132 Statistical Analysis
   • PSY 101 General Psychology
   • Psychology elective
3. International Students
   In addition to meeting all admission requirements of the graduate program, all degree applicants for whom English is a second language are required to have a minimum score of 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary institution where the language of instruction is English are exempt from this requirement.

Other Requirements

• A 2.85 or higher cumulative GPA for all college and university coursework;
• A 2.85 or higher cumulative GPA for all prerequisite science or math coursework; and
• Completion of 40 hours of observation or volunteer service work in a physical therapy clinical setting, verified by a physical therapist from the clinical setting. These hours may be completed at more than one clinical facility. These hours must be completed before the application deadline.

Provisional Admission Policy

An applicant who does not fully meet Physical Therapy admission requirements may be admitted as a provisional student. Candidates for provisional admission are evaluated by the Department of Physical Therapy, and documents supporting a request for provisional admission are forwarded to the dean for approval. Provisional students must complete the first semester of graduate study with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Failure to meet this condition will result in dismissal from the program. After successful completion of the first semester of the Physical Therapy program, the provisional student will be moved to active status.

Degree Requirements

Successful completion of all required courses (95 credits), including clinical practicum:

• HPR 525 Advanced Exercise Physiology
• PT 700 Clinical Neuroscience
• PT 701 Applied Pathophysiology
• PT 702 Health Care Delivery and Contemporary Society
• PT 710 Gross Anatomy
• PT 711 Foundations of Physical Therapy Examination, Evaluation, and Diagnosis
• PT 712 Critical Assessment of Information
• PT 720 Evaluation and Management of Patients with Peripheral Musculoskeletal Disorders
• PT 721 Evaluation and Management of Patients with Spinal Musculoskeletal Disorders
• PT 722 Physical Agents and Electrotherapeutics
• PT 723 Research Principles and Design
• PT 730 Evaluation and Management of Patients in Acute Care
• PT 731 Clinical Application of Physical Therapy Management of Patients in Acute Care
• PT 732 The Physical Therapist as a Manager
• PT 733 Evidence-Based Clinical Practice
• PT 734 Thesis Seminar I
• PT 740 Evaluation and Management of Patients with Neurological Disorders
• PT 741 Clinical Application of Physical Therapy Management of Patients with Neurological Disorders
• PT 743 Thesis Seminar II
• PT 742 Special Populations in Physical Therapy
• PT 750 Sport Physical Therapy
• PT 751 Geriatric Physical Therapy
• PT 752 Neurological Physical Therapy
• PT 753 Pediatric Physical Therapy
• PT 754 Capstone Seminar
• PT 800-802 Clinical Practicum I-III
• PT 803 Clinical Case Reports

The Thesis

All candidates are required to complete a written thesis as part of a small-group research project that spans the three-year curriculum and culminates in a professional presentation of the scientific findings during the final semester of the program.

The Comprehensive Examination

Each student must pass a comprehensive written examination after completion of all coursework. All Physical Therapy program faculty members contribute questions to the exam.

Academic Progression Requirements

In addition to meeting University academic standards for graduate students, Physical Therapy students MUST successfully complete all required PT courses with a grade of C or better. A grade of C- or below indicates unsatisfactory performance. When a course grade is unsatisfactory, the student MUST repeat the course (or a comparable course approved by the department chair) and receive a grade of B or better. Upon receiving an unsatisfactory final grade in any PT course, the student should immediately contact the PT department chair to examine remediation/continuation options. Students can be dismissed from the PT program if they demonstrate unsatisfactory performance in three or more required PT courses.