Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)
Physical Therapy — Transitional D.P.T. Program
This program prepares generalist practitioners for professional roles consistent with contemporary physical therapy practice in the United States. The program’s goals are to:
The Physical Therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
Admission Requirements and Eligibility: Since the Physical Therapy (PT) program is a three-year, full-time program, applicants have a separate admissions process and a notification of admission status shortly after the required interview. Entry into the program is in the fall semester only. Class size is limited to 25 students. Students should submit a complete Physical Therapy application to the Graduate Admissions Office by December 15.
Applications submitted after December 15 will be considered on a space-available basis.
Applicants need the following:
Application materials are available on the University Web site or from the Graduate Admissions Office. A complete application includes:
The Physical Therapy program’s Admissions Committee reviews all applications. Initial evaluation of applicants includes assessment of overall GPA, prerequisite science and mathematics 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, 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.
After the initial review of an applicant’s preliminary materials, he or she may be invited to participate in an interview, typically a Saturday in late January or early February. Interview Day consists of a personal interview, group activity, and facility tour. Please check the University Web site or call the Office of Graduate Admissions to determine the dates of Interview Day for the upcoming year. Admission decisions are announced to applicants within 30 days following their scheduled interview. All accepted students must confirm acceptance within three weeks of notification.
Prerequisite Coursework: The following 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; however, please note that a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in all PT prerequisite coursework is required for admission. 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.
International students for whom English is a second language, please see Test of English as a Foreign Language score requirements.
Provisional Admission Policy: Occasionally, 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 or withdrawal from required first-semester courses will result in dismissal from the program. After successful completion of the first semester of the Physical Therapy program, a provisional student will be moved to active status.
Clinical Education: Clinical activities are integrated throughout the three-year curriculum. Integrated part-time clinical experiences take place in local physical therapy clinics and coincide directly with didactic learning activities. Clinical full-time practicums take place in clinics locally, nationally, and internationally. The majority of full-time clinical placements occur within the greater metropolitan Washington area and nearby states. Typically, students complete full-time practicums in 8-week or 12-week rotations, at three different clinic sites.
Clinical Requirements: A copy of each PT student’s medical examination record is required upon admission.
Physical Therapy Students must also provide:
Students will not be permitted to register for classes until all requirements are met.
Clinical-Experience Transportation: Students provide their own transportation to and from some courses and all clinical experiences. The University’s free shuttle service connects the Main Campus, the Ballston Center, and the Ballston-MU Metro station.
Minimum Grade and Academic Progression Requirements: In addition to meeting the University’s academic standards for graduate students, Physical Therapy students MUST receive a minimum grade of B– in each course required for the D.P.T. degree. However, students are only allowed to receive a grade lower than a B in two courses across the entire Physical Therapy curriculum. Receiving three grades lower than a B will result in dismissal from the PT program.
In order to progress in the program, a student who receives a grade less than B– must repeat the course and achieve a grade of B or better upon retake. Contingent upon availability of space in the class the following year, the student will be given one opportunity to repeat the course in which a grade less than B– was received. Both the original grade and the grade of the repeated course will appear on the student’s transcript. Only the higher grade will be used to calculate the GPA. Receiving three grades lower than B will result in dismissal from the PT program, even if courses were repeated with a grade of B or better.
Upon receiving a grade lower than a B–, a student should immediately contact the PT department chair.
Provisional students who do not complete the full course load in the first semester of graduate study or do not receive a semester GPA of 3.0 or better will be dismissed from the program.
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 year 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.
95 credits
Year One |
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Fall
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Spring
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Year Two |
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Fall
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Spring
Summer
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Year Three |
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Fall
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Spring
Summer
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*Elective — Choose from: PT 750 Sport Physical Therapy, PT 751 Geriatric Physical Therapy, PT 752 Neurological Physical Therapy, PT 753 Pediatric Physical Therapy (Not every elective course is offered every year.) |
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This program of study offers licensed physical therapists who hold a master’s degree in Physical Therapy the opportunity to earn the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. The focus of the program is to bridge the gap between current Doctor of Physical Therapy and master’s degree entry-level expectations. The program is delivered primarily in a distance-education format. Students are required to come to campus one weekend only, for a two-day seminar in concepts of professionalism in an autonomous profession.
The mission of this program is to provide an affordable, practical, and career-enhancing plan of study that allows master’s-prepared physical therapists to transition their current entry-level professional degree to the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
Admission Requirements
Marymount M.S.P.T. graduates
Applicants must do the following:
Non-Marymount University-educated physical therapists
Applicants must be a graduate of a Physical Therapy program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
Applicants must also:
Minimum Grade and Academic Progression Requirements: Students must receive a minimum grade of B in all Transitional DPT courses. Students who receive a grade of B- or lower must repeat the course to achieve a grade of B or better before the course is considered “passed.” A student who receives a grade of B- or less in three or more required Transitional DPT courses will be dismissed from the Transitional DPT program.
(For graduates of Marymount’s M.S.P.T. program)
14 credits
(For graduates of other M.S.P.T. programs)
30-31 credits (includes 12 credits of coursework transferred from another institution)