Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 
    
2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Physical Therapy DPT


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This three-year program begins after a student completes 92 semester credits of specific college prerequisites. Students taking the appropriate prerequisites will earn a Bachelor of Health Science (BHS) after the first two semesters in the professional program and the DPT degree upon successful completion of the program. A previous bachelor’s degree is not required, however applicants holding a bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply as well. All core prerequisites must be completed within ten years prior to application.

Program Accreditation

The DPT program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax, Alexandria, VA 22314. After receiving the DPT degree graduates may apply to take the physical therapy licensure exam in the state of their choice.

Information/Application Process

Please call 1-800-827-2878, e-mail pt-info@andrews.edu or visit http://www.andrews.edu/shp/pt for application instructions and admission requirements. Information is available by June of each year.  Successful completion of prerequisite courses does not guarantee acceptance into the DPT program.

All applicants applying for admission to the DPT professional entry program must apply via the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service at www.PTCAS.org. The soft due date for priority application processing is November 11, with the firm or final due date being January 15.

Admission Requirements

GPA: A minimum GPA of 3.20 is required in all core PT prerequisite courses. A grade of “C” or better is required for all other courses.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE): Submit scores from the General Test, taken less than 5 years prior to enrollment in the program. Required minimum scores are: Verbal and Quantitative scores of 142 each, and a Written score of 3.0. 

Clinical Observation: Students must complete a minimum of 80 observation hours supervised by a licensed physical therapist in at least 3 different settings; at least 20 hours must be in an inpatient acute care or hospital setting. Please note that sub-acute, rehab, skilled nursing home or extended care facilities do not qualify as a hospital or acute care setting. See PTCAS for a copy of an Observation Hours Verification form.  

Personal Interview: Applicants who meet eligibility requirements are invited for a personal interview. Phone interviews may be acceptable, though not preferred.

English Proficiency: Applicants who have been given any part of their education outside the U.S. or Canada or whose first language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency by providing evidence through one of the following methods. Exceptions may be granted by the Department of Physical Therapy on an individual basis. Test must be taken within one year prior to application. TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) is preferred. Official TOEFL scores must be sent directly to PTCAS from Educational Testing Service (ETS). The PTCAS ETS code is 531.

Minimum Requirements
TOEFL Internet-based test (iBT)(preferred) 111 (minimum of 15 in Reading, 15 in Listening, 18 in Speaking and 17 in Writing)
TOEFL Paper-based test 640 (minimum of 56 in each section)
IELTS Academic Version 8.0
MELAB 92 (minimum of 80 in each section)
PTE Academic Version 72

 

Prerequisite courses including general education requirements for students WITHOUT an earned bachelor’s degree


Requires a minimum of 92 semester credits, with at least 15 credits being upper-division, including 9 in one content area or a minor. Applicants are considered when a minimum of 5 or more prerequisite science courses have been completed.

General Education Requirements


See professional program requirements  and note the following specific requirements:

Religion:


one religion course per academic year of attendance at Andrews University. Required course:

Language/Communication:


professional degree requirements

History:


professional degree requirements

Fine Arts/Humanities:


professional degree requirements

Life/Physical Sciences:


Life Science:

  • A full sequence of Anatomy and Physiology with labs, and
  • Two additional human biology courses, one must be 3-semester credit upper division course, with lab.
Physical Science:

  • A full sequence of General Physics with labs, as required for pre-med students
  • A full sequence of General Chemistry with labs, as required for pre-med students

Mathematics:


A basic statistics or research methods course

Service:


fulfilled through professional components of the program

Social Sciences:


Psychology

An introductory psychology course.

Fitness Education:


Recommend Andrews freshmen take HLED 120  and one additional course from personal fitness, outdoor skills or team activity. Non-Andrews students take two from the three categories above.

Human Development:


A course which covers human development throughout the lifespan.

Medical Terminology:


A course in basic medical terminology. May be taken by distance learning.

Electives:


To fulfill the 92 total semester credits, some elective course suggestions include business, ethics, culture and diversity, arts and humanities, nutrition and physical activity courses.

Prerequisite courses for students WITH an earned bachelor’s degree:


Life/Physical Sciences


Life Science:


  • A full sequence of Anatomy and Physiology with labs, and
  • Two additional human biology courses, one must be 3-semester credit upper division course, with lab.

Physical Science:


  • A full sequence of General Physics with labs, as required for pre-med students
  • A full sequence of General Chemistry with labs, as required for pre-med students

 

Mathematics:


A basic statistics or research methods course.

Social Sciences


Psychology


An introductory psychology course.

Human Development


A course which covers human development throughout the lifespan.

Medical Terminology:


A course in basic medical terminology. May be taken by distance learning.

DPT: Doctor of Physical Therapy


Upon successful completion of the professional phase of the program (116 credits) students earn the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. All coursework scheduled for each semester must be successfully completed prior to advancing to the next semester. Successful completion of the DPT program is defined as:

  1. Completion of a bachelor’s degree (BHS or other).
  2. An earned minimum grade of “C+” (2.33) or “S” in each DPT program course. DPT program courses include: PTH 501 PTH 505 , PTH 510 , PTH 515 , PTH 516 , PTH 518 , PTH 520 , PTH 525 , PTH 526 , PTH 528 , PTH 530 , PTH 535 , PTH 540 PTH 562 PTH 565 PTH 575 , PTH 580 PTH 601 , PTH 602 , PTH 610 , PTH 611 , PTH 612 , PTH 616 PTH 617 PTH 620 PTH 622 , PTH 625 , PTH 627 , PTH 632 , PTH 635 , PTH 637 , PTH 640 , PTH 645 , PTH 646 , PTH 647 , PTH 650 , PTH 651 , PTH 652 , PTH 661 , PTH 662 , PTH 680 , PTH 711 PTH 712 PTH 721 , PTH 722 , PTH 726 , PTH 736 PTH 743 , PTH 765 , PTH 768 , PTH 770 , PTH 799 , PTH 870 , PTH 880 , PTH 881 , PTH 882 , PTH 883 , PTH 884 .
  3. Maintain a cumulative DPT program GPA of 3.00.
  4. No more than a cumulative total of five points earned on the grade-point scale throughout the physical therapy program (see DPT Student Handbook).
  5. Students must be able to perform skills listed in the Technical Standards of Performance and demonstrate professional behaviors as outlined in the DPT Student Handbook.
  6. Satisfactory completion of the practical and written comprehensive exams:  ,  .
  7. Satisfactory completion of a capstone project and presentation.
  8. Satisfactory completion of five clinical education experiences and the associated “Clinical Performance Instrument.”
  9. Satisfactory completion of the Graduate Exit Survey.

Continued Enrollment Requirements

  1. Progressive enrollment in the physical therapist education program requires successful completion of all Physical Therapy program course work including clinical education listed for the previous academic term.
  2. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 in any given academic term is placed on academic probation. Students who do not increase their cumulative GPA to 3.00 during the academic term of probation are normally asked to withdraw.
  3. Students who receive less than a “C+” (2.33) or a “U” on a “S/U” course or clinical will be given “grade points” equal to the semester credit for the course. A student who accumulates six or more points will academically disqualify him/herself from continuing in the program.

 

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