PHYSICAL THERAPY
College of Health and Human Services
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The primary mission of the California State University, Sacramento Doctor of Physical Therapy program is to graduate knowledgeable, effective, adaptable, and reflective physical therapist generalist practitioners and health care leaders. Graduates demonstrate ethical, responsible, professional behavior, are sensitive to cultural and psychosocial differences, use evidence derived from the scientific and professional literature to inform independent judgments to meet patient needs and to advance the profession. They utilize critical and integrative thinking and problem-solving, practice lifelong learning, and provide services that contribute to the optimal health and function of community residents.
Physical Therapy at Sacramento State is one of several professional curricula in the College of Health and Human Services. The program complements others in the College and provides opportunities for scholarship, instructional collaboration, and interaction.
The doctoral curriculum of 3 years, including summers, encompasses didactic instruction, laboratory experience, and clinical education. The clinical component is thirty-six weeks of full-time, off-campus clinical internships.
Special Features
- Following successful completion of both the clinical and regular academic program, students are awarded a Doctor of Physical Therapy and will be eligible to take the national licensure examination.
- Computer facilities are available for self-guided and interactive learning experiences.
- The Doctor of Physical Therapy at Sacramento State is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education/APTA. The Commission can be contacted for questions at 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488, (703) 684-2782.
- Admission is for fall semester only.
- Classes are offered primarily during daytime hours, and full-time study is required.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must:- have received (or will receive by the end of the Summer prior to the enrollment semester) a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
- have completed nine (9) of the eleven (11) prerequisite courses by the Decembery deadline. The two (2) remaining courses must be completed in the Spring and/or Summer semester (a maximum of one (1) of these courses may be completed during the summer);
- have a minimum of 2.5 GPA for the last 60 semester units of your baccalaureate degree, for CSU’s Office of Graduate Studies Graduate Application;
- have a minimum of 3.00 GPA in all the prerequisite coursework with grades of "C" or better in each course required for the Department of Physical Therapy’s DPT Supplemental Application.
Prerequisite Course REPEAT POLICY:
Grades from any and all courses taken to fulfill each prerequisite will be considered in calculating your GPA.
- If two (2) courses were taken, only the higher course grade will be used.
- If three (3) courses were taken, the grades from each will be averaged.
- If four (4) courses were taken to complete one required prerequisite, then the applicant will be disqualified.
A course is considered a “repeat” even if it is taken at a different university, or has a different course number from the same university.
Applicant must submit three (3) separate application forms that are required to apply for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program:
- Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) online application (apply online at http://www.ptcas.org/) due by the December deadline listed on PTCAS website;
- CSU’s Office of Graduate Studies’ Graduate Application (apply online through CSU Mentor http://www.csumentor.edu/) due by the December deadline listed on csumentor.edu/ website;
- CSU, Sacramento’s Department of Physical Therapy, DPT Supplemental Application due by the December deadline listed.
Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities that you have attended with your PTCAS Application and CSU Graduate Application.
- have completed and verified on PTCAS a minimum 100 total hours of observation/work/volunteer experience in at least one "Inpatient" and one "Outpatient" setting. Inpatient refers to treating patients who are admitted overnight at the facility, and includes: Acute Care Hospitals, Rehab/Sub-Acute Rehab Facilities, and Nursing homes, Extended Care/Skilled Nursing Facilities. The outpatient settings include: Free-standing PT or Hospital Clinics, School/Pre-school, Wellness/Prevention/Fitness, Industrial/Occupational Health and other Outpatient clinics. Each setting should have at least twenty-five (25) hours of exposure. For example, 75 hours in Outpatient type (i.e. Outpatient clinic setting), and 25 hours in an Inpatient type facility (i.e. SNF setting) would fulfill this requirement. All PT experience hours must be completed by the time of the PT departmental application deadline.
- submit two (2) Recommendation Forms from U.S. licensed physical therapists and one (1) from a college level professor with your PTCAS Application.
- submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing) by the December deadline [Code: 7588]. Applicant must have a GRE analytic writing score of at least 3.5 to be considered for admission. There are no minimum threshold requirements for the verbal and quantitative scores. We accept either the revised GRE or the older (prior to 7/1/11) GRE from the last 5 years.
- applicants who do not possess a baccalaureate degree from a post secondary institution where English is the principal language must demonstrate competence in English by scoring a minimum of 550 (213 if computer-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Submit those scores with your PTCAS Application and CSU Graduate Application
- applicants who previously attended another professional entry-level physical therapy program must submit a letter from the director of your previous physical therapy program designating your academic standing (if applicable).
Applicants with Foreign Documents: Domestic applicants applying with transcripts from outside the U.S. must complete 8 units of the prerequisite coursework listed in the DPT Supplemental Application by mid-January and have references from U.S. licensed physical therapists. Domestic applicants with foreign transcripts must submit their transcripts by December 1st of the year prior to anticipated enrollment to the Office of Graduate Studies to allow verification time.
NOTE to International Applicants (F-1 Student Visas only): A fourth step and application is required of International applicants. Please review the CSU, Sacramento international application procedures at http://www.csus.edu/oge/. International applications are due to the Office of International Admissions by October 15th in the year prior to anticipated enrollment. International students must complete by the application deadline 8 units of the prerequisite coursework listed in the DPT Supplemental Application, at a U.S. accredited college or university, and must have references from U.S. licensed physical therapists.
Admission Procedures
All prospective graduate students, including Sacramento State graduates, must file the following with the Office of Graduate Studies, River Front Center 221, (916) 278-6470:
- an online application for admission; and
- official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than Sacramento State.
For more admissions information and application deadlines please visit http://www.csus.edu/gradstudies/.
The DPT supplemental application is available online at http://www.hhs.csus.edu/pt/. Applicants must complete all 3 applications to be considered for admission: PTCAS, Office of Graduate Studies (CSU Mentor), and the Department’s supplemental application.
Selection Procedures
Application materials are reviewed by the DPT Admissions Committee and a point system is utilized to assign a score to each applicant. During the first screening, points are given for the prerequisite coursework GPA, recommendation forms from two (2) licensed physical therapists and one (1) academic professional, GRE scores, and additional background criteria. Based on the results of this first screening, the top applicants will be invited for a panel interview. The top thirty-two (32) applicants along with alternates will be notified of their status within two weeks of the final interviews.
Additional Information
Health Requirements
Students admitted to the graduate program in the Department of Physical
Therapy are required to have specified immunizations
by the Student Health Center or a private physician prior to any clinical participation. Complete information on health requirements
will be provided to incoming students.
Costs and Fees
In addition to University tuition fees, students can be expected
to incur costs of approximately $1,800 per year for books, supplies, malpractice/liability
insurance, and laboratory fees. Students are required to assume responsibility
for transportation and housing costs for clinical internships which may
be anywhere in a contracted site in California.
Health Insurance, Transportation Schedules, CPR Certification, and Background Screens
All students accepted into the graduate program in the Department of Physical
Therapy must provide their own health insurance and transportation to
clinical facilities. Health insurance is mandatory prior to beginning
clinical experiences. CPR certification (Basic Adult and Pediatric) is
required at the time of fall enrollment and recertification must be maintained
according to the requirements of the American Heart Association or American
Red Cross. Malpractice/liability insurance is required prior to any clinical
placement and is purchased through the University. Information on malpractice/liability insurance will be provided upon enrollment. Students will be required to complete (at their own expense) a criminal background check prior to clinical placements. A positive criminal history may preclude student participation in the clinical courses.
Advancement to Candidacy
Each student must file an application for Advancement to Candidacy indicating a proposed program of graduate study. This procedure may begin as soon as the classified graduate student has:
- removed any deficiencies in admission requirements and achieved classified status;
- successfully completed all courses with a grade of "B-" or higher in the first 4 terms with a minimum of 3.0 ("B") overall grade point average in all DPT graduate level coursework;
- formulated an approved written plan for the required graduate project portfolio and culminating doctoral project;
- passed (with a grade of "B" or higher) a Graduate Writing Intensive (GWI) course (PT 608) or obtained a waiver; and
- passed the faculty candidacy assessment.
Requirements - Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree
A. Required Prerequisite Courses (41-42 units)
Prerequisite coursework must have been completed at an accredited college or university with a minimum grade of "C" or better.
Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.
Prerequisite Courses Required for enrollment consideration
Human Anatomy with Lab*
(4) |
||
Human Anatomy and Physiology I AND |
||
Human Anatomy and Physiology II (BIO 25 or instructor permission) OR |
||
|
Advanced Human Anatomy (BIO 22) |
Human Physiology with Lab*
(4) |
Human Anatomy and Physiology I AND |
|
Human Anatomy and Physiology II (BIO 25 or instructor permission) OR |
||
(4) |
Systemic Physiology (CHEM 1B, CHEM 6B and BIO 1 or BIO 2 or BIO 10 or BIO 22) |
Psychology
(3) |
Introductory Psychology (NOTE: Effective Fall 2010, PSYC 2 will replace PSYC 1 and PSYC 5. PSYC 2 will be offered at CSUS beginning Spring 2010) |
One (1) additional Psychology course similar to:
(3) |
Child Psychology (PSYC 2) OR |
|
Psychological Aspects of Aging (PSYC 2)OR |
||
Psychological Aspects of Death and Dying OR |
||
Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 2) |
Statistics
(3-4) |
Introduction to Statistics (MATH 9 or three years of high school mathematics which includes two years of algebra and one year of geometry; completion of ELM requirement and the Intermediate Algebra Diagnostic Test) OR |
|
|
Introduction to Probability and Statistics (MATH 26A, MATH 30 or appropriate high school based AP credit |
Chemistry I with Lab
(5) |
General Chemistry I (High school chemistry and college algebra; sufficient performance on the college algebra diagnostic test, or equivalent, or minimum grade of "C" in CHEM 4) |
|
Introduction to General Chemistry (One year high school algebra; high school chemistry recommended) |
Chemistry II with Lab
(5) |
General Chemistry II (CHEM 1A with a passing grade of C or better) OR |
|
Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry (CHEM 1A or CHEM 6A or a high school chemistry course and passing a qualifying exam given in the first laboratory period) |
Physics I with Lab
(4) |
General Physics: Mechanics, Heat, Sound (Recently completed three years of high school algebra and geometry; and a college course in algebra and trigonometry [MATH 9 recommended] for those having an inadequate mathematics background) |
Physics II with Lab
(4) |
General Physics: Light, Electricity and Magnetism, Modern Physics (PHYS 5A or instructor permission) |
Kinesiology (with lab preferred)*
(3) |
Kinesiology (BIO 22 or equivalent) OR |
|
| (3) |
Physiology of Exercise (with lab preferred)*
(3) |
Physiology of Exercise (BIO 131 or equivalent) |
* Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology/Biomechanics, and Exercise Physiology must have been completed within the last then (10) years of the application deadline for the DPT program.
B. Required Professional Courses for the Doctor of Physical Therapy (104-112 units)
Career Possibilities
Hospitals · Ambulatory Care Centers · Private Practice · Sports Medicine Centers · Rehabilitation Centers · Industries · Extended Care Facilities · Home Health Care · Schools · University Teaching and Research · Consulting
Faculty
Ed Barakatt PT, PhD, Lois Boulgarides, PT, DPT, Bryan Coleman-Salgado PT, DPT, Rafael Escamilla PT, PhD, Bill Garcia, PT, DPT, Clare Lewis PT, PsyD, Toran MacLeod, PT, PhD, Katrina Mattern-Baxter, PT, DPT, Michael McKeough PT, EdD, Brian Moore, PT, DPT, Brad Stockert PT, PhD
Contact Information
D. Michael McKeough, PT, EdD, Director
Jerri McAtee, Administrative Coordinator
Folsom Hall 1054
(916) 278-6426
www.hhs.csus.edu/PT