General Program Description

The program offers professional education based on a foundation of liberal arts and sciences. It is a three-year program (120 units) of academic rigor requiring full-time study. Concentration on the basic and clinical sciences is integrated with physical therapy management principles and skills. Presentation of foundational sciences occurs prior to clinical application and the appreciation of normal function prior to learning pathology. The curriculum is hierarchical in nature, progressing from simple material to the more complex, and covering the domains of knowledge and comprehension prior to application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Increasingly complex clinical experiences are integrated with the classroom learning experiences. These include high-fidelity clinical simulation and inter-professional education. There is consistent integration of prior curricular content with current learning. The faculty includes seven full-time, and 34 part-time practicing clinician experts. The learning environment nurtures students to become competent practitioners, critical thinkers, effective communicators, adept teachers, and life-long learners. The DPT program commences in late August and completes in October. This program prepares the graduate for practice as a competent generalist practitioner.

Clinical Experiences
There are a total of 38 weeks of clinical experience woven throughout the curriculum. During the first year of the program short-term clinical practicums occur once introductory clinical skills have been learned. During the second year, intensive patient management courses are followed by six week clinical affiliations. The third year of study culminates in two 12-week clinical internships in different settings. The majority of sites are located in California and the Southwest; clinical opportunities are available throughout the United States.

Faculty
There are seven full-time and 34 part-time faculty members. The full-time faculty hold post-professional doctoral degrees, MDs, certified clinical specializations and are engaged in clinical practice and/or research. The faculty regularly present research at APTA professional meetings and publish in peer-reviewed journals. In the majority of courses the faculty-to-student ratio is 1:10.

Enrollment
There are 2,700 students on two campuses, representing an ethnic diversity that includes students from across the US and international students. The DPT program has a total enrollment of 90-92 students, admitting a maximum of 35 new students per class each fall.

Admission
The students (approximately 1/3 male and 2/3 female) range in age from 22-45, and are predominantly from the western US. Fall 2015, 956 applications were received, of which approximately 54 were admitted. The following are required for admission to the program: a baccalaureate degree, prerequisite and cumulative grade point averages of 3.0, Graduate Record Exam scores of 150 on the verbal and quantitative portions and 4 on analytical writing. Prerequisites include 3 semester units each of written and oral communication and statistics; 4 semester units each of human anatomy, human physiology, 3 semester units of upper division science; 8 semester units each of biology, chemistry, and physics; biology, chemistry and physics courses must be for science majors, and 9 semester units of psychology (general and two electives). The courses that must be accompanied by a lab are human anatomy, human physiology, physics, chemistry and biology. The DPT program has a rolling admissions policy. Applicants are encouraged to apply before the December 1 application deadline.

Outcomes
The three year average graduation rate (2012-14) is 90%. The three year overall FSBPT licensure pass rate (2011-13) is 100%.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
For the academic year 2015-16, the per unit cost for tuition is $816.00. The average yearly cost for academic tuition is $32,640. The average annual cost for books is $1,800. Comprehensive student fees and parking are $1,995 per year. There may be additional housing and transportation costs associated with clinical education that are the students responsibility. All students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aide (FAFSA). Grants and loans are available on the basis of need and availability. Information may be obtained from the Office of Financial Assistance at 213/477-2562.

Student life
The physical therapy program is co-educational. Mount St Mary’s College is known for its supportive community, family-like environment and excellent faculty-student ratio and rapport. The city and local college environs are rich with a wide variety of cultural, ethnic, political, social, and recreational activities. Both beaches and mountains are within easy driving distance for recreational activities. All graduate programs are housed on the Doheny campus in Los Angeles. The DPT program is located in the newly inaugurated Magdalen Coughlin Learning Complex that includes the state-of-the-art Fritz Burns Health Sciences building and brand new Library complex. Graduate student housing is available on campus on a limited basis, for more information contact Residence Life at 213-477-2661.