General Program Description

The program is a problem-based learning curriculum organized over 6 semesters (fall and spring semesters). Clinical education occurs in the summer between the first and second year for 8 weeks, between the second and third year for 10 weeks and during the entire last semester of the curriculum (20 weeks). The full course of study is 108 credit hours. The program is available to full-time students only. A new class begins once each year in September. The program culminates in the awarding of a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.

Clinical Experiences
Students participate in an intergrated clinical education program from the first weeks of the program. Integrated clincal education is a part-time clinical education assignment that occurs during each of the five didactic semesters of the curriculum. Students participate in full-time clinical education for 8 weeks in the summer between the first and second year, for 10 weeks in the summer between second and third years of the program, and for 20 weeks during the spring semester of the third year of the program. Clinical education sites are located throughout the US with a majority of sites in the northeastern United States.

Faculty
There are 11 full-time and 47 part-time faculty members. Of the full-time faculty, 5 hold post-professional doctoral degrees, two are certified as clinical specialists, and three are engaged in clinical practice. Over the past five years, the faculty has averaged 1.5 publications in peer-reviewed journals. The faculty to student ratio is 1:12.

Enrollment
The University enrolls approximately 5,500 students of whom approximately 500 are full-time graduate students and approximately 2,000 are part-time graduate students. The physical therapy program is designed for class sizes of 40, and three classes are present on campus at any one time.

Admission
The average undergraduate grade point average for students admitted to the program is 3.37 (on a 4.0 point scale). A GPA is also calculated for the PT pre-requisites alone. The GRE exam is not required for admission. Admissions deadline is January 15 each year, followed by interviews by invitation. Applications are considered on a space available basis after that deadline. Prerequisites for the program include: biology (8 credits); chemistry (8 credits); physics (8 credits); anatomy/physiology (8 credits); statistics (3 credits); pre-calculus (3 credits) and psychology (6 credits).

Outcomes
89% of admitted students graduate from the program (5-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Full-time graduate tuition is approximately $15,500 per semester or $31,000 per year and fees are approximately $150 per semester. The cost of books ranges from $400 to $500 per semester. Physical therapy students are eligibility for graduate assistantships that are offered both through the University and through the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Science. Students also typically use Stafford loans to assist in financing their physical therapy education, which for full-time students will cover the major portion of cost of tuition, books and fees. The Financial Aid Office assists students in identifying other forms of aid. Many students in the program work part-time as clinical assistants in local physical therapy offices as well.

Student life
Sacred Heart University is a coeducational, independent, comprehensive institution of higher education in the Catholic intellectual tradition. The University is a Division I NCAA institution with 33 intercollegiate sports. The University has a variety of student life activities including lectures, trips, clubs and organizations. The University, its students and faculty are very involved in service to the local community and to service learning activities for the university community. The University is located on Long Island Sound, approximately 50 minutes from New York City. The University is within 30 minutes of rural areas of Connecticut and within 2 1/2 hours of the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.