General Program Description
As experts in human movement and rehabilitation, physical therapists have a daily impact on the health and well-being of their patients and clients. They resolve problems in mobility through their knowledge of anatomy, physiology and other sciences. They draw upon their communication and motivational skills in their work with clients and other health care providers. Physical therapists are intent on improving overall quality of life through active caring. The University of South Florida School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences offers a 3-year entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program designed to educate highly-skilled, well-rounded practitioners of physical therapy. As part of USF Health, the School offers an innovative integrated curriculum in an interprofessional health sciences center setting. Basic and clinical sciences are emphasized and integrated with clinical education experiences. The School provides course instruction through live lecture, laboratory and videostreaming/archiving and course support materials over a wireless computer network. A 6,000 square foot Human Functional Performance Laboratory complements the classroom environment and the School operates a 4,000 square foot Physical Therapy Center, as part of USF Health.
Clinical Experiences
The clinical education component of the curriculum comprises 38 weeks of progressive, full time clinical education internships throughout the 3-year professional program. Clinical education begins with an 10-week full-time clinical internship in the summer following Year 2; followed in Year 3, with a second, 12-week full-time clinical internship; and culminating with a 16-week internship in the Summer of Year 3. The USF School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences is affiliated with approximately 80 clinical education centers in the Tampa Bay area and over 500 facilities throughout the state of Florida, the southeast and the United States.
Faculty
There are currently twenty-two full-time faculty members. All faculty hold either the professional doctoral or post-professional doctoral degree. Eleven are also ABPTS certified clinical specialists, while others have achieved or possess national certification in athletic training, hand therapy, or strength and conditioning. Other faculties from USF Health Colleges provide instruction to physical therapy students.
Enrollment
The University of South Florida School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences may admit up to 48 students per year. Approximately 1400 applications are received annually.
Admission
The School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences accepts applications from residents of any state. Applicants are considered without regard to gender, race, marital status or religious affiliation. The DPT degree program design is a 4 + 3 model with a baccalaureate degree required for admission. A Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree is awarded upon successful completion of all classroom and clinical requirements with graduates eligible to take the NPTE examination required for licensure and practice. The University of South Florida School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service, known as PTCAS. Applicants applying to the entry-level professional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program for the class entering in August 2016 will apply online using the PTCAS application beginning July 1, 2015. To learn more about the PTCAS application process, please visit the PTCAS web site at www.ptcas.org. Qualified students (those with at least the minimum required GPA and either a) having completed all degree and course requirements or b) those with no more than two (2) course prerequisites and degree in progress) are encouraged to apply beginning July 1st for admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program and no later than November 15th when admissions closes. All completed applications received by PTCAS by the November 15th deadline will be evaluated by the DPT Student Selection Committee with notification of selection occurring on/about February 1st. A waiting list of otherwise qualified applicants will be maintained. Specific Minimum Admissions Requirements include: • Baccalaureate degree in any discipline • Minimum GPA of 3.2 (out of 4.0) overall and in upper division and prerequisite coursework • Minimum of 20 hours of documented observational, volunteer or other work experiences in both hospital inpatient and outpatient physical therapy settings in order to appreciate the differences in physical therapists’ responsibilities in each setting along with supervising physical therapist’s completion of the School’s Professional Abilities Assessment Form. • Written autobiographical statement of personal values and purpose for attending USF’s DPT Degree Program • Interview upon request of School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences Admissions Committee Required prerequisite courses are: General Chemistry I (CHM 2045), General Chemistry I – Laboratory (CHM 2045L); General Chemistry II (CHM 2046), General Chemistry II – Laboratory (CHM 2046L); General Physics (PHY 2053), General Physics – Laboratory (PHY 2053L); General Physics (PHY 2054), General Physics – Laboratory (PHY 2054L); Introduction to Psychological Science I (PSY 2012) and The Life Cycle (DEP 2004) or Abnormal Psychology (CLP 4143) or Developmental Psychology (DEP 4053); Introductory Statistics I (STA 2023); Biology I – Cellular Processes (BSC 2010), Biology I – Cellular Processes – Laboratory (BSC 2010L); Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BSC 2085), Human Anatomy & Physiology II (BSC 2086). Organic Chemistry and/or Biochemistry are highly recommended. Note: Level of courses must be appropriate for science majors, and courses must have been completed within five (5) years of application.
Outcomes
Three year outcomes for the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences graduates include: Graduation rate – 84.2%; NPTE 3 year overall pass rate (2012-2014) – 97.7%; and Employment rate – 100%.
Tuition, fees and financial aid
The University of South Florida is a public institution. Professional tuition and required fees has been implemented for the DPT degree program which is estimated for AY ’15-’16 at $21,750 per year for residents and $29,200 for nonresidents and subject to change. Loans are available to qualified physical therapy students. The majority of physical therapy students receive some form of financial aid. The Morsani College of Medicine Financial Aid Office personnel are committed to assisting students and welcome early requests for securing needed educational funds.
Student life
The University of South Florida, a Carnegie Tier 1 institution, is the 15th largest university in the United States. Founded in 1956, USF has built a solid reputation as a leader in research and learning, offering comprehensive student centered programs. USF serves over 40,000 students with over 200 academic programs on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota, Florida. USF libraries hold over 2.3 million volumes and Internet access to hundreds of library databases throughout the world. The Tampa campus is the location of USF Health which is comprised of the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Public Health and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. The Tampa Bay region offers multiple cultural, sports and entertainment activities which are available on campus and in the surrounding community. There is limited graduate student housing available on campus. The majority of physical therapy students live off campus in private apartment complexes. Access to an automobile is required.