General Program Description

The objective of the Emory University Physical Therapy program is to prepare highly skilled practitioners in physical therapy, who are capable of practicing in any setting. Strengths of the program include the commitment of the faculty to the problem-solving process and to evidence-based practice, early integration of clinical experience into the curriculum, faculty who are certified clinical specialists and/or have PhD or other doctoral degrees, the expertise of our adjunct clinical faculty and the strength of faculty, and University, research. Students enter the program in early June and continue through the program for three years (nine continuous semesters), to graduation in May. The DPT program is full-time and includes three short-term clinical affiliations and three full-time clinical internships. The first two years are focused on academic course work with one two week full time clinical experiences beginning early in the spring term. The third year consists of 30 weeks of relevant full-time clinical experiences. In the last two semesters, students participate in advanced clinical practice courses and seminars within the Physical Therapy Program or electives offered within the University. Students also participate in faculty research as part of their required course work. Student research is often presented at the Annual Conference of the American Physical Therapy Association or the Combined Sections Meeting of APTA; all students present their research at the Annual Research Colloquium of the Physical Therapy Program. A variety of research experiences are available to students including questions related to rehabilitation of people with stroke, with vestibular disorders, and balance and movement disorders.

Clinical Experiences
Clinical experiences (2-week clinical rotations) begin in the second semester and continue into the sixth semester. These experiences are integrated with courses currently being taken and provide an opportunity for immediate clinical practice of classroom learning. Three full-time clinical experiences, each 10 weeks in duration, occur during the sixth, seventh and eighth semesters. Students participate in a number of clinical experiences, e.g. acute care, sports medicine, pediatric and rehabilitation, as part of their preparation as a “generalist” physical therapist.

Faculty
The faculty includes 17 full-time and 6 part-time faculty members. Of the full-time faculty, 20 hold post-professional doctoral degrees, 11 are certified as clinical specialists, and 12 are engaged in clinical practice. Over the past 3 years, the faculty has averaged about 1.5 publications each in peer-reviewed journals. The faculty to student ratio is approximately 1:8.

Enrollment
The University has approximately 14,000 students enrolled. The physical therapy program accepts up to 70 students in each class. Students are accepted without preference to in-state residents.

Admission
The mean cumulative grade point average (GPA) of the classes upon admission is currently 3.6 on a scale of 4.0. Students must have a baccalaureate degree, with a minimum 3.0 GPA. A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) minimum score of 1,000 points (or 297 points on the new GRE taken after 7/31/11) for the combined Verbal and Quantitative and 3.0 on the Analytical Writing Score. Prerequisite courses include 3 semester hours in each of human anatomy (w/lab) and human physiology (w/lab); 4 semester hours in physics; and a basic statistics course. All prerequisite courses must be grade-earning courses and are to be completed within 5 years of matriculation. Experience in computer applications of word processing, communications, database and statistics is also necessary. Applications are accepted by the application deadline date of November 1st. Interviews are conducted in January and February. Notice of admission begins in February and is ongoing. Applications are available on-line at: www.rehabmed.emory.edu/pt.

Outcomes
100% percent of graduates pass the national licensure examination (5 yr average). 98% percent of enrolled students successfully complete the program. All graduates seeking practice are employed within six months.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Estimated tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year is $32,100. Annual estimated fees are $3,160. Emory University is a private university therefore state residency is not required. Financial Aid applications are available at www.emory.edu. Also, Allied Health tuition loans are available on a competitive basis. For specific information, contact the Office of Medical Education and Student Affairs, at 404/727-5682; http://www.emory.edu/financial_aid/homepage.html

Student life
The DPT program is located on the main campus of Emory University, home of the undergraduate and graduate schools as well as the School of Medicine and the Emory Healthcare System. Emory is situated among the beautiful tree-filled hills on the outskirts of Atlanta. Atlanta, known as the “City of Trees,” is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Here in Atlanta and the surrounding area you can find fabulous restaurants, exciting cultural and sports events and true urban living. On-campus graduate student housing is available. Or, if you prefer, you can live off-campus in a neighborhood of quiet streets sheltered by giant oak and pine trees. Less than two hours away are the Georgia Mountains and the southern-most portion of the Appalachian Trail. Georgia also has a lovely coastline on the Atlantic Ocean with fine beaches. The winters are mild, the Atlanta Airport makes transportation easy and it’s a beautiful place to live.