General Program Description

The physical therapy program curriculum is 2 1/2 years in length. Students are admitted into the DPT program in mid July and graduate in December with the DPT degree.

Clinical Experiences
Clinical education experiences are integrated within the program of study. They are organized in a concurrent pattern, with a full-time clinical assignment at the end of the didactic curriculum. Students have integrated clinical rotations throughout the academic program. A 6-week full time clinical experience with a focus on inpatient acute care is scheduled in the summer following the first year of classes. The final 27 weeks of the program are full-time clinical assignments in which students spend 9 weeks in each of 3 separate internships in approved clinical sites throughout the United States. To ensure experience with a wide variety of patient problems, at least two of the three terminal internships must be in markedly different types of clinical settings.

Faculty
There are 7 full-time and 7 part-time faculty members. Of the full-time faculty 86% hold post-professional doctoral degrees. Over the past 3 years, the faculty has averaged 11 publications per year in peer-reviewed journals. The faculty to student ratio is 1:9.

Enrollment
The university enrolls approximately 29,000 students of diverse culture, gender, and age. Approximately 6,000 are enrolled in the graduate college. The physical therapy program enrolls 36 students each summer for the 2-1/2 year curriculum.

Admission
A baccalaureate degree is required for admission. Prerequisites include 3 semester hours in each: human physiology, mathematics, and statistics; 6 semester hours of psychology; 8 semester hours in each: general chemistry and physics; and 12 semester hours of biology/zoology. Applicants are also required to take the Graduate Record Examination general aptitude test. Although the minimum cumulative GPA required for admission is 3.00, the GPA of the last five classes was 3.65. Students matriculate in July. 31% of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (5-year average).

Outcomes
97% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average); 100% of the graduates in the past 8 years graduating classes have passed the licensure exam on the first attempt (most recent data available); 100% of program graduates are practicing in physical therapy (or pursuing higher level education).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Based on 2010-11 rates the total 2-1/2 year (101 semester hours) cost of tuition and fees (computer fees, student activities fee, health services fees) for residents of Iowa is $48,603; for nonresidents the total cost of tuition and fees is $96,260. This does not include housing, books, health insurance, etc. Housing costs vary greatly. An off-campus 2-bedroom apartment averages $600/month. Major sources of support for students include parental assistance, accumulated savings, the income of working spouses, part-time jobs, scholarships, and loans. Persons seeking financial assistance are encouraged to do so independently. The physical therapy program has some resources for financial aid awards. Eligibility for financial aid is based on need established by completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which includes an evaluation of parents’ income and assets. Eligible students may receive Stafford Loans, Graduate Tuition Grants, and college work-study program award packages. Interest on loans accrues at a comparatively low rate, and loans are repayable over an extended period of time after completion of the course of study.

Student life
University of Iowa students live and work in a place that provides for a wide range of activities and stimulation both on and off campus. Iowa City is a picturesque and thriving Midwestern city. Intellectual, cultural, social, and recreational opportunities are abundant. The program has a strong research focus that nurtures superior intellectual activity through its outstanding facilities, talented faculty, and students. The University of Iowa Health Center is one of the most advanced health science centers in the United States.