General Program Description

The Physical Therapy Program at Stockton University offers a professional (entry-level) doctoral degree. The program is committed to the support and enhancement of the profession through education, scholarship, and service. Upon completion of the professional DPT program, students are prepared to be contemporary practitioners who can function effectively for the patient/client, community, profession, and themselves. Emphasis is placed on the study of musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiopulmonary, and other relevant functions. Additional emphasis is placed on both clinical proficiency and professionalism. Students attend classes in one of three multipurpose complexes located on-campus. While classes are in session, Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation, located on Stockton’s Campus, affords students the ongoing opportunity to apply their book knowledge in a clinical setting. Patients/clients visit the classroom and students also participate in field trips during the school year. Stockton offers a 3- year DPT Program. Many Stockton students accepted into the Program complete their undergraduate studies during semester 1 and 2 of the DPT Program because most of the courses in those semesters may be applied to an undergraduate degree such as a BS in Biology or BS in Health Science. All students must hold a baccalaureate degree by the end of semester 2 of the DPT Program.

Clinical Experiences
In addition to classroom work, there are 2 hospitals on Stockton’s campus which affords opportunities for clinical experience while in the classroom. There are also 3 diverse, 10-week, full-time clinical experiences. These full-time experiences take place at health care facilities located primarily in the mid-Atlantic region. There are opportunities to obtain experience in many settings such as hospitals, outpatient, pediatrics, school systems, industrial medicine, and sports medicine.

Faculty
The program has 9 full-time physical therapist faculty members. There are also basic science faculty who teach in the program. The faculty are nationally renowned and highly accessible. All of the full-time faculty members hold doctoral degrees. Faculty also participate in clinical practice. One faculty member is Board Certified (ABPTS) in Orthopedics, one faculty member is Board Certified in Pediatrics, and another faculty member is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Additionally, to complement the faculty, there are guest lecturers including physicians, other health care professionals, and patients. There are also >100 clinical faculty members associated with the Program who work with students during the full-time clinical experiences. During full-time clinical experiences, students work directly with clinical faculty in physical therapy settings. Faculty routinely publish articles and present papers with students at state and national conferences. The faculty student ratio for the professional DPT is 1:9.

Enrollment
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey has an enrollment of approximately 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The physical therapy program enrolls 24 students in each class.

Admission
The PT program accepts undergraduate, graduate, transfer, and Stockton applicants. Requirements for admission be accessed at www.stockton.edu/dpt. Though it varies from year to year, the average cumulative GPA of students who started the Program Fall 2014 cohort was 3.87 and the average cumulative prerequisite science GPA was 3.58. The average cumulative GPA for the Fall 2010 cohort was 3.57 and the prerequisite science GPA was 3.84. In its deliberations, the DPT Admissions Committee considers the entire application package: the cumulative GPA of all college or university coursework; the grades received in the prerequisite courses (the prerequisite science GPA); the quality of the essays and letters of recommendation; extracurricular activities; and volunteer/paid physical therapy experience. Because Stockton is a public institution in the State of New Jersey higher education system, preference is given to residents of the State of New Jersey. Preference is also given to current and past Stockton student. However, non-Stockton students are routinely accepted.

Outcomes
Stockton’s three-year ultimate pass rate for our graduates in the Class of 2010, 2011, and 2012 was 98.48% Stockton’s previous ultimate pass rate for our graduates in the Class of 2004 – 2009 was 100%. This information was provided by the Federation of State Board of Physical Therapy website. Information for all accredited programs can be accessed as follows: http://www.fsbpt.org. The three-year graduation rate for Stockton’s Physical Therapy Program for 2010, 2011, and 2012 is 93%. Employment rate: 100% of reporting graduates are employed within weeks of seeking employment. The graduation rate for the Class of 2010 and 2011 was 96%. The employment rate for graduating classes from 2010 to 2012 was 100% from among of the graduates who responded to a graduate survey and/or self-reported; They were employed as physical therapists within 6 month of beginning their search.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
The DPT degree requires the successful completion of 12 undergraduate credits (students pay undergraduate tuition) and 103 doctoral credit. The most up to date tuition and fee information can be accessed at http://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=226&pageID=4 More than 80% of the students receive some form of financial aid. Graduate assistantships are offered each fall and spring semester. Internal and external graduate scholarships and Graduate Research Fellowships are also available.

Student life
Stockton University is a mid-sized, award-winning university nestled on a 1,600-acre campus in pristine southeastern New Jersey pinelands. It is just 20 minutes driving distance from Jersey Shore beaches; an hour to Philadelphia; and two hours to New York City. It is near major highways and an airport. Dormitories are available on campus. Off-campus rentals are also available. There are more than 60 clubs and organizations, including a Physical Therapy Club that supports community and professional student activities such as conferences. The Performing Arts Center offers a variety of cultural programs. Intercollegiate and athletic programs include track and field, cross-country, basketball, soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s lacrosse, and women’s softball.