General Program Description

The University of South Dakota Physical Therapy Program is a three-year academic program (136 semester credits) leading to a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. The program is selective and admits students to begin matriculation in the fall semester. Students who are accepted into the program must be enrolled on a full-time basis for each semester, including summer sessions. The physical therapy plan of study is arranged in a specific sequence that students must follow. No courses may be taken prior to admission to the program. The first year of the program consists of basic science courses that are integrated with Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant and Medical students, as well as foundational physical therapy courses. The second year of the program focuses on clinical science courses for the entry- level practitioner and the third year involves two semesters of clinical education.

Clinical Experiences
Clinical education begins in the third semester of the program and is integrated throughout the program with 1-day integrated experiences in the second year. Clinical education courses include one 6-week internship and two terminal 15 week affiliations. Although most of the clinical facilities are located in South Dakota, others are around the nation. Two of the full-time clinical education internships must be completed at rural sites.

Faculty
There are nine full-time Core faculty members, five Associated faculty and five adjunct faculty members. Three are certified as clinical specialists and seven are doctorally trained. Over the past 3 years, each faculty member has averaged 1-2 publications in peer-reviewed journals. The faculty-to- student ratio is 1:8.5.

Enrollment
The physical therapy program accepts 26 students per year.

Admission
A baccalaureate degree is required. Prerequisites include 3-4 semester credits each: human anatomy, human physiology, statistics, general psychology, developmental psychology, and abnormal psychology; and 6-8 semester credits each: biology, chemistry, and physics. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a cumulative basic science GPA of 2.7. Completion of the Graduate Record Exam, three letters of recommendation, an interview and a minimum of 50 hours of observation with a physical therapist are also required. Applicants must apply through PTCAS. 1.5% of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
100% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average). First time passage rate on the Federation Board Exam is 98.7% (3-year average) and 100% of those program graduates responding to surveys are employed (3-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition and fees in 2013-14 was approximately $13,422.60 per year for South Dakota residents, $22,917.00 for Minnesota residents and $30,778.47 per year for nonresidents. The curriculum is composed of 136 credit hours. The Financial Aid Department assists the physical therapy students in obtaining financial assistance.

Student life
Founded in 1862 by the Dakota Territorial Legislature, USD is the oldest state university in South Dakota and is designated as the state’s only liberal arts university. The University houses the state’s only law and medical schools and the only College of Fine Arts. USD is one of six universities governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents of Education. The University has been accredited by the Commission in Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools since 1913. USD is an active member of Land Grant Colleges and many other state agencies. The University of South Dakota is located in Vermillion, a community of 10,000 people situated in the southeastern corner of the state. The University is composed of the Graduate School, School of Health Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, College of Fine Arts, School of Education, School of Law, and School of Medicine. Off-campus housing is available within walking distance. Support services are available within the University.