General Program Description

The professional program in physical therapy, which follows a bachelor’s degree and 49 hours of prerequisite study, requires 2.5 years (eight consecutive semesters) and leads to a doctor of physical therapy (DPT), and eligibility for licensure as a physical therapist. The first year starts in Mayand extends through May of the following year. During this year students complete courses in basic and clinical sciences, including: anatomy; kinesiology; basic physical therapy evaluation and treatment procedures; legal, ethical, and professional aspects of physical therapy; and cardiopulmonary physical therapy. During the second year students study the management of patients with orthopedic and neurologic abnormalities with additional course work in pediatrics. Students also plan and conduct a group research project under the supervision of faculty. Most of the third year is devoted to clinical education. Time is also provided for completion of the research project. There are seven full-time faculty and three adjunct faculty members. Commencement occurs in December.

Clinical Experiences
Students have 36 weeks of clinical experience including three 8-week experiences and a 12 week internship. Students complete experiences in orthopedics, neurologic rehabilitation, acute care, and the final internship which may be in pediatrics, industrial or sports rehabilitation, wound care or other experiences depending on the availability of sites. Clinical sites are primarily in Texas and surrounding states.

Faculty
There are 7 full-time and 9 part-time faculty members. Of the full-time faculty 100% hold post-professional doctoral degrees, one is certified as a clinical specialist, and two are engaged in clinical practice. The full time faculty to student ratio is 1:10.

Enrollment
The university has a total enrollment of over 22,000 students. The physical therapy program has a maximum enrollment of 28 students per class drawn from an application pool of approximately 70.

Admission
Applicants must complete a bachelor’s degreee and 49 credit hours of prerequisite courses: 3 hours each technical writing, speech, and statistics (psychology or education based and must include ANOVA); 4 hours upper division physiology w/lab (human, animal or vertebrae, second half of human anatomy/physiology is not acceptable); 6 hours each of English, and psychology (general and developmental); 8 hours each: chemistry, physics, and biological science (must all be for science majors w/lab). No more than 66 credit hours can be transferred from a 2-year or junior college. A minimum of 50 clock hours of volunteer or paid experience in a physical therapy setting must be completed before December 1 of the application year. All prerequisites and the bachelor’s degree must be completed by the end of the spring semester of the year the student plans to matriculate. Math and science courses that fulfill prerequisites must be less then 10 years old. A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and a minimum GPA of 3.0 in prerequisites are necessary. Three references are required, one of which must be from a physical therapist who supervised the work of the volunteer experience. The GRE is required. Completion of an official interview is required of all eligible candidates. Applications are available at any time and the submission deadline for completed applications is Jan 10th. After interview and review of entire packet, candidates are notified of admission, alternate status or rejection during March/April. Less than fifty percent of qualified applicants are admitted to the program (3-year average).

Outcomes
87% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition for the 2012-2013 school year is found at: http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=47747. Residents of southern New Mexico counties adjacent to El Paso are eligible for in-state tuition. Room is approximately $6000.00 per year. Book costs can total as much as $700.00 per semester. For funds available to physical therapy students, call (915) 747-5204.

Student life
Nestled in the foothills of the Franklin Mountains, El Paso is located in far West Texas directly on the US-Mexico border. El Paso and Juarez, Mexico form the center of a bilingual, bicultural population spanning three states and two nations. Extensive outdoor activities are available in the surrounding areas.