General Program Description

Classes begin in mid-July. This is an entry-level professional doctorate degree program. The entire educational program lasts 3 years, including summers. On average, students spend 25 hours per week in the classroom, laboratory or clinic. Students are required to complete and successfully present to the faculty a scholarly paper, which, depending on the student’s advisor, may be a review of current scientific literature or original research. A PhD degree in Rehabilitation Science is also available for qualified, experienced physical therapists. In addition to the entry-level DPT degree, the program also offers a year long post-professional Geriatric Clinical Residency.

Clinical Experiences
Students complete a total of 40 weeks of full-time clinical experience divided into four clinical internships. Clinical sites are predominately in Minnesota but sites do exist in 35 other states. The possibility for international clinical experiences also exists in four other countries. Part-time clinical visits are integrated throughout the curriculum.

Faculty
There are 12 full-time faculty members and 3 part-time faculty members (2.03FTE). Over the past year, 30 papers have been published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Seventy-six scientific presentations were given at national and international meetings. The faculty are funded through 7 National Institutes of Health grants and a variety of non-federal grants.

Enrollment
Total University enrollment is approximately 50,000 students. The PT program admits 50 students per year.

Admission
Qualified applicants are eligible for admission into the program, regardless of state residency. Admission is based on GPA, GRE scores, letters of reference, personal narrative, and previous exposure (work or volunteer) in physical therapy and other health care related areas. A baccalaureate degree in any major is required. Prerequisite courses include biology, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, psychology, calculus, and statistics. Application to the program is completed on-line. (See website above for a detailed description of the admissions process and the prerequisite courses.) There is no application fee for the PT program; however a $55 fee is required for application to the Graduate School (also linked at above website.) The program has a rolling admissions process; applications received after June 1 are considered for admission the following July.

Outcomes
98% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average); 97.4% of the graduates passed the licensure exam on the first try (3-year average); and 98.9% of those program graduates responding to surveys are employed (3-year average).

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition is $26,166 per year for residents. Non-residents may apply for scholarships that offset the difference between the resident and nonresident tuition. Additional University and program fees will apply. Tuition and fees are subject to change. For financial aid information, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 612/624-4138.

Student life
The Program in Physical Therapy is located on the East Bank of the Minneapolis campus, where students enjoy the academic, cultural, social, and recreational opportunities of a major university as well as those of a major metropolitan area. The Twin Cities is an unusual combination of the personable and the cosmopolitan. Cultural life is a mixture of world-renowned institutions and a rich array of locally cherished theater, music, and arts organizations. The Twin Cities also feature the state capital and the headquarters of major corporations in electronics, medical devices, transportation, and forestry. Minneapolis and St Paul consistently rank near the top of quality-of-life and residential satisfaction ratings.