General Program Description

The CSU PT Program began in 1974 graduating the first BSPT and certificate graduates in 1976. After offering baccalaureate PT education for 28 years, the Program transitioned to the MPT degree in 2001 and then to the DPT in 2008. The first DPT class began in Spring term 2008 (January) and graduated in December 2010. In 2013, the CSU Program will graduate its fourth DPT class. Nine full time core faculty members and six associated part time faculty serve the program as well as a variety of local clinicians who provide teaching assistance as lab instructors. The program is 9 consecutive semesters in length beginning in Spring term and ending at the end of Fall term (including summers). Students can expect to spend approximately 20-25 hours per week in class/lab.

Clinical Experiences
Clinical experiences begin in the first semester of the program through participation in clinical labs off-campus and service learning activities in 2 inner city pro bono PT practices. In addition, 41 weeks of full time clinical experiences are featured in the DPT curriculum divided into five full time clinical placements including a 7 week elective capstone clinical practicum at the end of the curriculum.

Faculty
There are nine full-time core and six part-time adjunct/associate faculty members. Of the full-time and adjunct faculty 14/15 hold doctoral degrees, nine are APTA board certified as clinical specialists, and seven are engaged in clinical practice. All DPT core faculty members are actively involved in research activities. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:12 in the classroom and 1:10 in labs.

Enrollment
The physical therapy program accepts 40 students each year. Total enrollment for the 3 DPT cohorts for the AY 2013-14 is 115 students.

Admission
All students applying for admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program will complete the following pre-requisites: 1. Physics: two-course sequence with laboratories (At CSU:PHY 221 + 222 or PHY 241 + 242) 2. Chemistry: two-course sequence with laboratories (At CSU: CHM 251/256 + 252/257) 3. Cell or General Biology with laboratory (Cell bio preferred; Must include cell/molecular biology component if General Bio; At CSU: BIO 200/201) 4. Psychology: one course 5. Social/behavioral sciences: two courses (Two courses in addition to one required psychology course; Can be psychology, sociology, anthropology, or an appropriate course in another department) 6. *Statistics (Must be at junior or senior level -> 300 or 400 level course; At CSU: PSY 311 + 312 or MTH 147 + 347) 7. *Vertebrate, Human or Mammalian Physiology (with laboratory preferred) (Must be at junior or senior level – 300 or 400 level course; At CSU: BIO 422/423 or HSC 422) 8. *Human Gross Anatomy with cadaver dissection laboratory (At CSU: HSC 457/475) 9. *Neuroscience with laboratory (At CSU: HSC 476/478) 10. *General Pathology (At CSU: HSC 381) In general, there is a 6-year limit on the age of prerequisite course work that will be accepted for CSU Graduate College and thus, the PT program. However, * courses must be completed within three years of applying to PT Program; it is strongly encouraged that human gross anatomy be completed within the year immediately prior to matriculation into the DTP Program. In addition to the above prerequisite courses, applicants must: – Earn the minimum of a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in any subject area. – Attain a minimum overall Grade Point Average of 3.0/4.0. – Take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test – www.gre.org. Required combined minimum score for Verbal and Quantitative sections of 290-296 (suggested scores of 146-150 verbal, 144-146 quantitative) and 4.0 Analytical Writing score. – Demonstrate language proficiency for non-native English speaking applicants. The TOEFL or Michigan test is required. Applicants must have a TOEFL score of 550 or a Michigan test score of 85 to be eligible. – Complete or have a plan to complete all prerequisite coursework listed before beginning the PT Program. To meet eligibility requirements: Prerequisite courses with a * must earn a “B” grade to be accepted. In addition, no more than 2 “C” grades in any of the other remaining prerequisite courses are permitted. Admissions are processed on a competitive basis. Now accepting applications for the class entering January 2014 through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) Admission deadline: Complete applications due by February 1, annually with decisions by May 1, annually. All potential applicants should contact Pre-Physical Therapy advising at [email protected] or 216.687.3566 as soon as possible to review adequacy of planned and previous coursework to meet prerequisite requirements.

Outcomes
Ninety-three percent of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average). Ultimate licensure pass rate for the DPT graduates (2010, 2011 & 2012) is 99%. For graduates seeking employment within 6 months of obtaining licensure, employment rate is 100%.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
For the 2013-14 academic year, graduate professional program tuition per semester ranges between ~$5370-$6980 for in-state students and ~$6100 – $13,150 for out-of-state students depending on the number of credits/semester. Program fees total ~$500 per semester and the anticipated book costs are an estimated average of $500 per semester. Student assistance in the form of grants, loans and work-study opportunities are available through the University Office of Financial Aid. A limited number of graduate assistantships are available to second year DPT students.

Student life
Cleveland State University is a commuter campus with dormitories that house approximately 3000 students. There is an excellent Student Center, Campus Recreation Center and many campus related activities including an active Student Physical Therapy Association. Reasonably priced apartments/housing are available in downtown Cleveland and nearby suburbs. Good public transportation is available. The Cleveland State University campus is located adjacent to Playhouse Square, 10 blocks from downtown Cleveland. The University has played an extensive role in the revitalization of Cleveland and continues to participate in many exciting cooperative ventures with community organizations.