General Program Description

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Slippery Rock University accepted its first students in the fall of 1995. The University is located in the quaint village of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and is just 50 miles north of the city of Pittsburgh. The new building erected specifically to meet the needs of the DPT program provides excellent classrooms, teaching and research lab facilities including modern gross anatomy and motion analysis laboratories, a student lounge and a DPT computer lab. Undergraduate students entering the University may choose a 3 + 3 program that allows those with specific majors, if accepted, to enter the DPT program in their senior year.

Clinical Experiences
The clinical component of the program includes one 2-week clinical experience following 3rd semester, one 5-week clinical experience following 4th semester and two 4-month clinical internships during the final two semesters of the program. Clinical site rotations are available for students in many states in the US including Hawaii and also in Australia.

Faculty
There are nine full-time faculty members. Eight of the full-time faculty members hold post-professional doctoral degrees and six are engaged in clinical practice. Four of the faculty members are board certified clinical specialists. The faculty to student ratio is approximately 1:15.

Enrollment
More than 8,000 students are enrolled at Slippery Rock University. The physical therapy program accepts 50 students into the program each fall.

Admission
A bachelor’s degree is required for admission to the DPT program except for SRU 3 + 3 undergraduate students. The 3 + 3 students may apply to the program during their junior year and, if accepted, enter the program as seniors. The average GPA of the physical therapy applicants that are admitted to the program is about 3.6. Prerequisites include 1 year (2 semesters) each: anatomy and physiology w/labs, chemistry w/labs, physics w/labs, psychology, and one course in statistics. A strong liberal arts background that includes the arts, language, and sciences is strongly recommended. Applicants must have 100 hours of documented hands-on experience in a physical therapy environment with a licensed physical therapist. Applications are accepted beginning September 1 and Admissions Committee review begins on November 1. Applications will be accepted until the class is full. Additional requirements for application are: short essay answers to specific questions, three letters of recommendation (two of which must be from physical therapists), general GRE, college transcript(s), and a final transcript conferring a baccalaureate degree. The program has a rolling admissions policy and applicants will be notified by mail if they are accepted.

Outcomes
Graduates of the program practice in a variety of clinical settings throughout the United States. Typically 100% of graduates each year are employed as physical therapists within 6 months after passing the licensure board exam.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition and fees for Pennsylvania residents is determined by the system Board of Govenors each year, but the total program tuition and fees for incoming students for the Fall of 2013 will be approximately $67,757. for instate students and $98,926. for out of state students. Student loans are available to graduate students from federal and state sources and a few scholarships are available including a diversity scholarship. For information, contact Financial Aid at 412/738-2044.

Student life
All students must have parking permits; parking is available in designated areas only. All students may operate legal motor vehicles on campus and must register their vehicles with the University Police. There is a new student union on campus with excellent dining choices in addition to a full service cafeteria. In addition, there is an excellent recreation center for students located centrally on the campus. Ample housing is available to students both on and off campus. Students are responsible for all travel and living expenses during clinical rotations which are assigned by DPT faculty. Pittsburgh is located 50 miles south from the campus and is the nearest metropolitan area.