Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Professional Program

The entry-level professional physical therapy program leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy is designed for those students already possessing a baccalaureate degree who wish to become qualified as physical therapists. Students have the opportunity to acquire basic competencies of physical therapy, participate in supervised clinical experiences, and develop skills in education, health promotion, management, and research.

Those who are already physical therapists may pursue the transitional DPT as a post-professional degree.

Application Deadline

The review of applications begins on December 15.

Admission Requirements

Applications received by the December deadline will be assured consideration. Applications received after that date will be considered on a space-available basis. Applicants are responsible for the gathering and simultaneous submission of all required materials by the deadline. Admitted applicants will be notified and invited to attend an information session during February.

A completed application and official transcript(s) showing evidence of completion of a baccalaureate degree and prerequisite coursework are required for admission. The following courses must be completed at the college level:

1. Biology: 3–4 credits (one course with lab)
2. Human anatomy: 3–4 credits (one course with lab) (Note: When anatomy and physiology are taken as a combined course, two semesters are necessary to meet the requirements.)
3. Human physiology: 3–4 credits (one course with lab)
4. Chemistry: 6–8 credits (two-semester sequence with lab)
5. Physics: 6–8 credits (two-semester sequence with lab)
6. Statistics: 3–4 credits (one course to include descriptive statistics, correlation, and introduction to inferential statistics)
7. Developmental psychology or general psychology: 3–4 credits (one course)
8. Exercise physiology: 3–4 credits (one course)

Courses taken to fulfill prerequisites must be completed with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in order for the application to be considered. An applicant may have courses still in progress by the December deadline, but all prerequisites must be completed by the start of the program. If you have questions about whether a course fulfills one of the above requirements, please submit a course description from the appropriate college catalog to: Senior Program Coordinator, Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training, Boston University Sargent College, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.

Applicants Must Submit:

1. A completed application to the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS), www.ptcas.org.
2. Three letters of reference (one must be from a course instructor or academic advisor, one from a health care professional, and one from a supervisor in a professional or other work capacity) via PTCAS.
3. Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are submitted (institution code 7608) via PTCAS. Applicants with a quantitative score below 140 (400 on the old scoring system) or verbal score below 146 (400 on the old scoring system) will not be considered. Analytic writing scores are also evaluated.
4. If admitted, official transcripts showing evidence of completion of your bachelor’s degree will need to be sent to the following office by our program’s start date in May:
   Boston University
   Senior Program Coordinator
   College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
   635 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 542
   Boston, MA 02215

Degree Requirements

Candidates must complete a minimum of 94 credits, including a minimum of 42 weeks of clinical experience, to fulfill degree requirements. All requirements must be completed within six years of initial acceptance. The curriculum is designed for full-time study; part-time enrollment is not an option. Degree candidates must attain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher. No grade below a C is acceptable for credit. For further details, please refer to the DPT Policy & Procedure Manual.

Curriculum

The following is a typical three-year program for the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Each course carries 4 credits unless otherwise noted.

Professional Curriculum: DPT

Summer Term I

• SAR HS 581 Gross Human Anatomy

Summer Term II

• SAR PT 515 Physical Therapy Examination
• SAR PT 520 Functional Anatomy

First Year (DPT I)

First Semester

• SAR HP 531 Clinical Medicine I: Physical Agents
• SAR PT 511 Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems I (6)
• SAR PT 521 Musculoskeletal Systems I (6)
• SAR HP 561 Evidence-Based Practice I (1)
• SAR PT 555 Integrated Clinical Experience I (1)

Second Semester

• SAR HP 532 Clinical Medicine II
• SAR PT 512 Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems II (2)
• SAR PT 522 Musculoskeletal Systems II (6)
• SAR PT 551 Neuroscience for the Physical Therapist
• SAR PT 565 Integrated Clinical Experience II (1)

Summer

• SAR PT 791 Clinical Experience I (0) Fee

Second Year (DPT II)

First Semester

• SAR PT 550 Scientific Basis of Human Movement (2)
• SAR HP 662 Evidence-Based Practice II (2)
• SAR PT 634 Diagnostic Procedures for Rehabilitation Professionals
• SAR PT 652 Neurological Systems I (6)
• SAR PT 691 Clinical Education Seminar I (1)

Second Semester

• SAR PT 623 Musculoskeletal Systems III (6)
• SAR PT 653 Neurological Systems II (6)
• SAR PT 681 Academic Practicum I (1)
• SAR PT 692 Clinical Education Seminar II (1)
• SAR HP 725 Foundations of Education and Health Promotion

Summer

SAR PT 792 Clinical Experience II (0) Fee

Third Year (DPT III)

First Semester

• SAR HP 770 Health Care Management
• SAR PT 756 Pediatrics (2)
• SAR PT 773 Comprehensive Clinical Reasoning
• SAR PT 781 Academic Practicum II (3)
• SAR PT 794 Clinical Education Seminar III (1)

Second Semester

• SAR PT 793 Clinical Internship (0) Fee