Department of Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy (DPT)

Telephone: (302) 831-8910
http://sites.udel.edu/pt/study-with-us/
Faculty Listing: http://sites.udel.edu/pt/faculty/

Program Overview

The Physical Therapy Department provides academic and clinical training commensurate with the Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. This entry-level degree program qualifies the graduate to sit for the national physical therapy examination to become licensed in the United States as a physical therapist. The UD DPT program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The program is full-time and of two and one-half years duration, including all summer and winter sessions. Part-time matriculation is not permitted.

Students enrolled in the program may also earn a Master of Science in Anatomy and Clinical Health Science after successful completion of 31 credits of academic DPT degree-required coursework, including three credits of an advanced anatomy course, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0. The MS in Anatomy and Clinical Health Science will be offered only to students admitted into the UD DPT Program. Students may not apply directly into the MS degree program, nor will students be permitted to transfer into this program from another major.

The Physical Therapy Department is currently housed in the Health Sciences Complex at the STAR Campus. The Department has modern, well-equipped laboratories for research, teaching, and clinical practice. In addition, there are two on-site, full-service physical therapy clinics, which provide clinical practice opportunities and training for DPT students and residents.

Requirements for Admission

Candidates with baccalaureate degrees from accredited colleges and universities will be eligible to apply for admission into the DPT graduate program. International students from accredited universities outside of the United States are eligible to apply. All international transcripts must be evaluated by a recognized credentialing agency prior to application. Applicants must follow the application procedures outlined on the Physical Therapy Department website (http://sites.udel.edu/pt/study-with-us/udpt-application-procedures). Sixty students will be admitted annually into the program.

Admission to the program is competitive. Acceptance is based on demonstrated academic excellence, a favorable interview, evidence of physical therapy clinical experience, the required essay, and letters of recommendation.

Acceptance will be based on the stated criteria and not on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

It is recommended that candidates review the technical standards, found in the DPT Program Policy Document on the Department website prior to submitting their application.

The minimum entrance requirements for the DPT program include:

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Completion of all required prerequisite coursework.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
• Documented volunteer or paid clinical experience in a physical therapy setting under the direct supervision of a U.S. licensed or educated physical therapist (100 hours minimum).
• Three letters of recommendation (two from U.S. licensed or educated physical therapists; one from a professor of an upper-level course).
• If selected, an interview with the Admissions Committee.

Students whose first language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and submit their scores directly to UD. The preferred minimum scores are 600 (paper-based test) or 100 (Internet-based test, IBT). Following are the preferred minimum scores on individual sections of the TOEFL:

• Reading: 26
• Writing: 24
• Listening: 22
• Speaking: 26

Prerequisite coursework requirements are:

• Psychology - Introductory - 1 course (3 credits)
• Statistics - Introductory - 1 course (3 credits)
• Chemistry with Lab - Introductory - 2 courses (8 credits)
• Physics with Lab - Introductory - 2 courses (8 credits)
• Biology with Lab - Introductory - 2 courses (8 credits)
• Human or Mammalian Anatomy with Lab* - 1 course (4 credits)
• Human or Mammalian Physiology with Lab* - 1 course (4 credits)

* May substitute a two-course sequence of anatomy and physiology for the above asterisked requirements.

Programs

• Anatomy and Clinical Health Science (MS)

• Physical Therapy (DPT)