Admissions

Print the Admissions Requirements and Application Checklist form.

Please be aware that the PT class for Summer 2009 has been filled. We are currently taking applications for Summer 2010. The deadline for application materials is November 15, 2009.

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The Doctor of Physical Therapy program will consider applicants who:

• Submit a completed Graduate Admissions Application form online or download the .pdf print version.
• Submit a non-refundable application fee of US $50.
  Effective March 15, 2007, when you provide a check as payment, you authorize us either to use information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account or to process the payment as a check transaction. For inquiries please call the College of St. Scholastica Business Office at 1-800-447-5444 or 723-6092. When we use information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer, funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day you make your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution.
• Completed anatomy, physiology, and one full year of chemistry prior to application.
• Have completed the prerequisite requirements prior to beginning the Physical Therapy courses.
• Submit all official transcripts of baccalaureate and graduate coursework.
• Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all coursework equal to 80 semester credits.
• Submit official score for the GRE. Must have a minimum analytical writing score of 3.5 and a combined score for quantitative and verbal of 870. Recommended minimums 500 quantitative, 400 verbal, 1000 combined and 4.0 for analytical writing.
• Submit a completed Doctor of Physical Therapy Field Exploration form. A minimum of two explorations are required.
• Submit a complete Doctor of Physical Therapy Essay.
• Submit two Graduate Recommendation forms, one from a Physical Therapist.
• Submit a completed Student Immunization Form.
• Interviews with faculty of the Physical Therapy Admissions Committee.
• Submit a TOEFL examination or the Michigan Test score is required of all international applicants and applicants whose primary language is not English. The minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based text is required. The minimum Michigan Test score of 80 is required.

International Applicants will need to complete additional requirements.

Note: Meeting minimal entrance requirements does not necessarily guarantee admission. A composite assessment will be based on the applicant information and will reflect the overall desirability of the candidate. This will only be done after review of the complete application file.

Prerequisites

All prerequisite course work must be completed with GPA of 3.0 or above. CSS students must declare and be working toward an alternate major. Physical Therapy specific prerequisites for all applicants that must be completed with a preferred grade of C or above are:

• 1 full year (sequence) of Chemistry*
• 1 full year (sequence) of Physics
• 1 full year (sequence) of Human or Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology*
• Statistics
• Lifespan Developmental Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Medical Terminology
• Courses in kinesiology, research methods, and pathophysiology are recommended.

* must be completed prior to submission of application to the Physical Therapy graduate program.

Technical Standards For Admission and Progression

Success in the Physical Therapy program is dependent on a number of functions deemed essential for the practice of Physical Therapy. Applicants must meet these essential functions and students must continue to demonstrate compliance with these essential functions throughout the program. Students needing reasonable accommodations to meet these essential functions should notify the Chair of their request.

Essential Functions

Critical thinking, problems solving capabilities, sound judgment, emotional stability and maturity, and ability to learn and function in a wide variety of didactic and clinical settings to be able to:

• Develop, monitor and manage individual patient/client plan of care.
• Perform and interpret physical examinations.
• Perform Physical Therapy procedures.
• Communicate effectively in oral and written formats.
• Direct and supervise support personnel.
• Maintain professional demeanor
• Demonstrate problem solving, critical thinking and sound judgment.
• Learn in a wide variety of didactic and clinical settings.
• Demonstrate empathy, integrity, flexibility, responsibility and effective stress management.

Physical Critical Demands

Based on 8 hour work day:
Occasional= 0-33%
Firm grip strength, Sit, Push/pull, Kneel, Lift up to 50 pounds

Frequent= 34-66%
Stand, Walk, Reach, Stoop/squat, Carry

Continuous 67-100%
Gross hand coordination, Fine hand coordination, Work with therapeutic and adaptive devices, Vision-corrected or non corrected.

Communication

• Listen/hear
• Read English
• Speak English
• Write legibly in English

Admission Requirements upon Acceptance

Upon acceptance into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program students will need to:

• Complete a state mandated criminal background check prior to clinical experience. Each student must receive a 'qualified' report prior to working with a patient in a clinical setting.
• Complete 16 credits to equal 96, incuding 16 upper division credits, prior to enrollment in the Physical Therapy Program.

Application Deadline

The application deadline for transfer students and St. Scholastica students in their Junior/Senior year for fall entry is Nov. 15. OFFICIAL transcripts for prerequisite courses must be received by July 1 in the year that students begin the professional program. Review of application files may occur if the class of 36 is not filled; applications will be reviewed until May 1 of that year.

Acceptance Categories

The Physical Therapy graduate program grants acceptance in the following categories:

Full Acceptance: granted to those students who meet all admission requirements.

Provisional Acceptance: granted to those students who have not submitted all required materials but who otherwise have met the admission requirements. Students are allowed one semester to submit remaining credentials and are not eligible for Financial Aid until Full Acceptance into the program.

Probationary Admission: granted to those students who do not meet the GPA requirements but who otherwise exhibit reasonable evidence to indicate their ability to do satisfactory graduate work. Students will be removed from probationary status after completion of 12 semester credits of satisfactory work in graduate courses and not eligible for Financial Aid until Full Acceptance into the program.

Non-degree Acceptance: reserved for those students who wish to pursue courses for professional development but who do not wish to earn a degree or for those students who have course deficiencies that cannot be remedied within one semester. Students will be admitted to courses on a space available basis. No more than one-third of the semester credits taken in non-degree status can be applied toward a degree in the event that the student wishes to transfer to degree bound status. Students in this category are not eligible for Financial Aid.

In the Physical Therapy program, this category is available only to practicing physical therapists that work in a facility with which we have an affiliation agreement. These students are allowed to request enrollment in any Physical Therapy course. Individuals (not practicing physical therapists) who request to take a basic science course in the PT program must make the request in writing to the faculty members responsible for the course. These individuals will not be allowed to enroll in ant PT treatment or intervention courses with a laboratory component. Enrollment on a non-degree acceptance status in a PT course is dependent upon the course faculty's decision.

Tuition

Doctor of Physical Therapy graduate tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year is $655 per semester credit.

Fees and Expenses

Due to the nature of the learning environment, students are charged course fees for any course with a laboratory component. Estimated cost of fees and textbooks for the entire program is $2,400. Expenses associated with internships are the responsibility of the student. Travel and housing while on internship is arranged by the student in consultation with the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education.

The College of St. Scholastica is registered as a private institution with the Minnesota Office of Higher education pursuant to sections 136A.61 to 136A.71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.