Physical Therapy, DPT

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program provides a comprehensive academic program to prepare students to work as physical therapists. The program is rich with opportunities to train alongside professionals in diverse environments.

Program Specific Admission Requirements

The Physical Therapy department at The University of Scranton participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service, known as PTCAS. To learn more about the PTCAS application process, please visit the PTCAS website. Please submit all application documents through PTCAS. For general application requirements, please View Our Admissions Webpage.

The deadline for applicants with a guaranteed seat is September 15th, and the deadline for external applicants is November 15th.

Admission is competitive and limited. To be eligible for admission to the DPT program, applicants must have an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.20 or higher, and a science GPA of 3.20 or higher (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) as calculated by the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). The following pre-requisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better:

  • Biology with labs – 2 courses, 8 credits minimum 
  • General Chemistry with labs – 2 courses, 8 credits minimum 
  • General Physics with Labs – 2 courses, 8 credits minimum 
  • Anatomy and/or Physiology – 1 course, 3 credits minimum 
  • General Psychology – 1 course, 3 credits minimum
  • Advanced Psychology (Childhood, Adolescence, Aging or Abnormal Psychology) – 1 course, 3 credits minimum
  • Statistics – 1 course, 3 credits minimum

Each pre-requisite is independent of each other and courses cannot be applied to more than one pre-requisite. Advanced Placement credit can be used for the pre-requisites of Psychology and Statistics.

Applicants must submit documentation and verification of 30 hours of physical therapy patient contact experience by the time the application to the DPT program is submitted.  All experiences must be supervised by a licensed physical therapist. Documentation and verification must be submitted through the PTCAS application process.

Students will be required to complete a Criminal Background Check, Child Abuse clearance and/or the FBI Fingerprint clearance prior to clinical experiences; and other clearances as requested by specific clinical sites.

Curriculum

The DPT curriculum is 111 credits and progresses from basic science courses to clinical application, and addresses the practice of physical therapy in all settings throughout the lifespan. Clinical experiences account for 24 credits and 34 weeks. Safety, ethics and evidence-based practice are common themes reoccurring throughout the curriculum.

During the three-year professional phase of the program, DPT students will have the opportunity to participate in multiple professional activities on the state, regional, and national levels.  Students will complete a faculty-directed research project and submit the findings for presentation at a national scientific meeting.

For additional information on the curriculum, visit the Loading... Catalog.

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    Why Choose Scranton?

    Nationally Ranked

    US News & World Report rated The University of Scranton among the 10 top master’s universities in the North in its “America’s Best Colleges” ranking.

    Jesuit Education

    As one of the 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, The University of Scranton is dedicated to developing the whole person.

    Faculty Engagement

    Faculty are active in professional relations and continuing research. Most faculty are concurrently practicing physical therapists.

    Student Research

    Over the last 5 years, the Physical Therapy program has had outstanding success in getting research accepted at the annual national convention. This past year, 13 out of 13 submitted faculty-student research projects were accepted for presentation at the national conference in San Antonio, TX.

    Beyond the Classroom

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    Assistantships

    Graduate Assistants, who assist faculty in the delivery of course content, receive a stipend as well as tuition scholarships.

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    Service Experiences

    Service trips enable the students to actively participate in cultural experiences while practicing patient treatment.

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    Clinical Education

    Students are required to complete four internships. Sites are located throughout the US, with many being in PA, NJ and NY.

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    Leahy Hall

    Leahy Hall is designed to offer the best simulation environments, laboratories, equipment and technology for our students.

    Successful Graduates

    Licensure Pass Rate 2020

    Ultimate Pass Rate: 90.0%

    First Time Pass Rate: 85.0%

    Accreditation

    capte
    The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at The University of Scranton is accredited by:
    3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100
    Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085
    Phone: 703-706-3245
    Email: accreditation@apta.org

    Meet the Department Chair

    Renee Hakim, PT, PhD, NCS photo

    Renee Hakim, PT, PhD, NCS

    Chair of Doctor of Physical Therapy Department Assistant Professor

    Education

    B.S., The University of Scranton M.S., University of Pittsburgh Ph.D., Temple University

    Contact

    (570) 941-7499

    Important Links

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