• The DPT program is a three year, nine semester cohort program.
• This means that we enter a group of students each year and they take the same courses in the same order for the entire 3 years.
• We enroll new students each summer.
• Applications are due each year by October 15th.

If I want to talk to someone about the program and my particular situation, what do I do?

• Call the Department office at 512-245-8351 to set up appointment with a faculty member.  Office hours are available throughout the week to meet with students.

Is the Program accredited?

• The DPT is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). You can learn more about accreditation at www.capteonline.org.

• We accept 36-40 students each year. Unfortunately, not all students who apply are not accepted.

• Pre-requisite courses must be completed by the time the student enrolls in the MSPT program in the summer.

• We do not have a preferred undergraduate degree.
• We suggest that the student major in the course of study that is of interest and that could be a choice should the student decide against graduate school after completion of the baccalaureate degree.

• The program is a full-time program; a part-time option is not available due to the nature of the sequencing of the courses.

• Ideally, we are looking for individuals with good interpersonal (people) skills.
• The individual should be well balanced – academically and personally.
• We desire students who are creative thinkers with excellent problem solving skills, who are not afraid to take on challenges, and can do that with thought and tact.

• The course load ranges from 10-14 credits per semester. The first several semesters are very heavy in "in class" time, while the later semesters have more "out of class" responsibilities for learning.
• Additional course load is dependent on when clinical education assignments are made and how efficient project completion is.

• The first strength is our on-site physical therapy clinic. Each student completes a clinical assignment working with our faculty as clinical instructors, evaluating and treating patients in our on-site clinical facility.
• The second is the spiral design of the curriculum which allows course content to build each semester for a thorough understanding of critical concepts.
• Our third strength is our faculty and the fact that many of the faculty are board certified specialists and maintain active clinical practice.
• And finally, our students are one of our best strengths - they are talented and intellectually curious.  They are motivated to become professionals.  In support of our students, we have a limited number of graduate assistantships available each year. 

• The application process involves two simultaneous steps; the applicant must apply to the Texas State Graduate College, and the applicant must apply to the Department of Physical Therapy.
• The Graduate College requires an official application, a fee of $40.00, scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), and all official transcripts of previous college study, both graduate and undergraduate. These items should be submitted directly to the Graduate College. Contact the Graduate College at www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/ or at 512-245-2581.
• The application to the Department of Physical Therapy requires an application, pre-requisite course list form, recommendation checklists and the application fee of $25.00. Those items should be submitted directly to the Department of Physical Therapy.

• The recommendation checklists should go directly to the Department of Physical Therapy as part of the application packet.

• No, Texas State will provide that transcript to the Graduate College.

• One transcript is required for all college course work even if only one course was completed at a specific institution.

• The Graduate College application is available at www.gradcollege.txstate.edu.
• The Physical Therapy Application is available at PT Application.

• The deadline is October 15^th.  All materials must be received by the Graduate College and the Department of Physical Therapy by that date for an applicant's file to be considered for admission during that admission cycle.

• Yes; this is a requirement of our department and your application will be considered incomplete if the GRE score is not received.
• However, the GRE score alone will not prevent an applicant from being admitted.

• You can take the GRE at any time. Call 1-800-473-2255 for information or visit their web site at www.gre.org.
• The GRE web site or phone counselors can give you the exact costs for their services, including study guides.

• Yes. However, your application is not complete and will not be reviewed until those GRE scores are on file in the Graduate College.

If I am reapplying, what do I need to do?

• Contact the Graduate College to determine status of your previous application and find out what they need to update for the current application cycle.
• Complete or update the Physical Therapy applications.  Submit the application fee.  Provide updated inforamtion - forms, statements, references, if there are any changes. 

• The Student Selection Committee considers a number of factors to determine which applicants are most likely to succeed in the graduate physical therapy program.
• We consider the previous college GPAs, the content and clarity of the applicant’s essays, the information contained in the recommendation checklists, the GRE score, and the applicant’s work and volunteer history. The Committee will interview a select number of qualified applicants for admission.

• Acceptance to the PT Program requires a baccalaureate degree.
• We prefer a GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of college work, a 3.0 in pre-requisite course work, a 3.0 in all science course work, and a GRE score of 1000.
• All pre-requisite course work must be completed before entry into the program.

• The last 60 hours GPA cannot be changed unless you complete another degree. Courses may be repeated to improve the pre-requisite course GPA.  Courses that are repeated after completion of a degree will not change the GPA for the degree.

• A GRE is designed to demonstrate the test-takers potential for success in graduate studies.
• An applicant can retake the GRE to raise the score. When the GRE is repeated, we will use the higher of each individual score.
• Visit the GRE website or call for recommendations about study guides or courses.

• We estimate that the student can spend as much as $15,000 per year in the program – including tuition and fees, books, lab supplies and equipment, travel, memberships, and other costs.

• Although we do not require a specific number of volunteer or observation hours, it is highly recommended that applicants have exposure to physical therapy prior to applying to the  program.
• Most of our applicants have at least 12-20 hours of volunteer experience. Many applicants have many more than that and a number of applicants have work experience as well.

Does it matter when pre-requisite courses were taken?  For example, do you accept courses taken over 10 years ago?

•  We do not have a time frame for when courses can be taken.  The applicant is responsible for the content information of the pre-requisite courses since they provide the foundation for the professional program.  The applicant must be confident in their knowledge from these courses.  They do not need to be repeated for a more recent completion date.

How can I find out if pre-requisite courses are similar or will be considered from my institution?

• You can check the transfer course information available on Catsweb (catsweb.txstate.edu/catsweb/am/e000000_wb0.htm).  If you still have questions, contact us at phystherapy@txstate.edu.

What should I do to be a competitive candidate for your program?

• Competitive candidates have maintained a good GPA throughout their undergraduate studies, have a good basic knowledge of the field of physical therapy, and can express themselves well in both in writing and verbally. 

Where will I complete my clinical experiences?

• Each student will consult with the Director of Clinical Education to establish an individualized clinical education plan.  Sometimes these experiences can be arranged close to home, other times, you may need to plan to travel.  It is important that you work directly with the DCE to establish a plan that can meet your needs within the confines of availability and access to a quality experience.