Program Information

The Florida Board of Governors approved the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree for implementation at Florida International University to start in the Fall semester, 2007. The program is nine semester, 113-credit course of study leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). There are 34 weeks of clinical education. The Physical Therapy Department admits 54-58 DPT students annually.

Accreditation 

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Florida International University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.

Important Dates 

Final application deadline for beginning the program in Fall 2013 is January 14, 2013
Interview Date: February 9th.

Early Admission

We will review applications on a weekly basis beginning in September prior to the January deadline. Well qualified students who apply within this time frame will be invited to campus for an early interview. Successful candidates will be offered early admission contingent on completing all admission requirements. We also participate in the PTCAS Early Decision program.

Admission Requirements

DPT Physical Therapy-Professional Preparation Program

• A bachelor’s degree in any academic  field from a regionally  accredited institution.
• Admission into FIU as a graduate student.
• Applicants are required to take the GRE to meet Graduate School requirements. A score above the 50th percentile on both Verbal and Quantitative section of the GRE is recommended. Students must also take the Analytical Writing portion of the GRE. A minimum score of 3.5 is recommended.
• A GPA of 3.0 on upper division coursework. Overall GPA and prerequisite coursework are required.
• At least 60 hours of observation within a physical therapy clinic or facility which must be completed prior to application to the program.
• Three letters of reference, two of which must be from a licensed physical therapist.
• Completion of the following pre-requisite courses before starting the program (Courses listed are for students enrolled at FIU). Please note that survey courses in chemistry, biology, and physics are not acceptable.

Two semesters of General College Physics with labs
PHY 2048, PHY 2048L, PHY 2049 and PHY 2049L
OR
PHY 2053, PHY 2048L and PHY 2054, PHY2049L

Two semesters of General College Chemistry with labs
CHM 1045, CHM 1045L, CHM 1046 and CHM 1046L

Biology requirements (select  one of the following two options):

BSC 1010, BSC 1010L, PCB 3702 and PCB 3702L or HSC3549  and ZOO 3731 and 3731L

BSC 1010, BSC1010L (FIU does not offer combined anatomy/physiology courses)

Two semesters of psychology

College statistics
STA 2122 or higher

Application Procedures

Applying for admission to the DPT program is via the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) at the below address.
http://www.ptcas.org/home.aspx

PTCAs must receive all information by the application deadline. APPLY EARLY. Applicants will be allowed to have 2-3 prerequisite courses outstanding at the time of application.

Applicants also need to complete a Supplemental Graduate School Online Form - https://pslinks.fiu.edu/psc/cslinks/EMPLOYEE/CAMP/c/FIU_CAMPUS_COMMUNITY_MENU.FIU_CCC1023_PTCAS.GBL

If we need additional information, or to schedule an interview, we will contact you via email at the address you provided to the PTCAS system. Please monitor your email as it is our preferred method of communication.

If you have specific questions regarding selection or acceptance of  prerequisite courses please contact Barbara Anderson  anderson@fiu.edu.

For other questions on your application or if you wish to visit the department please contact Dr. Denis Brunt, the department chair  dbrunt@fiu.edu.

Admission Procedures

A student’s application is reviewed by three graduate faculty from the Department of Physical Therapy. An applicant is granted an interview based upon their ranked academic score together with supplemental information obtained from the PTCAS application. An academic score is determined from GRE scores, cumulative and pre-requisite GPA. Supplemental information includes references, physical therapy observation experience, extracurricular and community activity, and general essay. A student may be invited to interview either early or following the application deadline. Students who interview early may or may not be recommended for admission or a decision for admission may be deferred until completion of interviews following the application deadline. Students who interview after the application deadline may or may not be recommended for admission or be placed on an alternate list.

Student Outcomes