How long is the DPT Program?

 Mount St. Joseph University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program lasts 3 years (summer, fall and spring), and is equivalent to 9 semesters.

What is the job market outlook for physical therapy?

The current physical therapy job market is excellent. Information received from potential employers is collected and available to students at any time. Additionally, the Mount Career Center holds regular healthcare employment fairs.

What is the starting salary for a physical therapist?

Salary, demographics and other workforce data for physical therapists can be found via the American Physical Therapy Association.

What undergraduate major should I choose?

The Mount recommends that students pick an undergraduate major in their area of interest. We frequently ask prospective students, “What would you study if you didn’t choose physical therapy?”  The only requirement for undergraduate coursework are the listed pre-requisite courses. 

Can I finish my prerequisites after I apply–as long as it’s before class starts?

Yes, pre-requisite coursework may be completed after the October 1 application deadline.  However, students must have completed at least 2/3 of the science pre-requisite courses by the application deadline. 

So that the Mount can assist in ensuring the courses you take are acceptable, indicate the planned coursework in the PTCAS application -school specific questions.  Admission is dependent upon maintaining your prerequisite GPA established upon acceptance and conferment of an undergraduate degree.

Are prerequisites accepted if they are more than 10 years old?

We consider prior pre-requisite coursework on a case-by-case basis. If you’ve been working in a field similar to the prerequisite course in the past 10 years, we will accept the course.  For example, we would accept chemistry from a commercial chemist, and psychology from someone working as a counselor.

How do I know if my courses fulfill your requirements?

Most pre-requisite courses are easily transferable/acceptable. For example, any psychology course will count for the psychology requirement. However, certain courses do tend to elicit more questions/cause more problems than others. For the Mount, this includes the anatomy & physiology, sociology, and ethics courses. Students are asked in PTCAS - program specific questions - to list the course name, number, institution and course description for the anatomy & physiology, sociology, and ethics pre-requisites. The program will then evaluate courses from information provided and notify students of any issues after applications are reviewed. Alternately, students may contact the program to have any course evaluated ahead of time. 

Anatomy & Physiology (A&P):

The Mount prefers students take human A&P courses.  These courses best prepare students for the human gross anatomy course with cadaver dissection in our curriculum.  However, vertebrate and mammalian courses are acceptable.  The A&P courses may be combined (e.g. 2 semesters of A&P) or separate (e.g. 1 semester of anatomy, 1 semester of physiology).  All semesters must include a laboratory component whether they are combined or separate.  For example, both the anatomy course and the physiology course must have a lab.  Exercise physiology courses/labs do not count as the physiology requirement.  In rare cases, institutions may offer accelerated courses (i.e. all the content of 1 year in 2 quarters).  These courses may be acceptable but are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 

 

Ethics:

Ethics courses may be offered through ethics programs/departments or through philosophy.  There are many types of ethics courses; some examples include healthcare ethics, business ethics, bioethics, and contemporary ethics.  To fulfill the prerequisite ethics requirement, the course must include an examination of moral theories and analysis of moral concepts of goodness, right and obligation. Students may contact the program to discuss ethics courses.

Do you accept Advanced Placement (AP) credit?

AP credit transfers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  For the most part, AP in courses such as psychology is acceptable.  However, AP credit for any science pre-requisite course or lab would rarely be accepted.  Please contact the DPT Program for specific inquiries.

Is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) required?

Yes, the Mount’s DPT admission requirements include submission of the Graduate Record Exam via the PTCAS application process (PTCAS school code is 7749).  Scores within the past 5 years will be accepted. 

How is admission determined?

The DPT program uses scores on the GRE (verbal/quantitative score as well as analytical/essay score), the overall GPA, prerequisite science GPA, and on-campus interview in the admission decision making process.  There are no minimums for these scores except for the 3.0 minimum overall GPA/pre-requisite science GPA. Averages for the last several cohorts of students are as follows: GRE -verbal/quantitative 304, GRE -analytical/essay 4.2, overall GPA 3.5, pre-requisite science GPA 3.4.

What are the rules for the clinical observation hours requirement?

For 2020, the program requires 30 clinical observation hours. Hours must include time in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Students must have a minimum of 10 hours at each of the two settings.  

Clinical observation hours must be supervised and electronically verified by a licensed physical therapist. Hours supervised by any other health care professional (e.g. athletic trainer, physical therapist assistant, nurse) will not be accepted. 

Can I use paid work time for the clinical observation hours?

Yes. Observation hours may come from volunteering, or from a paid position. However, they still must meet the rules for setting/supervision (see prior question).

Can I finish my clinical observation hours after I apply as long as it’s before DPT coursework starts?

No. All clinical observation hours must be completed and verified by the application deadline.

Are scholarships available for physical therapy students at the Mount?

Graduate work study may be available for those who qualify via FAFSA (you must indicate work study on the application).  Merit and need-based scholarships may be available on a limited basis.  Additionally, many non-profit organizations have scholarships for graduate healthcare education and some healthcare organizations provide tuition reimbursement in exchange for future employment.  Contact the Mount’s financial aid staff at financial.aid@msj.edu or DPT program at physical.therapy@msj.edu for guidance in these endeavors. The APTA also has several scholarships and grants available with information here. 

What are the tuition and fees for the DPT program?

Tuition and fees can be accessed by clicking here.

Do you have clinical internships? If so, where can I go to do my internships?

Students enrolled in the Mount’s DPT program will complete 42 weeks of full-time clinical internships.  The Mount maintains clinical contracts with over 300 facilities across the US.  Refer to the clinical education page for more details.

Do I pay tuition during my clinical internships?

Yes. Students must pay tuition during their clinical internships. Costs of travel and lodging for clinical internships outside the local area are also the responsibility of the student.

Do I get paid by the clinic when performing my clinical internships?

No. Students are not paid for their clinical internship time. These educational experiences are an extension of the Mount’s classrooms, designed to enhance the students’ application of knowledge and skills.