Arcadia University

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION

Erin Kardon
Associate Director of Enrollment Management
Arcadia University
Office of Enrollment Management
450 South Easton Rd
Glenside, Pennsylvania 19038
Phone: 877-272-2342
Phone (alternate number): 215-572-2912
Email: kardone@arcadia.edu
Website: http://www.arcadia.edu/PT

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Final PTCAS Application Deadline	Thursday, January 15, 2009
Deadline Type	Soft Deadline
Program has rolling admissions process?	YES

Other deadlines (if any):

Arcadia University Auto Admit (only for Arcadia Undergraduates who meet the requirements): 12/15/2008
JMU articulation agreement (open to JMU students who meet the requirements): 12/15/2008
Messiah College (open to the Messiah students who meet the requirements): 12/15/2008

Additional Deadline Information:

Get Acquainted Days are exclusively with the Physical Therapy Faculty and Students. Come observe a class, tour the campus and meet with a graduate financial aid counselor. Fall 2008 dates are Friday, October 3rd and Monday, December 1st. Call 215-572-2912 to register.

Graduate Open Houses give you the opportunity to learn about the program, tour the campus and meet with a graduate financial aid counselor. The Fall 2008 date is Wednesday, November 19th. Call 215-572-2912 to register.

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

Course Prerequisites

Must applicants earn a Bachelor's degree prior to enrolling into the PT program? YES

For more information about course prerequisites, visit the program Web site: http://www.arcadia.edu/PT

Course prerequisite fields will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

Course Prerequisite Name or Subject Area	Req, Rec, Crq*	SEM hrs	QTR hrs	Lab Required (Y/N)	Additional Program Information
Biological Sciences	REQ	4	-	YES	Any biology course
Biological Sciences	REQ	4	-	YES	Any biology course
Human or Mammalian Systems Physiology	REQ	4	-	YES	A two semester anatomy/physiology course with laboratory would meet this requirement
Upper Level Biological Science	REQ	3	-	NO	This course must be 300 level or above and at least 3 credits with a biology focus. Preferably taken thru a biology department.
Chemistry Course 1	REQ	4	-	YES	Any chemistry course
Chemistry Course 2	REQ	4	-	YES	Any chemistry course
Physics 1	REQ	4	-	YES	Must be a physics 1 course. Does not need to be calculus based.
Physics 2	REQ	4		YES	Must be a physics 2 course. Does not need to be calculus based.
Psychology Course 1	REQ	3	-	NO	Any psychology course
Psychology Course 2	REQ	3	-	NO	Any psychology course
Statistics	REQ	3	-	NO	Content should include descriptive statistics, differences between 2 means, correlation and beginning concepts of analysis of variance.

* “Req” = required course; “Rec” = recommended course; “Crq” = conditionally required course

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

GRE: Required
Last acceptable GRE test date( if applicable):
Oldest GRE score considered (if applicable): Jan-04

GRE table below may contain blank fields if program data is not available or applicable.

GRE Section	Minimum GRE Score	Average GRE Score for Accepted Students
Verbal	450	500
Verbal Percentile	.	.
Quantitative	450	640
Quantitative Percentile	.	.
Analytical	4	4.5
Analytical Percentile	.	.
Writing	.	.
Writing Percentile	.	.

Additional information about program’s GRE requirements:
Applicants must advise ETS to submit their official GRE scores to Arcadia University (Institution code: 2039) We expect a minimum combined verbal + quantitative score of 1050.

References

Total number of references required by program: 3 References

REFERENCE TYPE	Reference Type Is Required, Recommended, Accepted, Conditionally Required, NOT Accepted, or Other
Teaching Assistant	Accepted
Supervisor	Accepted
PTA	Accepted
Professor (Science)	Recommended
Professor (Math)	Accepted
Professor (Liberal Arts)	Accepted
Pre-Health Advisor	Accepted
Politician	Accepted
Physical Therapist (1)	Required
Physical Therapist (2)	Accepted
Health Care Provider	Accepted
Friend	Not Accepted
Family Member	Not Accepted
Faculty Advisor	Accepted
Employer	Accepted
Co-Worker	Accepted
Clergy	Accepted
OTHER	N/A

Additional information about program’s reference requirements:
Request recommendations from three (3) people. One must be from a currently practicing, licensed physical therapist. One must be a college professor who is able to judge your academic qualifications and readiness for rigorous work at the graduate level; this professor should have taught one of your primary academic courses.

PT Observation Hours

Enter your PT observation hours on your PTCAS application. Login to the PTCAS application and print each customized PT Observation Hours form, if the program requires a physical therapist to verify your hours with a signature. Mail the signed form directly to the PT program, if required. Do not mail to PTCAS.

PT HOURS	PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Description of Program’s PT Hours Requirement	PT hours are required - no verification by a physical therapist
Total Number of Hours REQUIRED	.
Total Number of Hours RECOMMENDED	.
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours	15-Jan-09
PAID Experience	Accepted
VOLUNTEER Experience	Accepted
INPATIENT Experience	Accepted
OUTPATIENT Experience	Accepted
Number of hours in each PT specialty (if specified)	.
Number of hours in each PT setting (if specified)	.

Additional information about program’s PT hours requirement: Knowledge of the profession through work or volunteer experience is required. A broad overview of the profession is preferable to experience in a limited area. More than one experience is required.

GPA Requirement

GPAs will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

Name of GPA	Minimum GPA	Average GPA for Accepted Students
Overall Undergraduate Cumulative	3.00	3.50
Program-specific Prerequisite	3.00	3.29
Other GPA 1: Last 45 (L45 credits regardless of department or subject)	.	3.60
Other GPA 2:	.	.

Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any):

All courses used to meet the minimum prerequisite biological and physical science requirements should be taken through the appropriate science departments (i.e. biology, chemistry, physics). Courses in kinesiology, exercise physiology or those taken to fulfill requirements for a physical therapist assistant degree will also not automatically meet the prerequisite requirements.
All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the start of the physical therapy program. A grade of "C-" or below is not acceptable as a prerequisite course. However, it will be included when calculating the prerequisite GPA.
One-half of the prerequisite courses, including physiology and statistics, must have been taken within 10 years prior to application.

PTCAS Essay Instructions

You can customize your PTCAS essay for each designated PTCAS program. The PT program may require you to respond to specific essay questions. If program instructions below are blank, respond to 3 of the 5 essay questions on the PTCAS application form.

What personal characteristics do you have that make you suitable for the profession of physical therapy?
What is your motivation for pursuing a career in physical therapy?
How has your background and experience prepared you to interact effectively with individuals who are different from you in their social, cultural, or economic perspectives?
What types of patients have you observed with the greatest frequency, and what have you learned from them?
If you were to be accepted to two or more physical therapy education programs, what would help you make the decision regarding which program you should select?
REPEAT APPLICANTS If you have applied to a physical therapy program in the past five years, what have you done to improve upon, or enhance, your application for this current admissions cycle?

PROGRAM’S ESSAY REQUIREMENTS (If program instructions are blank, you must respond to 3 of the 5 essay questions on the PTCAS application form):

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

If supplemental materials are required, send items directly to the PT program.

ITEM	PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Supplemental application required?	To Be Determined
Supplemental deadline(s)	.
Link to supplemental application or instructions	.
Supplemental FEE required?	NO
If yes, supplemental fee amount	$
Briefly describe requirements for supplemental materials (if applicable)	.

Criminal Background Check

Are accepted applicants required to complete a criminal background check? NO
Description of criminal background check process (if applicable): No, not required at time of application however, enrolled students will be required to go through this process after matriculation.

FOREIGN APPLICANTS AND TRANSCRIPTS

The program’s foreign (international) transcript policies do NOT apply to study abroad coursework that is itemized on a U.S. college or university transcript. Study abroad is processed in the same way as U.S. coursework.

POLICY	PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Program’s citizenship requirements (individuals listed may be eligible for admission):	U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, Canadian citizens, Foreign (non-U.S.) citizens with a visa
Program requires non-native speakers to submit TOEFL scores?	Other (describe) TOEFL OR IELTS is required
Program policy for submission of non-U.S. (foreign/international) coursework:	Send foreign transcript evaluation to the PT program.
Program policy for CANADIAN coursework:	Same as instructions for foreign transcripts above.

Additional information about program’s policy on foreign coursework: Arcadia University requires that foreign university transcripts undergo a course-by-course analysis by an expert academic credential evaluator in the United States. Students are responsible for all fees of such evaluations and must make arrangements with the credential evaluation company to send and receive their documents. Arcadia recommends the members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (www.naces.org) or World Education Services (www.wes.org) as acceptable evaluators.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PT Degree Offered:	Program culminates in a doctoral (DPT) degree.
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class:	9/1/2009
Dual-degree programs offered in conjunction with the PT degree (if any):	.

PROFILE OF MOST RECENT ENTERING CLASS

Items will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

PROFILE INFORMATION	PROGRAM DATA
Size of Most Recent Entering Class	55
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class	50
Percent of IN-STATE applicants accepted	67
Percent of WICHE applicants accepted (if applicable):	.
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) applicants accepted	31
Percent of CANADIAN applicants accepted	0
Percent of INTERNATIONAL (non-U.S/non-Canadian) applicants accepted	2

Additional information about the class profile: No preference is given to in-state applicants; however, Arcadia University has articulation agreements with Messiah College and James Madison University. Also Arcadia University has an assured admissions program for its own undergraduates. For details about any of the above please see the respective schools' website.

Institution's religious affiliation (if any):

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Arcadia's entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy program provides clinical experiences where classroom learning is applied to real patients, opportunities for study or pro-bono work in international settings, and personal attention from renowned faculty. The program begins in September and runs over a 2½ year period. The D.P.T. program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. All graduates of Arcadia’s program to date have passed the licensure examination in their state of choice and continue to perform well above the national average on the licensure examination.

The entry-level D.P.T. curriculum is organized into 23 patient-based units that integrate knowledge from every practice area of physical therapy. Content ranges from the young child to the older adult, from fractures to traumatic brain injury. The final year of the curriculum allows for students to increase their expertise in special interest areas. Interspersed throughout the program are 31 weeks of full-time clinical education and 20 weeks of part-time clinical experience in the first year. These experiences play a key role in taking the knowledge obtained in the classroom and applying it to real patients under the direct supervision and mentoring of a licensed physical therapist. Students will learn and work in general hospitals, rehabilitation settings, private offices and in other facilities that provide areas of specialization. Arcadia has clinical internships in a wide variety of local, regional, national and international facilities. The majority of sites are in the mid-Atlantic region.

Arcadia University is recognized as a leader in global education and provides interested students with International Opportunities to study. Arcadia believes that to understand the world, students should experience it—and that can mean leaving the campus for a time. Whether it is for a clinical education experience in England or California or a service trip to Jamaica, Morocco, Peru or Guatemala, Arcadia's D.P.T. students have several opportunities to experience the world as medical professionals.

Physical therapists today are required to be critical consumers. Whether assessing medical literature to provide the highest level of care to patients, participating in clinical research trials, or investigating treatments/ideas, physical therapists need a solid foundation in statistics, experimental design and critical thinking. These concepts are integrated into all facets of the D.P.T. program at Arcadia. Students are encouraged to take advantage of Research Opportunities within the Physical Therapy Department. Please visit www.arcadia.edu/pt for more information regarding our program.