Georgia Health Sciences University

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION (2011-12)

Department of Physical Therapy
Health Sciences Building (EC-1312)
Georgia Health Sciences University
987 St. Sebastian Way
Augusta, Georgia 30912
Phone: 706-721-2141
Phone (alternate number):
Email: ptadmissions@georgiahealth.edu
Website: http://www.georgiahealth.edu/sah/pt/

APPLICATION DEADLINE for 2012 ENTERING CLASS

PTCAS Application Deadline	December 15, 2011
Deadline Type	FIRM Deadline
Application Close Date (for soft deadlines only)
Program Has Rolling Admissions Process?	YES
Important Dates (if any): A personal interview is required for admission. Interviews are scheduled by invitation only and include an assessment of the candidate's personality, motivation and ability to adapt successfully to the demands of physical therapy school.

EARLY DECISION

Program participates in the PTCAS Early Decision. Applicants MUST apply and submit all materials to PTCAS by AUGUST 15.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

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

Supplemental APPLICATION required?	NO
Supplemental MATERIALS required?	YES
If yes, list of items	In accordance with Board of Regents Policy 4.1.6, all applicants who are accepted for admission or readmission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program for Fall 2011 or any academic semester thereafter will be required to provide verification of lawful presence in the US. Acceptance to the program is conditional until lawful presence is verified. Please see the list below for acceptable documentation. A copy of current Driver’s License issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008. A copy of current ID issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008. A copy of current U.S. Passport. A Certified U.S. Birth Certificate showing the student was born in the U.S. or a U.S. territory. A photocopy is not acceptable A copy of U.S. Certificate of Citizenship form (USCIS form N‐560 or N‐561). A U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (USCIS form N‐550 or N‐570). A photocopy is not acceptable A copy of U.S. Certificate of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (DS‐1350) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS‐240).
Supplemental FEE required?	YES
If yes, amount	$25 (see link below)
Supplemental deadline(s) DD-MM-YYYY	15-Dec-2011
Link to supplemental forms or instructions	Supplemental application fee payment form https://www.applyweb.com/public/register?s=mcgdptpf
Program-specific questions on the PTCAS application
In accordance with Board of Regents Policy 4.3.4, all applicants for admission to Georgia Health Sciences University for fall 2011 or any academic semester thereafter, and who seek to be classified as in-state for tuition purposes, will be required to provide validation of residency and lawful presence in both the State of Georgia and the United States. Acceptance to the Georgia Health Sciences University is conditional until lawful presence is verified.
Are you applying for In-state tuition?
I understand that any false statement made knowingly and willfully by me on this application, or any documents attached hereto may, in accordance with O.C.G.A 16-10-71, which provides that upon conviction, a person who knowingly commits an offense of false swearing shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years, or both, subject me to prosecution in a court of law. Additionally, I further understand that any such false statement may subject me to immediate dismissal from the institution. Further, I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the information submitted on this application is true and complete.

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

Course Prerequisites

Must applicants earn a Bachelor's degree prior to enrolling into the PT program? YES
Link to program’s prerequisite web page: http://www.georgiahealth.edu/sah/pt/prospective.html

#	COURSE SUBJECT	COURSE LEVEL	4-YR *	LAB **	SEM HRS	ACCEPTABLE COURSES	COURSE DESCRIPTION
1	Anatomy	General or College	NO	REQ	4	A&P: SEPARATE courses A&P: COMBINED courses A&P: Animal A&P: Comparative A&P: Human A&P: Mammalian A&P: Vertebrate	The anatomy and physiology requirement may be met by a one-semester course in anatomy and one-semester course in physiology. A two-semester sequence of combined anatomy and physiology courses is also acceptable.
2	Physiology	General or College	NO	REQ	4
3	Biology / Biological Science	General or College	NO	REQ	4	Biology: GENERAL Biology: Zoology	Botany or environmental biology courses are not acceptable.
4	Chemistry I	General or College	NO	REQ	4	Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry: Organic
5	Chemistry II	General or College	NO	REQ	4
6	Physics I	General or College	NO	REQ	4		Courses must include mechanics, electricity, heat, sound, and light.
7	Physics II	General or College	NO	REQ	4
8	Statistics	General or College	NO	NO	3	Business: Statistics Math: Statistics Psychology: Statistics Biology: Biostatistics	Departmental research courses covering statistics fundamentals will be accepted (e.g.- Research in Exercise and Sport Science or Statistical Principles of Psychological Research)
9	Social or Behavioral Science #1	General or College	NO	NO	3		Two courses are required in the social or behavioral sciences (i.e.- political science, sociology, psychology, philosophy or anthropology)
10	Social or Behavioral Science #2	General or College	NO	NO	3
11	Medical Terminology	Introductory	NO	NO			A basic understanding of medical terminology is required as part of the Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum. This requirement may be met by taking a course prior to entry or by completion of a self-paced module during the first semester of study.

* YES=course must be completed in a 4-year college/university and NOT in a community college.
** REQ=required lab; Rec=recommended lab; NO=lab not required; N/A=not applicable

Additional information about program’s course requirements:

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

For 2011-12 Cycle: Due to changes in the GRE, programs may require or prefer that you take the exam early and before the "GRE® revised General Test" is introduced on August 1. Early Decision candidates in PTCAS must take the GRE and request scores to be sent by no later than July 31.

GRE General Test = Testing on or before July 31, 2011
GRE REVISED General Test = Testing on or after August 1, 2011

Is the GRE required?	YES
Program’s GRE College Code for 2011-12 Cycle	7613 (new)
GRE Accepted by Program for 2011-12 Cycle	GRE® General Test preferred (take GRE by 7/31)
Last acceptable GRE test date – DD-MM-YYYY (if applicable)
Oldest GRE score considered – DD-MM-YYYY (if applicable)

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		500
Verbal Percentile	40%	63%
Quantitative		640
Quantitative Percentile	40%	58%
Analytical Writing		4.3
Analytical Writing Percentile	40%	58%
Additional information about program’s GRE requirements	Candidates who wish to have their applications considered before November 2011 should register now to take the GRE before 1 August 2011.

References

Number of references required by program: 3 References

EVALUATOR TYPE	Applicant must send one reference from this SPECIFIC type of evaluator	Applicant must send a reference from one or more evaluators in this category to fulfill program's requirements	Evaluator Type ACCEPTED	Evaluator Type NOT Accepted
Physical Therapist-1	X
Physical Therapist-2			X
Professor in Major				X
Professor				X
Academic				X
Supervisor/Employer				X
Teaching Assistant				X
PTA				X
Pre-PT Advisor				X
Politician/Elected Official				X
Health Care Professional			X
Friend				X
Family Member				X
Co-worker				X
Clergy				X
OTHER				X

Additional information about program’s reference requirements: Three recommendations that focus on the applicant’s aptitude for clinical work rather than just academic ability. These should be from health care professionals and at least one must be from a physical therapist.

PT Observation Hours

Enter your PT observation hours on your PTCAS application. Print the PT Observation Hours form from the PTCAS application or use online PT Hours signature process, if the program requires you to have your hours verified by a physical therapist. Send signed forms 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 PT Hours REQUIRED	100
Total Number of PT Hours RECOMMENDED
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours DD-MM-YYYY
PAID Experience	Accepted
VOLUNTEER Experience	Accepted
INPATIENT Experience	Accepted
OUTPATIENT Experience	Accepted
Additional information about program’s PT hours requirement	At least 100 hours of observational, volunteer or other work experiences in physical therapy settings is expected. We strongly recommend experiences in both inpatient and outpatient environments in order to appreciate the differences in physical therapists' responsibilities in each setting.

GPA Requirement

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

GPA	Minimum GPA	Average GPA for Accepted Students
Overall Undergraduate Cumulative	3.0	3.55
Program-specific Prerequisite	2.8 math/science GPA	3.25 math/science GPA
Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any)

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.

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 Foreign (non-U.S.) citizens Other non-citizens (e.g., refugees)
Program requires non-native speakers to submit TOEFL scores?	YES
Program policy for submission of non-U.S. (foreign/international) coursework	Send foreign transcript evaluation to PTCAS
Program policy for CANADIAN coursework	Send foreign transcript evaluation for Canadian coursework to PTCAS
Additional information about program’s policy on foreign coursework	Send foreign transcript evaluation from either Josef Silney & Associates, Inc., World Education Services (WES), or American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) to PTCAS.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PT Degree Offered	Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class DD-MM-YYYY	21-May-2012
Dual-degree programs offered in conjunction with the PT degree (if any)
Institution's religious affiliation (if any)

Profile of Most Recent Entering Class

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

Size of Most Recent Entering Class	36
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class	36
Percent of IN-STATE applicants accepted	95%
Percent of WICHE applicants accepted (if applicable)
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) applicants accepted	5%
Percent of CANADIAN applicants accepted
Percent of INTERNATIONAL (non-U.S/non-Canadian) applicants accepted
Additional information about the class profile	GHSU is a publicly funded institution. Preference for admission is given to Georgia residents, but we do offer positions to a small number of highly qualified out-of-state residents each year. Special consideration is also given to members of under-represented cultural and ethnic groups, non-traditional students, and applicants with extensive work experience in physical rehabilitation settings.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

As a public institution dedicated to the discovery, dissemination, and application of scientific knowledge, Georgia Health Sciences University (formerly the Medical College of Georgia) values leadership, social responsibility, compassion, diversity, professionalism, and excellence. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is designed to challenge talented and ambitious learners to grow into reflective physical therapy practitioners. The Department of Physical Therapy is housed in state of the art teaching and research facilities including a driving simulation laboratory, human movement science laboratory, and cardiovascular health and wellness laboratory. Each graduate completes an original scholarly project and presents the results and conclusions of the study to a body of professional peers.

The program requires 36 months (9 consecutive semesters) of full-time study. A new class of 36 students enters in May of each year. Classes are scheduled in a traditional weekday format at the main campus in Augusta. Graduation occurs in May.

Over 90% of admitted students graduate from the program. 100% of program graduates pass the licensure exam, with over 97% doing so on their first attempt (3 year average).

(Page Last Update 7/19/2011)