University of Southern California

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION

Virginia Orcasitas
Admissions Coordinator
University of Southern California
Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
1540 E. Alcazar St.
CHP-155
Los Angeles, California 90089
Phone: 323-442-2890
Phone (alternate number):
Email: vorcas@usc.edu
Website: http://pt.usc.edu

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Final PTCAS Application Deadline	Monday, December 01, 2008
Deadline Type	Soft Deadline
Program has rolling admissions process?	NO

Other deadlines (if any):

Firm Deadline. No applications will be accepted past this date.: 15-Jan-09

Additional Deadline Information: The Admissions Committee typically begins to review applicant files in late December or early January. Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their PTCAS application as far in advance of this time as possible. An Open House is held each year for all interested applicants and their guests. This event typically occurs around the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday in January of each year. A Spring Preview day is held each year for accepted students and their guests. This event typically occurs around the Memorial Day Holiday in May each year. Information sessions are held from September to December for all interested applicants and their guests. Appointments can be made with the Admissions Coordinator.

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://pt.usc.edu/sublayout.aspx?menu_id=52&id=70&ekmensel=568fab5c_52_0_70_4

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
Human or Vertebrate Anatomy	REQ	4	.	YES	If Anatomy and Physiology are taken in a combined course, 8 semester hours are required.
Human Physiology	REQ	4	.	YES	If Anatomy and Physiology are taken in a combined course, 8 semester hours are required.
Mammalian Biological Sciences	REQ	8	.	YES	These may include General Biology with Lab, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology with Lab, Microbiology with Lab
Chemistry	REQ	8	.	YES	These may include General Chemistry with Lab, Organic Chemistry with Lab, or Biochemistry
Physics	REQ	8	.	YES	General Physics with Lab
Psychology	REQ	8	.	NA	These may include General Psychology or Abnormal Psychology
Mathematics	REQ	4	.	NO	One college-level mathematics course

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

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

GRE: Required
Last acceptable GRE test date( if applicable): December
Oldest GRE score considered (if applicable): No older than 5 years

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	.	.
Verbal Percentile	.	.
Quantitative	.	.
Quantitative Percentile	.	.
Analytical	.	.
Analytical Percentile	.	.
Writing	.	.
Writing Percentile	.	.

Additional information about program’s GRE requirements:
The Graduate School and the Divisional admissions committee view a minimum GRE combined (Verbal and Quantitative sections) score of 1000 and above favorably.

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)	Accepted
Professor (Math)	Accepted
Professor (Liberal Arts)	Accepted
Pre-Health Advisor	Accepted
Politician	Not Accepted
Physical Therapist (1)	Required
Physical Therapist (2)	Accepted
Health Care Provider	Not Accepted
Friend	Not Accepted
Family Member	Not Accepted
Faculty Advisor	Accepted
Employer	Accepted
Co-Worker	Not Accepted
Clergy	Not Accepted
OTHER	N/A

Additional information about program’s reference requirements:
References provided by teaching assistants are acceptable if the letter is reviewed and signed by the course instructor/professor.

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 recommended, but not required
Total Number of Hours REQUIRED	.
Total Number of Hours RECOMMENDED	.
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours	.
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: Substantial clinical experience is highly recommended in the volunteer or paid capacity in the physical therapy field.

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	3.40
Program-specific Prerequisite	.	.
Other GPA 1:	.	.
Other GPA 2:	.	.

Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any): The Graduate School and the Divisional admissions committee prefer that applicants have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. However, the admissions committee will consider for admission applicants who have a GPA < 3.0 in light of all academic and professional credentials.

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?

YES

Supplemental deadline(s)

2 weeks after completion of PTCAS application

Link to supplemental application or instructions

http://www.usc.edu/admission/graduate/applyonline/

Supplemental FEE required?

Yes

If yes, supplemental fee amount

$45

Briefly describe requirements for supplemental materials (if applicable)

Criminal Background Check

Are accepted applicants required to complete a criminal background check? Varies
Description of criminal background check process (if applicable): An increasing number of facilities require that physical therapy students undergo a background check, drug test, and/or finger printing to participate in clinical facility placements. The background check, drug test, and/or fingerprinting is not a requirement for admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and will be required to be completed only after the student has been scheduled to be placed at a clinical facility that requires them.

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?	YES
Program policy for submission of non-U.S. (foreign/international) coursework:	Send foreign transcript evaluation to PTCAS.
Program policy for CANADIAN coursework:	Same as instructions for foreign transcripts above.

Additional information about program’s policy on foreign coursework:

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PT Degree Offered:	Program culminates in a doctoral (DPT) degree.
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class:	8/24/2009
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	95
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class	93
Percent of IN-STATE applicants accepted	.
Percent of WICHE applicants accepted (if applicable):	.
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) applicants accepted	.
Percent of CANADIAN applicants accepted	.
Percent of INTERNATIONAL (non-U.S/non-Canadian) applicants accepted	.

Additional information about the class profile:

Institution's religious affiliation (if any):

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T) program at the University of Southern California (USC) provides the required educational preparation for a professional career as a physical therapist. Program graduates are knowledgeable, self-assured, adaptable, reflective, and service-oriented practitioners who by virtue of critical thinking and ethical values render informed and independent judgments concerning patient/client needs, promote the health and quality of life of the client, and enhance the professional foundations for practice. Graduates are prepared to become autonomous practitioners, capable of evaluating and treating patients without the need for referral from another practitioner, but ready to work in collaboration with other health professionals. These practitioners contribute to society and the profession through practice, teaching, administration, and the discovery and application of new knowledge about physical therapy. The educational philosophy of the program is to maximally challenge each student and facilitate his or her development of skills for life-long learning, professional development, and leadership.

The three-year program consists of nine semesters (including two summers) and 115 graduate credits. The first two years are focused on academic and clinical coursework, including a total of 18 weeks of clinical rotations in 5 practice settings. The curriculum during the first two years is systems-based, with whole semesters focused on musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, and neurologic physical therapy. The third year is intended to be integrative, reinforcing and building upon concepts introduced in the first two years. It consists of a 16-week full-time clinical rotation in one semester and a three day per week clinical rotation during the other. During the latter semester, students spend Tuesdays and Thursdays in a unique case-based curriculum with a team-based approach intended to help students integrate across different practice areas. Commencement is in May immediately following the university's commencement ceremony. USC was the second program in the nation to graduate doctorally prepared students and in 2008, it graduated it's 11th DPT class. The Division has three faculty practices, one hospital-based and two outpatient, and offers two residency programs for specialized training in Orthopedic and Neurologic Physical Therapy. It also offers the MS and PhD degrees for advanced research training.

The entry-level physical therapy program at USC is one of the premier programs in the country. This distinction derives from a mission that includes the advancement of physical therapy education, practice, and research. Because of this, students in our program benefit from a dynamic learning environment where patient care and research are actively integrated. Faculty are national and international leaders engaged in teaching and research with a focus on increasing the quality and understanding of physical therapy practice and science.