Southwest Baptist University

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION (2011-12)

Becca Layer
Admissions Coordinator for Physical Therapy
Southwest Baptist University
Department of Physical Therapy
1600 University Ave
Bolivar, Missouri 65613
Phone: 417-328-1690
Phone (alternate number): 417-328-1672
Email: Blayer@sbuniv.edu
Website: http://www.sbuniv.edu/pt/

APPLICATION DEADLINE for 2012 ENTERING CLASS

PTCAS Application Deadline	April 16, 2012
Deadline Type	FIRM Deadline
Application Close Date (for soft deadlines only)
Program Has Rolling Admissions Process?	YES
Important Dates (if any):

EARLY DECISION

Program participates in the PTCAS Early Decision Applicants MUST apply and submit all materials to PTCAS by AUGUST 15.	YES
If yes, special eligibility requirements and instructions for early decision candidates to program

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

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

Supplemental APPLICATION required?	NO
Supplemental MATERIALS required?
If yes, list of items
Supplemental FEE required?	NO
If yes, amount
Supplemental deadline(s) DD-MM-YYYY
Link to supplemental forms or instructions
Custom (program-specific) questions on the PTCAS application

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.sbuniv.edu/PT/Prerequisite_Courses.htm

#	COURSE SUBJECT	COURSE LEVEL	4-YR *	LAB **	SEM HRS	ACCEPTABLE COURSES	COURSE DESCRIPTION
1	Anatomy & Physiology I	General or College	Varies	REQ	.	A&P: SEPARATE courses A&P: Comparative	Anatomy and Physiology must be taken in sequence or one semester of Anatomy and Physiology I and II.
2	Anatomy & Physiology II	General or College	Varies	REQ	.	A&P: SEPARATE courses A&P: COMBINED courses A&P: Comparative
3	Biology I	Introductory	Varies	REQ	.	Biology: Cell Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Biology: Zoology	.
4	Chemistry I	General or College	Varies	REQ	4	Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry: Organic	Chemistry I and II must be taken in sequence. 8 hour minimum requirement
5	Chemistry II	General or College	Varies	REQ	4
6	Physics I	General or College	Varies	REQ	.	.	Physics I and II must be taken in sequence.
7	Physics II	General or College	Varies	REQ	.	.	Physics I and II must be taken in sequence.
8	Statistics	Introductory	Varies	N/A	.	Biology: Biostatistics Business: Statistics Psychology: Statistics	.
9	Psychology	Introductory	Varies	N/A	.	Psychology: Abnormal Psychology: Adolescent Psychology: Child Psychology: Death & Dying Psychology: Developmental Psychology: GENERAL Psychology: Human Behavior Psychology: Growth & Dev. Psychology: Life Span Dev. Psychology: Rehabilitation Psychology: Social Psychology: Sports	.
10	Psychology (specialized)	Introductory	Varies	N/A	.		.

* 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?	Required
Program’s GRE College Code for 2011-12 Cycle	8344 (new)
GRE Accepted by Program for 2011-12 Cycle
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
Verbal Percentile
Quantitative
Quantitative Percentile
Analytical Writing
Analytical Writing Percentile
Composite (verbal & quantitative)
Composite Percentile
Additional information about program’s GRE requirements

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: We require three references and prefer Physical Therapist, Professor, and Clergy

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 - a licensed PT must verify hours with signed form
Total Number of PT Hours REQUIRED	40
Total Number of PT Hours RECOMMENDED	40
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

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	2.75
Program-specific Prerequisite	3.00
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 to program with official translated transcripts
Program policy for CANADIAN coursework	Send to program with offical translated transcripts
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 DD-MM-YYYY	19-Aug-2011
Dual-degree programs offered in conjunction with the PT degree (if any)	MBA
Institution's religious affiliation (if any)	Southern Baptist

Profile of Most Recent Entering Class

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

Size of Most Recent Entering Class	80
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class	80
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

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

General
The physical therapy department at Southwest Baptist University is dedicated to providing society with physical therapists who engage in the art and science of physical therapy with a Christian worldview. The graduate will be a clinician generalist who is prepared to provide physical therapy services for a diverse population in an evolving society and health care environment. Students enter the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in August of each year and continue through the program for 33 months straight until graduation in May of the third year. The curriculum starts with and builds upon the foundational sciences progressing to clinical application in order to achieve the mission and goals of the program. The program generally follows the traditional semester calendar of the University with some deviations during the winter and summer months to accommodate for program needs. The sequencing of courses and clinical experiences are arranged to challenge and develop independent, critical thinkers who recognize the value of physical therapy and who can communicate effectively to a variety of stakeholders. Students engage in the professional practice expectations on a diverse patient and client population throughout the lifespan. The faculty nurture and mentor students promoting personal, professional and spiritual growth.

Clinical Experiences
Students will complete four different clinical rotations totally 34 weeks in the final year of their educational experience. Clinical rotations at the minimum will include one acute care hospital based experience, one outpatient orthopedic experience, and one adult neuro-rehabilitation experience. SBU mostly utilizes regional clinical facilities that are closer to our campus, but does pull from from across the entire United States and to a lesser degree international opportunities to meet the needs of the program and the student. While student input to the assignment process is valued and considered, we cannot guarantee these requests for clinical assignments will be met. The final decision rests with the Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE) and the student should be readily prepared to attend a rotation that may not have been a top preferred position on the part of the student. Students should plan and prepare for extra expenses including: transportation, housing, food, health exam, immunizations, drug screens, professional liability insurance, criminal background checks, and current CPR.

Faculty
There are ten full-time faculty positions, with all ten currently filled, and one regular part-time faculty members, again with all positions filled. The program has a search underway to expand the faculty compliment for the academic year of 2012-13. All of the eleven core faculty members hold post-professional doctoral degrees. Five of the core faculty are certified as clinical specialists with one holding a prestigious fellow status. Nine are engaged in clinical practice to some degree. Over the past 3 years, the faculty has averaged seven peer-reviewed scholarly products per year. The faculty to student ratio is 1:17.

Enrollment
The program accepts up to 80 physical therapy students in each class for a maximum total of 240 students.

Admission
The department utilizes the PTCAS application system. Starting October 1 of each year, the program will begin considering applications on a rolling competitive basis for the class starting the following August. The following requirements must be met before being admitted to the physical therapy program (courses in progress during application process must be documented): 1) completion of a baccalaureate degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution, 2) completion of all prerequisite courses with a minimum of a "C" grade and a 3.0 GPA in prerequisites (prerequisites should not be taken pass/fail, should be taken in sequence and include: a. general chemistry (2 semesters, each w/lab), b. general physics (2 semesters, each w/lab); c. human/animal-based biology (to include: general biology, anatomy and physiology (1 semester each or full year combined sequence w/ lab), d. statistics (1 course); e. psychology (two courses, excluding psychological statistics), and f. pathophysiology is highly recommended (but not required), 3) Earn a minimum of 2.75 overall grade point average (for all previous course work or highest degree attained) OR a 3.0 overall grade point average (for last 60 hours of course work), 4) completion of an application packet, 5) documented experience or observation in the field of physical therapy, and 6) submit Graduate Record Exam scores. A well-balanced foundation in liberal arts at the undergraduate level is recommended. International students need to contact the department or SBU catalog for additional requirements including the TOEFL. Applicants not meeting the published minimum standards may be considered for conditional enrollment. 17.1% of qualified applicants are enrolled to the program (3-year average).

Tuition, Fees & Aid
Tuition for the Doctor of physical therapy program, August through July, is $22,000 per year paid in two installments. A non-refundable $500 deposit, applied toward tuition, is due upon acceptance into the program. Fees include a curriculum/lab fee of $450 per year, technology fee of $260 per year, health fee of $34 per year, and graduation fee of $175. Fees apply to the 2012-13 year. Please contact the Office of Student Financial Planning for assistance in applying for a Federal Stafford Student Loan and PLUS loans.

Student Life
SBU is located in Bolivar, Missouri, a town of 10,500 people with a low crime rate and strong community values. Located in the heart of southwest Missouri, Bolivar is just 30 minutes north of Springfield, 2 1/2 hours south of Kansas City, and 3 1/2 hours west of St. Louis.

Outcome:
95.7% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average). 100% of graduates who sought employment over the past three years have been employed. 95% of students who graduated from December 1998 to May 2011 have ultimately passed the NPTE. First time pass rate (2 year average) = 82%.

(Page last updated 11/21/2011)