Virginia Commonwealth University
PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION
Laura Spittle
Admissions Coordinator
Virginia Commonwealth University
Department of Physical Therapy
Box 980224
Department of Physical Therapy
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia 23298
Phone: 804-828-0245
Phone (alternate number):
Email: lspittle@vcu.edu
Website: http://www.vcu.edu/pt/index.html
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Final PTCAS Application Deadline |
Friday, November 14, 2008 |
Deadline Type |
Firm Deadline |
Program has rolling admissions process? |
YES |
Other deadlines (if any):
Additional Deadline Information: Accepted students will be invited to an Open House in late February or early March.
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.vcu.edu/pt/prospectivestudents/dpt_prerequisites.html
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 |
Chemistry |
REQ |
8 |
. |
YES |
. |
Physics |
REQ |
8 |
. |
YES |
. |
Math |
REQ |
3 |
. |
NO |
Must be pre-calculus or above. |
Statistics |
REQ |
3 |
. |
NO |
. |
General Psychology |
REQ |
3 |
. |
NO |
. |
| Abnormal Psychology |
REQ |
3 |
. |
NO |
Additional courses from the Department of Psychology may be substituted. |
Anatomy and Physiology |
REQ |
8 |
. |
YES |
Must be taken in the Biology department. Can be taken as individual courses or as Anatomy and Physiology I and II. |
Biology |
REQ |
4 |
. |
YES |
. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
* “Req” = required course; “Rec” = recommended course; “Crq” = conditionally required course
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
- GRE: Required
- Last acceptable GRE test date( if applicable): 10/25/2008
- Oldest GRE score considered (if applicable): 10/1/1998
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 |
. |
485 |
Verbal Percentile |
. |
. |
Quantitative |
. |
636 |
Quantitative Percentile |
. |
. |
Analytical |
. |
. |
Analytical Percentile |
. |
. |
Writing |
. |
. |
Writing Percentile |
. |
. |
Additional information about program’s GRE requirements:
Have your GRE scores reported to Virginia Commonwealth University using the PT code.
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 |
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:
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 |
100 |
Total Number of Hours RECOMMENDED |
. |
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours |
1-May-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: Our DPT program requires 100 hours of paid or volunteer observation under the direct supervision of a licensed physical therapist. These hours should be in two distinctly different settings.
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 |
2.70 |
3.50 |
Program-specific Prerequisite |
. |
. |
Other GPA 1: Math/Science |
2.70 |
3.29 |
Other GPA 2: |
. |
. |
Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any): If courses are repeated, both grades are used in the Total GPA and Math/Science GPA calculations.
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 - For all complete PTCAS applicants |
Supplemental deadline(s) |
14-Nov-08 |
Link to supplemental application or instructions |
http://www.vcu.edu/pt/application_instructions |
Supplemental FEE required? |
YES |
If yes, supplemental fee amount |
$50 |
Briefly describe requirements for supplemental materials (if applicable) |
. |
Criminal Background Check
- Are accepted applicants required to complete a criminal background check? YES
- Description of criminal background check process (if applicable): Criminal background check must be completed before the student particpates in clinical education experiences.
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) We require the TOEFL scores for non-native speakers unless the applicant has completed all their undergraduate work at an accredited US university or college. |
Program policy for submission of non-U.S. (foreign/international) coursework: |
Send original foreign transcript to program AND 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: |
6/15/09 |
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 |
54 |
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class |
54 |
Percent of IN-STATE applicants accepted |
40 |
Percent of WICHE applicants accepted (if applicable): |
. |
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) applicants accepted |
21 |
Percent of CANADIAN applicants accepted |
0 |
Percent of INTERNATIONAL (non-U.S/non-Canadian) applicants accepted |
0 |
Additional information about the class profile:
Institution's religious affiliation (if any):
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Virginia Commonwealth University offers one of the premier Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs in the country. Located in the heart of Richmond's VCU Medical Center, the program provides students with easy access to state-of-the-art clinical and research facilities. The VCU Department of Physical Therapy was established in 1945 and was the first accredited physical therapy program in the commonwealth of Virginia and one of the first programs in the country.
The Department of Physical Therapy includes 13 full-time faculty members, more than 20 adjunct faculty members and four staff members. Our full-time faculty members are actively involved in teaching, clinical practice and research across a wide spectrum of clinically relevant topics. Visit the VCU Department of Physical Therapy web pages (www.vcu.edu/pt) to learn more about each full-time faculty member's research and area of expertise.
VCU's DPT Program prepares students for entry into the profession by teaching them to evaluate and manage patients with physical therapy problems effectively and in accordance with ethical principles. The department maintains clinical internship contracts with more than 230 facilities across the United States. DPT students at VCU complete a total of 36 weeks in full-time clinical education experiences. The program provides students with strategies to continually define and meet their own educational needs in order to keep skills and knowledge current throughout their professional careers.
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