Professional Doctorate in Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is D.P.T. Program?
The Doctorate in Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) is a clinical doctorate, a professional educational program leading to physical therapy practice. The DPT prepares one for practice while the Ph.D, an academic doctorate, prepares one for teaching in higher education and/or research.
2. Is your program accredited?
The Physical Therapy Program at Simmons College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Educations (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org.
3. How do I apply?
For the campus-based DPT program for individuals who are not licensed physical therapists, visit the APTA web site to learn about the PTCAS application process,the Physical Therapy Centralized Application System. The only items that you must submit directly to the School of Nursing and Health Sciences are official GRE and TOEFL scores. Allow ample time to request ETS to send these scores. Student score reports are not acceptable. Please note that Simmons cannot accept electronic copies of test scores from either ETS or PTCAS and thus, you should allow 6 to 8 weeks for the paper scores to arrive at Simmons. PTCAS accepts electronic copies of such scores. Make certain that you instruct ETS to send them to the School of Nursing and Health Sciences not just Admission Office as there are six admission offices at Simmons.The application deadline for receipt of all materials ,not just the submission of the application to PTCAS is January 15,2014.
5. When is the application deadline for the campus DPT program?
The deadline is January 15,2014.
6. When does the program start?
The program begins in late June. All new students take the Applied Human Anatomy course that meets four to five days a week through mid-August at Harvard Medical School, a short walk from our campus.
7. Is the program available on a part-time basis?
No. This is a full-time, three-year program.
8. How many credits are required to complete the DPT program?
The program is 99 credits.
9. Are scholarships and assistantships available?
There are a limited number of merit scholarships and assistantships available each year. These awards cover only part of the tuition. All applicants are automatically considered for scholarships at the time of application review. Due to limited funding, only complete applicants received by the application deadline will be considered for such awards. Students do not need to submit a special application for scholarships. Accepted students will be notified of such scholarships in the letter of admission. Graduate assistantships are awarded to students who have been enrolled for a period of time and who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement.
10. Do you require a minimum GRE score?
For the former GRE scoring,we expect GRE scores of a minimum of 450 in verbal and 500 in quantitative and 4.0 or better in the analytical writing section. For the new GRE scoring, a 150 in verbal; 144 in quantitative; 4.0 in analytical writing are required. You can take the GRE more than once to attempt to achieve a higher score. We will use the highest individual score of any test taken. It is very important that you register for the GRE well in advance of the November 1 application dealing as it takes 6-8 weeks for Simmons to receive official test scores from ETS. The School of Nursing and Health Sciences is unable to accept electronic scores. Old and new scores will not be combined as the scoring is different for each format.
11. Do you require a minimum GPA (grade point average)?
A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the science prerequisite courses and an overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 are required. These GPAs should include all repeated and failed courses. A student can only retake two prerequisite courses to improve the GPA and the second grades earned in each class are averaged with the first grades that the student achieved. If either your prereq or overall GPA is not 3.0, your application will not be accepted/processed. Contact the SNHS Office of Admission at 617-521-2605 if you have specific questions.
12. What is the minimum number of hours required for volunteer or paid health care experience?
At least 30 hours of documented physical therapy or physical rehabilitation experience(paid or volunteer) is required.
13. How do I get volunteer or paid physical therapy experience?
If you are completing your undergraduate degree, check on internship opportunities through you school. If you know a physical therapist, ask her/him if you can "shadow" for a short period of time. Call physical therapy departments or volunteer offices in a variety of practice settings and offer your services. Physical therapy practice settings include tertiary care hospitals, community hospitals, visiting nurse associations, nursing homes, retirement communities, private practices, and sports medicine facilities.
14. I am working on completing my experience requirements but I will not have 30 hours by the application deadline. What can I do?
If accepted, you would need to complete these hours and submit written documentation before enrollment in the program in June.
15. What is the approach to teaching and learning?
The curriculum includes periods of full time academic work alternating with full time clinical education. The academic portion of the curriculum comprises a mix of lectures, hands-on laboratory practice, small-group case discussions and clinical practice. The curriculum is designed to suit many different learning styles.
16. What is the cost of this program?
Tuition and fees are determined by the Board of Trustees each academic year. Students are billed for each semester based on the number of credit hours taken that semester. For information about current costs see the tuition and financial aid page on our web site.
17. If I am a student with English as my second language, should I take the TOEFL?
Yes, the TOEFL is required if English is your second language. You must also take the GREs as TOEFL does not replace the GRE. The minimum required TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score is 570 (paper) or 230 (computer) or 88 (internet). If, however, you have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. post-secondary institution or a post-secondary institution abroad recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country of English- speaking countries only, the TOEFL is waived. Since the School of Nursing and Health Sciences is not able to accept electronic scores, it is imperative to allow 4-6 weeks for ETS to send official paper scores to Simmons.
