Dean: Carolyn K. Rozier, Ph.D., Professor

 
Location: MCL708 (Denton)
Telephone: (940) 898-2460 (Denton), (214) 706-2300 (Dallas), (713) 794-2070 (Houston)
http://www.twu.edu/pt/

Faculty: Professors W. Hanten, E. Protas, C. Rozier, M. Sabbahi, A. Walker; Associate Professors W. Bartlett, D. Long, B. MacNeill, S. Morris, P. Murrell, L. Petterborg, S. Schafer, M. Simmonds; Assistant Professors P. Gleeson, A. Medley, S. Olson, S. Smith, M. Thompson, L. Woods; Clinical Instructor
R. Patel; Assistant Clinical Professors C. Kelley, R. Marquez, J. Utley; Associate Clinical Professor S. Sadowsky

The School of Physical Therapy provides a comprehensive curriculum offering a professional degree at the master’s level and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Physical Therapy Association. Upon completion of course requirements for the professional degree, a graduate is eligible* to apply for licensure to practice physical therapy and for active membership in the American Physical Therapy Association.

The profession of Physical Therapy offers many challenges and opportunities for self-directed and knowledgeable individuals. Coursework in the School of Physical Therapy is designed to foster independent thinking, problem solving, a strong ethical commitment toward physical therapy, and a desire for continued study and research. Additional information on physical therapy as a career choice is available from the School of Physical Therapy to help potential students better identify their suitability to the field of physical therapy.

The School of Physical Therapy offers the master's program in Dallas and Houston. The Dallas center is located adjacent to Presbyterian Hospital, and the Houston center is in the Texas Medical Center. The program in Houston begins in the fall of each year and the program in Dallas begins in the summer of each year. Applicants must indicate the center for which they are applying. Facilities, equipment and faculty are excellent at either location. Students at both locations are encouraged to have transportation available to visit clinical facilities at some distance from the centers.

Students interested in a career in physical therapy may earn a baccalaureate degree in almost any field such as human biology, kinesiology, psychology, nutrition, or any other major. By beginning the baccalaureate coursework at Texas Woman's University the student has the opportunity to complete the prerequisites for the program and take the PT 1011 and PT 2002 courses while also completing the major requirements. These physical therapy courses provide information about the profession and a background in terminology and conditions treated by therapists. At TWU special degree programs in human biology (see below), kinesiology, nutrition, and psychology are available which include physical therapy prerequisites. Please refer to those sections of the catalog for more information.

The master’s degree in physical therapy is a 26 month program. Students are in class year round. Clinical contact is interspersed throughout the curriculum, but during the second year students must be prepared to spend a total of 24 weeks at three different clinical sites which will necessitate additional expense.

Special Human Biology Emphasis (Accelerated Program)

Students may begin as freshmen at Texas Woman's University and declare a major in human biology with the intent of applying to the professional MS program in physical therapy. Students are counseled by biology and physical therapy faculty to develop a degree plan. Students may be able to complete the majority of requirements for human biology, while completing prerequisites for physical therapy by the end of the junior year. Such an accelerated program would potentially enable a student to complete the B.S. in Human Biology and the M.S. in Physical Therapy in a total of five years and two months conditional to acceptance into the program in physical therapy.

Please refer to the Biology section of the catalog for further information on Human Biology.

Students in the human biology sequence may apply to the professional program in physical therapy when they have junior standing according to the biology curriculum, are in the process of completing all the human biology requirements except for the twelve hours in physical therapy which will count in the senior year, have successfully completed PT 1011 and PT 2002 on the first attempt; are in the process of completing all prerequisite courses for the physical therapy program, have met requirements for admission to the Graduate School, and have met all other requirements for admission as listed in a subsequent section on Admission Requirements. Students in the human biology sequence compete with other applicants for admission to the program in physical therapy.

Clinical Sites

Clinical education experiences are a required part of the students’ educational program. Short-term and long-term clinical work is performed in facilities in and out of the state of Texas, and all students should be prepared for the extra expense of transportation, housing arrangements, and liability insurance. Completion of coursework does not guarantee that a student will be provided an affiliation at a specific time or at a particular facility as this depends on the educational needs of the student and the availability of clinical facilities. However, every attempt will be made to plan a student’s affiliation in proper sequence.

Application Requirements
Deadline: November 1

Admission to the professional M.S. curriculum in physical therapy is competitive and separate from admission to the university. A limited number of students can be accepted due to limited availability of clinical facilities, space, and faculty. In addition, all requirements for admission to the Graduate School of Texas Woman’s University apply. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog.

In addition to general university and graduate school requirements, the School of Physical Therapy requires the following for application for admission to the master’s program:

1. Completion of Baccalaureate degree (or junior standing in human biology program at Texas Woman’s University)

2. In process of completion of all prerequisite coursework

3. A minimum grade of B in most prerequisite courses

4. A recommended, competitive score of 1000 (verbal & quantitative scores) on the GRE

5. Eligibility for acceptance into the Graduate School

6. Evidence of certificates in CPR and First Aid

7. Statement of interest in this profession.

8. Two (2) completed recommendation forms from physical therapists at two different physical therapy departments where the student has observed or worked for a minimum of 40 hours per facility.

9. Personal resume

Students with completed applications are reviewed by the Physical Therapy Admissions Committee. Those students accepted into the program will be notified in spring of the year for which admission is sought.

Prerequisite Courses

Two semesters of biology or zoology with laboratory (courses not accepted as meeting these prerequisites are biology for non-science majors, anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, botany and ecology.)

Two semesters of chemistry with laboratory.

Two semesters of basic physics with laboratory (Physics for non-science majors does not meet this prerequisite)

One semester of comparative or human anatomy with laboratory (Two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology with lab can be counted for this prerequisite.)

One semester of college algebra and one semester of college trigonometry or one semester of pre-calculus or one semester of calculus.

One semester of general or introductory psychology.

One semester of lifespan developmental psychology or equivalent (Child and adolescent psychology alone do not meet this prerequisite. Course must cover entire lifespan.)

One semester of statistics - 3 hours.

One semester of upper division (junior level or above) human (animal, mammalian, vertebrate) physiology with laboratory.

Competency in medical terminology.
 

Admission Requirements and Process

After applicants are officially notified of provisional acceptance by the graduate school they must:

1. Show evidence of completing outstanding prerequisites with grades of A or B (prior to first enrollment).

2. Show proof of immunization required by the state and proof of immunization for hepatitis B (prior to first enrollment.)

3. Maintain continuous health insurance throughout entire program.

4. Show continuous proof of professional liability insurance available through the University during the first week of the program.

5. Maintain current CPR Certificate throughout program.

Progression after Admittance

A student in physical therapy is expected to abide by the regulations as set

forth in the general and graduate catalogs and the written policies of the School of Physical Therapy. Policies of the school add to or update the information in the catalog and are subject to annual review. In addition, course offerings and policies in this catalog are subject to periodic review and change.

1. Students must remain in good standing in the graduate school. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for further information.

2. The courses in the program are sequential by semester and successful completion of all courses in one semester is required before progression to the next semester.

3. Grades lower than a C are not acceptable in physical therapy coursework.

4. Prior to graduation a student must have demonstrated competency in all areas of physical therapy. Written and practical examinations are used in most courses to evaluate student competence. Practical exams must be passed with a grade of 80% in order to successfully complete the course.

5. Successful completion of a comprehensive examination.

6. In order to progress to clinical internships the student must comply with policies of the School of Physical Therapy.

7. Progression in clinical coursework is governed by policies related to grading and safety in the clinical setting and by contracts with clinical facilities. Clinical sites and the academic coordinator of clinical education have the right to remove a student from a clinical site.

8. If a grade of F is earned in a clinical course, the student is terminated from the program. In order to be reinstated in the program, the student must appeal to retake the course by following the appeal process of the school and the university.
 

Advanced Degrees

For persons already possessing a baccalaureate degree in physical therapy, both Dallas and Houston offer a Master of Science degree. In addition, the Doctor of Philosophy degree is offered at both locations (see Graduate Catalog for further information.)
 

Physical Therapy Undergraduate Courses (Offered in Denton only)

PT 1011. Orientation to the Health Professions. Emphasis on physical therapy; roles and applications of physical therapy; essential communication skills; problem solving skills; and behaviors needed by a physical therapist. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. One lecture hour a week. Credit: One hour.

PT 2002. Basic Physical Therapy Science I. The profession of physical therapy to include: history, conditions treated, treatment objectives and functions, research, communication skills, relationship to medical profession. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing. Permission of Instructor. Two lecture hours a week. Credit: Two hours
 

Graduate Courses