Doctoral Physical Therapy

Faculty

Matthew P. Ford, Chair, Professor
Scott Bickel, Professor
Elaine Fehringer, Associate Professor
Lydia A. Thurston, Associate Professor
Nicholas B. Washmuth, Associate Professor
Kelly Atkins, Assistant Professor
Dana D. Blake, Assistant Professor; Director of Clinical Education
Andrea Bowens, Assistant Professor
Sarah Ross, Assistant Professor

Accreditation

The doctor of physical therapy program at Samford University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org. The program received full accreditation for five years, which is the maximum amount.

Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by CAPTE is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.

Graduate Programs and Requirements

Degree
Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

Accelerated Bachelor’s to DPT Pathway Program
Fast-Track Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

The Department of Physical Therapy offers a clinical doctorate in physical therapy degree (D.P.T.). This is a full-time, three-year graduate program preparing students to practice physical therapy in a variety of settings: hospitals, inpatient rehab, inpatient, out-patient, pediatrics, schools, nursing homes, home health, and community wellness.

In collaboration with the School of Public Health’s Department of Kinesiology, the department also offers a six-year fast-track doctor of physical therapy-a combination of their bachelor of science (B.S.) in exercise science with the D.P.T. degree.

Doctor of Physical Therapy (D. P.T.)

This is a three-year, full-time graduate study program in physical therapy, culminating in a doctor of physical therapy (D.P.T.). The program admits one class of students per year, in June. They are on campus for three consecutive semesters of didactic course work, then off campus in clinical experiences during the fourth semester. The students then come back to campus for three more semesters, and end their degree program with two consecutive semesters of full time clinical experiences.

Admission Requirements

Possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university (degree in any field) or be in the senior year of undergraduate study. A completed bachelor’s degree is required prior to enrollment, as evidenced by a final official college/university transcript. Applicants may receive a conditional acceptance with a letter from the registrar stating they have in fact completed the requirements for the degree. The “conditional” status is removed once an official transcript is received.
Cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
Achieve a “B” or better in all prerequisite courses. All prerequisite courses must have been completed within ten years prior to application.

Required pre-requisite courses include:
Biology I & II with labs
Chemistry I & II with labs
Physics I & II with labs
Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II with labs
Pre-calculus
Statistics
Psychology
GRE within the past 5 years. (Minimum scores: Verbal: 146; Quantitative: 146; Analytical: 4.0).
Ten hours of documented volunteer experience in each of three different physical therapy practice settings (30 hours total).
Three letters of reference submitted through the application system. The three required references should be from a) current or previous professor, b) work supervisor, c) professional colleague.
International applicants or American citizens who learned English as a second language must score at least 550 (paper), 213 (computer) or 80 (internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Exceptions to any admission requirements will be handled on an individual basis.
If accepted, a non-refundable fee of $500 is required to secure admission into the program. This fee is applied to the first semester’s tuition.

Transfer Credit

At this time, students may not transfer in any credit to count towards the physical therapy program.

Accelerated Bachelor’s to DPT Pathway Program

Fast-Track Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

For those called to a career in physical therapy, Samford University offers a fast-track doctor of physical therapy program that provides eligible students the opportunity to earn both a bachelor of science (B.S.) in exercise science and a doctor of physical therapy (D.P.T.) in just six years.

Incoming freshmen may apply for the fast-track and must meet specific progression standards in order to remain in the program. Acceptance to the fast-track as a freshman guarantees admission into Samford’s D.P.T. program as long as progression standards are met. The first three years of the program are dedicated to completion of all required undergraduate courses. Summer of the fourth year, students begin the D.P.T. program. A bachelor’s in exercise science is awarded in December of the fourth year, and a doctor of physical therapy at the end of the sixth year.

Admission into the fast-track program is highly competitive (see below). Based on the application, a limited number of candidates will be interviewed for admission. If selected, students are assigned a faculty mentor in the Kinesiology and Physical Therapy Departments.

Admission Requirements

The following requirements apply:

Admission to Samford University with a declared major in exercise science.
Minimum high school GPA of 3.80 (4.00 scale).
Minimum ACT score of 29.
Completion of the Fast-Track D.P.T. Application.
On-campus interview.

Progression Policies

During the undergraduate program, bachelor of science in exercise science (BS-EXER), students must meet the following progression standards to remain in the program.

Complete all exercise science degree requirements on time in the first three years.
Achieve a B or higher in all major courses.
Earn a minimum 3.20 GPA and complete 20 convocation credits by end of freshman year.
Earn a minimum 3.50 GPA and complete 40 convocation credits by end of sophomore year.
Earn a minimum 3.80 GPA and complete 60 convocation credits by end of junior year.
Participate in Samford approved service or mission work by spring semester of third year.
Must pay a nonrefundable fee of $1,000 to secure admission into the D.P.T. program by January 15th of the junior year.

Once students have begun the doctoral program, D.P.T. progression standards apply.

Programs

Doctoral

Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

Courses

Physical Therapy