UVM P.T. students boast a rolling three-year pass rate of 100% on the national P.T. licensure exam.

About Physical Therapy

The job: Physical therapists assist individual patients and clients in promoting health, preventing illness and disability, and improving function and quality of life after illness or injury. Graduates practice in many different settings, including outpatient orthopedic and sports practices, rehabilitation facilities, acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, school systems, private practices and home health agencies. Many graduates obtain advanced degrees and board-certifications in clinical specialties, or become practice owners, clinical administrators, or academic faculty.

The education: The physical therapy program includes coursework related to the science and art of physical therapy, including basic, clinical and applied sciences and basic concepts of practice management, ethics and quality in health care. The physical therapy program combines seminars, lectures and hands-on lab experiences that allow students to integrate clinical, theoretical and professional practice concepts. The program includes 36 weeks of full -time internship. Graduates earn a doctoral degree in physical therapy (D.P.T.).

Licensing: Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to sit for the national professional licensure examination administered through the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Accreditation: The Physical Therapy program at the University of Vermont is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; e-mail: accreditation@apta.org.

Admission Requirements

Two paths to admission

There are two routes for admission to the physical therapy program.

1. Undergraduate-to-graduate accelerated program model (3+3): Students following this model apply to UVM as first-year undergraduate students in an approved major and indicate their interest in the DPT on the application form. These majors include:
   • Exercise & Movement Science in the College of Nursing & Health Sciences;
   • Biological Sciences or Nutrition & Food Sciences in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences;
   • Within the College of Arts & Sciences there are many majors available to students pursuing the DPT in the 3+3 format. However, this program takes careful planning with the undergraduate academic advisor and the College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Office, since some majors may not be compatible.

   Timing of this path: Students are eligible for direct admission into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program upon completion of the prerequisite courses for physical therapy and the requirements for the undergraduate major by the end of their third year. Students are awarded the baccalaureate degree from UVM in their undergraduate major after the successful completion of their fourth undergraduate year, which is also their first year of graduate study in physical therapy. Students will confirm their continuance in the program every fall and will complete the required forms during their junior year, which include the Graduate College paper application, three letters of recommendation and official transcripts from other institutions attended (if applicable). The deadline for submitting this paperwork is December 15th.

2. Undergraduate to graduate program model (Post baccalaureate, 4+3): Students following this model must complete the DPT requirements and apply to the physical therapy program in their final year of undergraduate study or after completion of a baccalaureate degree at UVM or any other accredited institution.  DEADLINE for this applications and supporting materials is December 15th. 

        Application process for this path:

• Completion of the physical therapy common application through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS), a division of the American Physical Therapy Association. Students requesting in-state status will also submit the Application for In-State Status (pdf).
• Completion of Pages 1 and 2 of the UVM Graduate Online Application form and essay.  Letters of recommendation are required for the PTCAS application only.  However, the names of those PTCAS references should be included on the UVM application.
• Completion of the Graduate Record Examination. A minimum GRE score of 500 in both verbal and quantitative portions and 4.0 in the written analytical portion of the exam are preferred. The following applicants are exempt from taking GREs: 
• Applicants who have completed a prior graduate degree within 10 years of UVM graduate application
• Applicants who have graduated from a UVM undergraduate program
• Applicants from undergraduate programs with Articulation agreements with the University of Vermont
NOTE: Applicants who do not provide GRE scores taken within 5 years of the date of application will be ineligible for graduate assistanship funding.


DPT requirements Students applying to the physical therapy program through either route must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or greater in their undergraduate studies. All applicants must complete the following prerequisite courses prior to entry into the DPT program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater in all but the last two courses in the following list.

• Two semesters of anatomy/physiology
• Two semesters of college chemistry with labs
• Two semesters of physics with labs
• One semester of biology
• One semester of psychology
• One semester of statistics

Matriculation Requirements

• Completion of Criminal Offender Record Investigation (CORI) report
• Completion of Technical Standards form

Curriculum

Click here for link to official UVM course descriptions.

First-Year, Summer Semester Courses (July - August)

Course	Title	Credits
ANNB 201	Anatomy	5
PT 203	Professional Issues Seminar 1	2
Total		7

First-Year, Fall Semester Courses

Course	Title	Credits
GRNU 303	Pharmacology	3
GRNU 305	Pathophysiology	3
PT 204	Professional Seminar 2	0
PT 241	Patient Management - Fundamental Skills	6
RMS 213	Movement Science 1	3
RMS 244	Patient Management - Therapeutic Modalities	2
Total		17

First-Year, Spring Semester Courses

Course	Title	Credits
ANNB 302	Neuroanatomy	4
PT 205	Professional Seminar 3	0
PT 242	Patient Management - Musculoskeletal 1	8
RMS 220	Research 1	3
RMS 251	Exercise in health and Disease	3
Total		18

Second-Year, Summer Semester Courses (July - August)

Course	Title	Credits
PT 215	Movement Science 2	3
PT 254	Clinical Internship 1  (May - July) 6 weeks	2
PT 321	Research 2	1
Total		6

Second-Year, Fall Semester Courses

Course	Title	Credits
NH 301	Ethics	3
NH 302	Quality in Health Care	3
PT 206	Professional Seminar 4	0
PT 345	Patient Management - Neuromuscular 1	6
PT 347	Patient Management - Cardiovascular and Pulmonary	5
Total		17

Second-Year, Spring Semester Courses

Course	Title	Credits
GRNU 315	Health Care Policy	3
NH 303	Health promotion/public health	3
PT 207	Professional Seminar	0
PT 322	Research 3	3
PT 346	Patient Management - Neuromuscular 2	5
PT 348	Patient Management - Medical/Surgical	2
Total		16

Third-Year, Summer Semester Courses (May - July)

Course	Title	Credits
PT 331	Practice Management	2
PT 349	Patient Management - Musculoskeletal 2	4
GRAD 497	Comprehensive Exam	0
Total		6

Third-Year, Fall Semester Courses

Course	Title	Credits
PT 353	Clinical Internship 2  (August - October) 8 weeks	3
PT 355	Clinical Internship 3  (October - December) 8 weeks	3
Total		6

Third-Year, Spring Semester Courses

Course	Title	Credits
PT 356	Clinical Internship 4  (January - April) 14 weeks	6
Total		6

Clinical Experience

The curriculum includes four internship courses that comprise 36 weeks of full-time clinical education experience. Students practice in a variety of settings under the supervision of clinical instructors who are licensed physical therapists. 

The University of Vermont contracts with over 270 clinical sites for student internships. These experiences are scheduled throughout northeastern United States with some experiences offered in other parts of the country. Students should expect to have to travel and are responsible for travel and living expenses during the internship courses. Students are required to demonstrate adequate immunization against certain specified diseases and must obtain professional liability insurance, health clearance and CPR certification prior to enrolling in the clinical experience.

Graduation Requirements

A minimum of 99 semester credit hours, a grade point average of 3.0, and successful completion of all internship experiences and a comprehensive examination are required for graduation.

For more information about the D.P.T., please contact:

CNHS Office of Student Services
The University of Vermont
Physical Therapy Department
002 Rowell Building
106 Carrigan Dr.
Burlington, VT 05405-0068
Phone: (802) 656-3858
Fax: (802) 656-2191