Membership & Leadership Practice Professional Development Education Programs Advocacy Reimbursement Research Publications Tools & Resources	Home University of Miami (A4, D6, F1, PR) Last Updated by Program: 04/01/2008 Address:   Department of Physical Therapy Leonard M Miller School of Medicine University of Miami 5915 Ponce De Leon Boulevard, 5th Floor Coral Gables, FL 33146 Phone:   (305)284-4535 Fax:   (305)284-6128 Admissions/Student Inquiry Phone:   (305)284-4535 Web Address:   http://pt.med.miami.edu/ Program E-mail:   shayes@miami.edu PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Sherrill H Hayes, PT, PhD Professor and Chair    INSTITUTIONAL INFORMATION:   Accreditor:   Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Commission on Colleges   Carnegie Classification:   Research Universities (very high research activity) PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM ACCREDITATION:   Date of Initial Accreditation:   Bachelor’s degree, March 1982 (no longer offered); Master’s degree, December 1986 (no longer offered); DPT degree, May 2001.   Current Accreditation Status:   Accreditation   Next Visit   2017   Five Year History:   Accreditation DEGREE CONFERRED: Doctor of Physical Therapy GENERAL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Students enter the program in May and continue through the program, for three years (nine semesters), to graduation in May. Each year consists of two summer sessions and the fall and spring semesters. It is a full-time lock-step graduate program consisting of 105 graduate credits, including a research project and four full-time clinical internships. The objective of the Program is to prepare a highly skilled generalist practitioner in physical therapy, capable of practice in any setting. Students participate in faculty research as part of their required course work. The majority of students present their research projects at the Annual Conference of the American Physical Therapy Association or the Combined Section meeting of APTA; all students present their research at the Annual Research Colloquium of the Department of Physical Therapy. A variety of research facilities are available to students, including The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the Miami VA Hospital an Medical Center, and the Department’s Steven J. Rose Center for Clinical Research, a dedicated research center of several well-equipped labs - cardio-pulmonary, isokinetics, electrophysiology, and movement analysis.   CLINICAL EXPERIENCES: Students begin clinical experiences and internships in the second year of study, and end with 24 weeks at the end of the third year, for a total of 32 weeks of clinical internships. Every student is required to complete an assignment in an acute care setting, rehabilitation setting, and a specialty setting. The university has more than 350 clinical experience sites across the United States, including Hawaii.   FACULTY: There are 18 full-time and five part-time faculty members. Of the full-time faculty 88% hold post-professional doctoral degrees. Six faculty are certified as clinical specialists, 12 are engaged in clinical practice, and two are Catherine Worthingham Fellows of the APTA. Over the past 3 years the faculty has averaged 26 publications per year in peer-reviewed journals, with national and international presentations of over 85 per year. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:6. Despite travel schedules, research labs, or other commitments, the faculty pride themselves in being available to students, and helping to create an atmosphere of caring, compassion, and the "UMPT Family." Our Alumni also remain connected to our Department - faculty and students alike.   ENROLLMENT: There are approximately 8,000 undergraduate students (80 pre-physical therapy students) and 4,500 graduate students at the university.   ADMISSION: The mean grade point average (GPA) for the last 5 years (2006-2010) was 3.2-3.4. Classes are usually 35-45 persons per class. Each class of students begins in the summer session (mid-May). Minimum requirements for admission include an overall GPA, science GPA, and prerequisite GPA of 3.0; a Graduate Record Exam score of 1000 (V + Q), and an Analytical score of 4.0; three recommendations (one from a physical therapist); an essay detailing reasons for choosing physical therapy as a profession; and a personal interview. The prerequisite courses required include one semester in each: English composition, general biology, psychology, introductory statistics, human anatomy, human physiology (or 2 semesters of human anatomy/physiology combined); and 2 semesters in each: chemistry (w/lab) and physics (w/lab). Applications for the DPT program are processed on a rolling admissions basis with the final deadline on January 5th.   OUTCOMES: 99% of admitted students graduate from the program (3-year average). NPTE First Time pass rates for the three years (2001-2003) were 98%, 97% and 96%. Ultimate Pass Rate, per the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), for the years 2002-2004 was 100%, and for years 2003-2005 is 98%. Students have multiple offers of employment at graduation, and 6 month post-graduation employment has been 100% for the last 3 years.   TUITION, FEES AND FINANCIAL AID: For the class of 2010, block tuition was $8,000 per semester for the nine semesters of study. There is limited on-campus housing for graduate students. Students usually find local apartments in the greater Miami-Coral Gables area with costs ranging between $400-$600 per month, per person. Approximately 90% of present students receive some sort of financial assistance. The Department of Physical Therapy offers numerous graduate assistantships in the second and third year of studies. The University of Miami Office of Financial Assistance works closely with all students in assisting them with securing adequate resources for their educational needs. Current programs available include the Graduate Student Loan (GSL up to $8,500 per year), the Supplemental Loan Program (SLP up to $10,000 additional), and the PLUS Loan (up to $4,000 additional, but with a higher interest rate). Additionally, there are work-study programs and other graduate assistantships throughout the university available on a competitive basis. Alumni and minority scholarships of $1,000-$3,000 are offered to students in all years of study through an endowment fund.   STUDENT LIFE: Intercollegiate athletics are traditionally of a national championship nature, especially in football and baseball. Some physical therapy students have the opportunity to work with the athletic teams in the training room. Intramurals are an important part of campus activities, and physical therapy students have had championships in women's softball and volleyball and in coed softball and flag football. Many physical therapy students find part-time employment working at the 200,000 square foot Wellness Center. Annual events and opportunities organized by and for our students are the Marquette Challenge (students raising money for the Foundation for Physical Therapy, U of Miami continuously participating and placing in the top money-raisers since 1989), the Hurricane Challenge (since 1987, our students raising money to bring all Miami-Dade County students with disabilities to the university for a day of special events, a picnic, and celebrity guests), and the Recreation for the Disabled course, in cooperation with Shake-a-leg of Miami (sailing course for able-bodied and disabled persons). Miami is a rich and unique city with numerous cultural activities, such as the ballet, the symphony, the theater, and, of course, South Beach and the Florida Keys. Attention Program Directors, corrections to program data should be directed to the Accreditation Department at Accreditation@apta.org or 1-800-999-2782 x3245.
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