Boston University

This page is intended for college transfer students and graduates ONLY. High school students MUST contact the institution directly for information about the guaranteed freshman-entry program. Do not apply using PTCAS.

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION (2009-10)

Julie Starr
Program Director
Boston University
College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
Programs in Physical Therapy
635 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Phone: 617-353-2720
Phone (alternate number): 617-353-2724
Email: pt@bu.edu
Website: http://www.bu.edu/sargent/academics/pt-at/dpt/admissions

APPLICATION DEADLINE for 2010 ENTERING CLASS

PTCAS Application Deadline	Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Deadline Type	SOFT Deadline
Application Close Date (for soft deadlines only)	Thursday, April 15, 2010
Program Has Rolling Admissions Process?	Yes
Important Dates (if any): Open houses for accepted students occur during the month of February and/or early March. Interviews are not required, but it is recommended that students come to campus, learn more about the physical therapy program, and meet with our faculty and students in order to make the best decision of where to receive their physical therapy education.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

If supplemental materials are required, send items directly to the PT program.

Supplemental APPLICATION required?	NO
Supplemental MATERIALS required?	NO
If yes, list of items
Supplemental FEE required?	NO
If yes, amount	$
Supplemental deadline(s) YYYY-MM-DD
Link to supplemental forms or instructions

PROGRAM PREREQUISITES

Course Prerequisites

Must applicants earn a Bachelor's degree prior to enrolling into the PT program? Yes
Link to program’s prerequisite web page: http://www.bu.edu/sargent/academics/pt-at/dpt/admissions

Course Prerequisite Name or Subject Area	Req, Rec, Crq*	SEM hrs	QTR hrs	Lab Required (Y/N)	Additional clarifying information, if any
Biology	REQ	4	3	YES	.
Human Anatomy	REQ	4	3	YES	Human Anatomy and Human Physiology can also be fulfilled with a 2 semester combined course sequence: Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab
Human Physiology	REQ	4	3	YES	Human Anatomy and Human Physiology can also be fulfilled with a 2 semester combined course sequence: Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab
Exercise Physiology	REQ	4	3	NO	.
Chemistry I and II	REQ	8	9	YES	This is usually a general and organic chemistry sequence, however other course sequences will be considered.
Physics I and II	REQ	8	9	.	Calculus based physics is not required.
Developmental Psychology	REQ	4	3	NA	General Psychology courses will not fulfill this pre-requisite. Courses that fulfill this requirement may have alternative titles; e.g. child psychology.
Statistics	REQ	4	3	NA	A course in experimental design with statistics is also a possible means to fulfill this requirement

* “Req” = required course; “Rec” = recommended course; “Crq” = conditionally required course

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Is the GRE required?	Required
Program’s GRE College Code	# 3028
Last acceptable GRE test date – YYYY-MM-DD (if applicable)
Oldest GRE score considered – YYYY-MM-DD (if applicable)

GRE table below may contain blank fields if program data is not available or applicable.

GRE Section	Minimum GRE Score	Average GRE Score for Accepted Students
Verbal	400	524
Verbal Percentile
Quantitative	400	658
Quantitative Percentile
Analytical Writing	3.0	4.41
Analytical Writing Percentile
Composite (verbal & quantitative)	800	1185
Composite Percentile
Additional information about program’s GRE requirements

References

Number of references required by program: 3 References

EVALUATOR TYPE	Applicant must send one reference from this SPECIFIC type of evaluator	Applicant must send a reference from one or more evaluators in this category to fulfill program's requirements	Evaluator Type ACCEPTED	Evaluator Type NOT Accepted
Physical Therapist-1			X
Physical Therapist-2			X
Professor in Major			X
Professor			X
Academic			X
Supervisor/Employer			X
Teaching Assistant			X
PTA			X
Pre-PT Advisor			X
Politician/Elected Official				X
Health Care Professional				X
Friend				X
Family Member				X
Co-worker				X
Clergy				X
OTHER				X

Additional information about program’s reference requirements:

PT Observation Hours

Enter your PT observation hours on your PTCAS application. Print the PT Observation Hours form from the PTCAS application or use online PT Hours signature process, if the program requires you to have your hours verified by a physical therapist. Send signed forms to PTCAS.

PT HOURS	PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Description of Program’s PT Hours Requirement	PT hours are required - no verification by a physical therapist
Total Number of PT Hours REQUIRED	30
Total Number of PT Hours RECOMMENDED
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours YYYY-MM-DD	2010-05-24
PAID Experience	Accepted
VOLUNTEER Experience	Accepted
INPATIENT Experience	Accepted
OUTPATIENT Experience	Accepted
Additional information about program’s PT hours requirement	Your PT experience hours are to insure that you understand the profession of physical therapy and are certain that it is the field that you wish to pursue. While multiple settings are advantageous to fully understand the profession, observation in more than one setting is not required.

GPA Requirement

GPAs will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

GPA	Minimum GPA	Average GPA for Accepted Students
Overall Undergraduate Cumulative
Program-specific Prerequisite	3.00	3.46
Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any)	Program uses only the highest grade earned in its calculation of the pre-requisite GPA if courses have been repeated.

Program Essay Instructions

Some PTCAS programs require applicants to respond to a custom essay question in addition to the standard PTCAS essay question. The PTCAS application will automatically prompt you to respond to the custom essays for your designated programs. The custom essay question for this program is below.

Describe a major challenge that you have experienced that has helped prepare you in some way to be a professional provider of health care. How did you deal with that challenge?

FOREIGN APPLICANTS AND TRANSCRIPTS

The program’s foreign (international) transcript policies do NOT apply to study abroad coursework that is itemized on a U.S. college or university transcript. Study abroad is processed in the same way as U.S. coursework.

Program’s citizenship requirements (individuals listed may be eligible for admission)	U.S. citizens U.S. permanent residents Foreign (non-U.S.) citizens with a visa
Program requires non-native speakers to submit TOEFL scores?	Yes
Program policy for submission of non-U.S. (foreign/international) coursework	Send foreign transcript evaluation to PTCAS
Program policy for CANADIAN coursework	Send original CANADIAN transcript directly to program
Additional information about program’s policy on foreign coursework	Any international transcript must be translated into the American academic system. Minimum Toefl scores are as follows: Writing 22, Reading 25, Speaking 23, Listening 21

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PT Degree Offered	Program culminates in a doctoral (DPT) degree.
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class YYYY-MM-DD	2010-05-24
Dual-degree programs offered in conjunction with the PT degree (if any)
Institution's religious affiliation (if any)

Profile of Most Recent Entering Class

Items will be blank if program data is not available or applicable.

Size of Most Recent Entering Class	60
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class	60
Percent of IN-STATE students in most recent entering class
Percent of WICHE students in most recent entering class (if applicable)
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) students in most recent entering class
Percent of CANADIAN students in most recent entering class
Percent of INTERNATIONAL (non-U.S/non-Canadian) students in most recent entering class
Additional information about the class profile

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The physical therapy program at Boston University is designed to educate physical therapists to be lifelong learners, critical thinkers, evidence-based practitioners, ethical care givers and effective clinicians who will creatively and successfully meet the challenges of the evolving health care system. We believe that altered human movement is best understood using a functional systems approach. It is the examination of function that drives the subsequent comprehensive physical therapy examination and intervention. Our faculty include master clinicians, many with clinical specialization certification, and world-renowned rehabilitation researcher who bring their expertise and passion to the classroom.

Evidence based practice is a core value of the physical therapy program, as are health promotion, wellness, and prevention of injury or disease. The design of the curriculum fully prepares our graduates as generalists who can pursue careers in any clinical practice setting. This generalist approach to physical therapy practice insures quality of life for all persons, and prepares students to meet the goals of the physical therapist as an autonomous practitioner or a member of a health care team.

Our physical therapy program begins at the end of May and is a 3 year full time program. During the first academic year, students participate in both classroom instruction and clinical education. By spending one day a week with a physical therapist in a local physical therapy site, the first year student is able to apply what they are learning in the classroom to a clinical population. There are also 42 weeks of full time clinical experience interspersed throughout the remaining 2 years of the professional curriculum which take place at 3 to 4 different locations and settings.

Our graduates have a 100% first time pass rate on the national PT licensure examination. Boston University students are sought after by employers, resulting in a 100% employment rate following graduation.

Boston University is located on a large University campus with amenities such as a new fitness and recreation center, many varsity and club sports, several student community service organizations, and a wide variety of political, social, academic, arts and theater offerings. Boston is an exciting and vibrant city which is a hub for innovative medicine. Whether you are interested in cultural events or contemporary venues, sporting franchises or historic attractions, there are always plenty of opportunities on campus or within the city to enjoy time away from the physical therapy program.