Western Carolina University

PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION (2009-10)

Linda Donaldson
Administrative Support Associate
Western Carolina University
Department of Physical Therapy
156 Joyner Drive
Moore Building Room 310
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina 28723
Phone: 828 227-3523
Phone (alternate number): 828 227-7070
Email: donaldson@email.wcu.edu
Website: http://www.wcu.edu/6009.asp

APPLICATION DEADLINE for 2010 ENTERING CLASS

PTCAS Application Deadline	Monday, February 01, 2010
Deadline Type	FIRM Deadline
Application Close Date (for soft deadlines only)
Program Has Rolling Admissions Process?	No
Important Dates (if any):

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

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

Supplemental APPLICATION required?	YES
Supplemental MATERIALS required?	YES
If yes, list of items	Submit official GRE scores directly to the Western Carolina University Graduate School (code # 5897).
Supplemental FEE required?	YES
If yes, amount	$45
Supplemental deadline(s) YYYY-MM-DD	2010-02-01
Link to supplemental forms or instructions	https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=wcu-grad

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.wcu.edu/6009.asp

Course Prerequisite Name or Subject Area	Req, Rec, Crq*	SEM hrs	QTR hrs	Lab Required (Y/N)	Additional clarifying information, if any
HUMAN ANATOMY AND HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY	REQ	8	.	YES	The anatomy and physiology requirement may be met by a one-semester course in human anatomy and one-semester course in human physiology. A two-semester sequence of combined human anatomy and physiology courses is also acceptable.
CHEMISTRY	REQ	8	.	YES	Acceptable courses include general chemistry, biochemistry, and organic or inorganic chemistry.
PHYSICS	REQ	8	.	YES	Courses must include mechanics, electricity, heat, sound, and light.
STATISTICS	REQ	3	.	NA	One lecture should include descriptive statistics and tests of hypotheses. Qualitative research methodology is recommended but not required. Satisfactory courses in statistics include those taught by departments of psychology, math, education, computer science, and sociology. Statistics courses in departments such as business and health professions services are also acceptable, if they include the content described above.
SOCIAL SCIENCES	REQ	6	.	NA	Acceptable social science courses can be from a variety of disciplines. Suggested courses include organizational behavior, urban or rural sociology, educational psychology, social psychology, medical history, history of technology, human growth and development, and introductory courses in political science, economics, sociology, history or psychology.

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

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Is the GRE required?	Required
Program’s GRE College Code	# 5897
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		476
Verbal Percentile
Quantitative		602
Quantitative Percentile
Analytical Writing		4.2
Analytical Writing Percentile
Composite (verbal & quantitative)	850	539
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 highly recommended
Total Number of PT Hours REQUIRED
Total Number of PT Hours RECOMMENDED	129
DEADLINE for Completion of All PT Hours YYYY-MM-DD
PAID Experience	Accepted
VOLUNTEER Experience	Accepted
INPATIENT Experience	Accepted
OUTPATIENT Experience	Accepted
Additional information about program’s PT hours requirement	We strongly recommend that applicants seek volunteer or paid experience in a variety of physical therapy settings. It is helpful to assure that the profession is a good fit for the applicant and also creates a frame of reference for professional preparation. Applicants are awarded points in the admissions process for the total number of volunteer or paid hours as well as the number of different settings.

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	2.84	3.60
Program-specific Prerequisite	2.84	3.50
Additional information about program’s GPA requirements (if any)	Program uses only the highest grade earned in its local GPA calculations, if a course was 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.

(NONE)

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 Canadian citizens 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 foreign evaluation for CANADIAN coursework to PTCAS
Additional information about program’s policy on foreign coursework

PROGRAM INFORMATION

PT Degree Offered	Program culminates in a Masters of Physical Therapy (MPT) degree.
PT Program Start Date(s) For Entering Class YYYY-MM-DD	2010-08-23
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	32
Anticipated Size of Next Entering Class	32
Percent of IN-STATE students in most recent entering class	87.5%
Percent of WICHE students in most recent entering class (if applicable)
Percent of OUT-OF-STATE (non-resident) students in most recent entering class	12.5%
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

Below are just a few reasons why we believe WCU will be a great choice for you:

Beautiful Location: Few places in the world are more beautiful than the Great Smoky Mountains. Here, WCU offers the ideal blend of rural beauty with state-of-the-art facilities and countless recreation and fitness opportunities.

Comparatively Low Tuition and Fees: At WCU, you’ll find a tremendous academic value: a competitive academic program that’s on par with public and private universities across the country.

Quality of Instruction: Teaching is the primary mission of the university and our department. All classes are taught by highly qualified faculty who are committed to providing you with the best education possible.

Small Class Sizes: We admit only 32 students a year and we maintain a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1.

Hands-on Experience: Faculty commitment to active learning, spacious state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, and strong collaborative relationships within the larger community allow lots of hands-on learning experiences.

Pass Rates on National Licensing Examination: Our students consistently achieve pass rates above state and national averages.

Service Learning: Students are involved in service learning as part of the regular curriculum and they also have the option of completing either a research or service-learning project for their final project.

Clinical Education: Our students have the opportunity to participate in five full-time clinical education experiences (total 26 weeks) at sites across the nation.

Human Movement Science Laboratory: Our state-of-the-art lab, provided by a grant of approximately $300,000 from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, allows the program to supplement the education of students, conduct research, and provide diagnostic clinical services to individuals in the surrounding region.

Masters Degree versus Doctorate: Our program fully supports doctoral level education for the physical therapy professional. We requested approval from the University of North Carolina General Administration to transition to a doctoral degree more than five years ago and are still awaiting approval. However, in the meantime, we believe that our graduates are receiving an excellent education that prepares them for practice in today’s workplace. Our graduates consistently exceed state and national average pass rates on the licensure examination and are able to gain employment in an excellent job market. Students can complete their education at Western Carolina University in 24 months (less time and money than most DPT programs) and have many options to complete a transitional DPT or seek other advanced education opportunities if they desire.