1. What is D.P.T. Program?
The Doctorate in Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) is a clinical doctorate, the first professional educational program leading to physical therapy practice. The DPT prepares one for practice while the PhD, an academic doctorate, prepares one for teaching in higher education and/or research.
2. I have completed the bachelor's or master's degree in physical therapy, but I would like to consider the doctorate. Is your program right for me?
If you have a certificate, bachelor's or master's degree in physical therapy and are a U.S.-licensed physical therapist who has practiced within the last three years, you would be interested in our D.P.T. Bridge program. The transitional degree is conducted fully online and requires the licensed physical therapist to apply their clinical experiences to evidence based practice.
3. Is your program accredited?
The degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association and has been since 1947 when the accreditation was implemented for the profession. Its most recent reaccreditation was in 2004 and will be in effect until 2014, the date of the next accreditation cycle.
4. How do I apply?
For the campus-based DPT program for individuals who are not licensed physical therapists, visit the APTA web site (www.apta.org) to learn about the PTCAS application process, the PT Common Application Process. Carefully follow the directions and submit the required materials as instructed to the PTCAS Site. In addition you are required to complete and send the School of Health Sciences Supplemental Application Form to Office of Admission, School of Health Sciences, Simmons College,300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115. Please make certain that materials are not merely sent to the Office of Admission, since there are 6 admission offices at Simmons. The Supplemental Application can be found here. The application deadline for receipt of all materials is December 1.
If you are a licensed and practicing physical therapist, please see question number two above.
5. Are interviews required?
Selected applicants will be invited by the Physical Therapy Admission Committee for interviews. The Physical Therapy department will contact individuals to schedule such interviews on campus. In rare occasions, telephone interviews will be conducted for applicants who reside at a distance from Simmons.
6. When will I learn about my admission status?
All admission decisions are mailed as a group after the application deadline in early to mid-March.
7. How many students are in the program?
There are approximately 30 students per class year. Our educational philosophy focuses on small class sizes and small student-to-faculty ratios.
8. When is the application deadline for the campus DPT program?
The deadline is December 1.
9. When does the campus - based program start?
The program begins in late June. All new students take the Applied Human Anatomy course that meets four to five days a week through mid-August at Harvard Medical School, a short walk from our campus.
10. Is the campus-based program available on a part-time basis?
No. This is a full-time, three-year program. Semesters are conducted as follows:
| |
Summer II |
Fall Semester |
Spring Semester |
Summer I
|
| Year I |
Program Begins
Classes at Simmons |
Classes at Simmons |
Classes at Simmons |
Classes at Simmons |
| Year II |
|
First Clinical Experience |
Classes at Simmons |
Classes at Simmons |
| Year III |
|
Classes at Simmons Classes |
Second Clinical Experience |
Third Clinical Experience
Program Completed in Mid August |
11. How many credits are required to complete the DPT program?
The program is 99 credits.
12. Are scholarships and assistantships available?
There are a limited number of merit scholarships and assistantships available each year. These scholarships cover only part of the tuition. All applicants are automatically considered for scholarships at the time of application review. Due to limited funding, only complete applicants received by the application deadline will be considered for such awards. Students do not need to submit a special application for scholarships. Accepted students will be notified of such scholarships in the letter of admission. Teaching and research assistantships are awarded to students who have been enrolled for a period of time and demonstrate outstanding academic achievement.
13. Do you require a minimum GRE score?
We expect GRE scores of a minimum of 500 for the verbal and quantitative portions and 4.0 or better in the analytical section of the exam. You can take the GRE more than once to attempt to achieve a higher
score. We will use the highest individual score of any test taken. It
is very important that you register for the GRE well in advance of the
December 1 application dealing as it takes 6-8 weeks for Simmons to
receive official test scores from ETS.
14. Do you require a minimum GPA (grade point average)? A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the science prerequisite courses and an overall minimum grade point average of 3.0 are required. These GPAs should include all repeated and failed courses. A student can only retake up to two courses to improve the GPA and the second grades earned in each class are averaged with the first grades the student achieved. Contact the SHS Office of Admission at 617-521-2605 if you have specific questions.
15. What is the minimum number of hours required for volunteer or paid health care experience?
At least 30 hours of documented work experience in a health-related environment is required. The experience must be documented on official letterhead stationery of the facility and signed by a supervisor on official letterhead stationery. Timesheets or pay stubs are not acceptable.
16. How do I get volunteer or paid physical therapy experience?
If you are completing your undergraduate degree, check on internship opportunities through you school. If you know a physical therapist, ask her/him if you can "shadow" for a short period of time. Call physical therapy departments or volunteer offices in a variety of practice settings and offer your services. Physical therapy practice settings include tertiary care hospitals, community hospitals, visiting nurse associations, nursing homes, retirement communities, private practices, and sports medicine facilities.
17. I am working on completing my experience requirements but I will not have 30 hours by the application deadline. What can I do?
You may obtain a letter from your internship site indicating that while you have not completed the 30 hours, they are in progress. You would need to submit documentation of completion before enrollment in the program in June.
18. What is the approach to teaching and learning?
The curriculum includes periods of full time academic work alternating with full time clinical education. The academic portion of the curriculum comprises a mix of lectures, hands-on laboratory practice, small-group case discussions and clinical practice. The curriculum is designed to suit many different learning styles.
19. What is the cost of this program?
Tuition and fees are determined by the Board of Trustees each academic year. Students are billed for each semester based on the number of credit hours taken that semester. For information about current costs see the tuition and financial aid page.
20. If I am a student with English as my second language, should I take the TOEFL?
Yes, the TOEFL is required if English is your second language. You must also take the GREs. The minimum required TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score is 570 (paper) or 230 (computer) or 88 (internet). If, however, you have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. post-secondary institution or a post-secondary institution abroad recognized by the Ministry of Education in the home country of English- speaking countries only, the TOEFL is waived.
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