Doctor of Physical Therapy
Courses are taught in a hybrid model (both online and in-person), flexible and convenient from the comfort of your own home.
- A hybrid learning and competency-based model offers you the opportunity to study from a location convenient to you and your life circumstances while attending onsite program sessions throughout each semester.
- Learn from faculty with broad educational and clinical experiences in a range of practice arenas from around the United States.
- Apply knowledge and skills learned in academic courses to clinical experiences at one of our many active clinical partner sites across the country in a variety of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health, schools, and outpatient clinics.
- Complete two 16-week internships at the end of your curriculum, in both an inpatient and outpatient setting.
- GRE not required.
- Receive your Doctor of Physical Therapy in just 31 months.
- Program open to both men and women.
CSM Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Mission Statement
The CSM DPT Program’s mission is to offer a blended curriculum to prepare competent, compassionate, and professional physical therapists who demonstrate excellence in the physical therapy practice to diverse and medically underserved communities. The program prepares graduates to be lifelong learners and health care leaders in accordance with the values of CSM as inspired by the Sisters of Mercy: excellence, service, dignity, compassion, inclusivity, and integrity.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Information Session Presentation
Plan of Study
Summer Year 1 - First Semester
Total Credit Hours: 15
- PT Professional Issues: Intro to PT Profession (3 credits)
- PT Professional Issues: Language of Practice (1 credit)
- Human Anatomy Lecture and Lab (6 credits)
- Pathophysiology I (3 credits)
- PT Practice Issues: Psychosocial Aspects of PT (2 credits)
Fall Year 1 - Second Semester
Total Credit Hours: 19
- Neuroscience (Neuroanatomy & Neurophysiology) (3 credits)
- Movement Science: Human Movement/Gait and the Movement Systems (3 credits)
- Evidence Based Practice I (2 credits)
- Clinical Biomechanics and Kinesiology (3 credits)
- Pathophysiology II (3 credits)
- Introduction to Physical Therapy Examination (4 credits)
- Clinical Decision Making - PT Management (1 credit)
Spring Year 1 - Third Semester
Total Credit Hours: 18
- Biophysical Agents/Therapeutic Interventions (4 credits)
- Evidence Based Practice II (2 credits)
- Integrated Clinical Experience I (1 credit)
- Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
- Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy I (4 credits)
- Neuromuscular Physical Therapy I (4 credits)
Summer Year 2 - First Semester
Total Credit Hours: 18
- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary PT (4 credits)
- Physical Therapy for the Integumentary (3 credits)
- Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy II (4 credits)
- Neuromuscular Physical Therapy II (4 credits)
- Principles of Education and Communication: PT’s as Teachers and Learners (2 credits)
- Integrated Clinical Experiences II (1 credit)
Fall Year 2 - Second Semester
Total Credit Hours: 16
- Geriatric PT (3 credits)
- Pediatric PT (3 credits)
- Prosthetics and Orthotics (3 credits)
- Integrative Pain Science (3 credits)
- Differential Diagnosis/Diagnostic Imaging (3 credits)
- Acute Care/Primary Physical Therapy (2 credits)
Spring Year 2 - Third Semester
Total Credit Hours: 12
- Healthcare Delivery Systems (3 credits)
- Business and Leadership in PT (3 credits)
- Comprehensive Case Analysis of Complex Patients (3 credits)
- Test Prep for NPTE and PEAT (1 credit)
- Health Informatics (2 credits)
Summer Year 3 - First Semester
Total Credit Hours: 11
- Full-time Clinical Internship (16 weeks) (8 credits)
- Comprehensive Case Analysis of Complex Patients - Capstone Project (3 credits)
Fall Year 3 - Second Semester
Total Credit Hours: 8
- Full-time Clinical Internship (16 weeks) (8 credits)
Requirements for Graduation
For information about graduate classes, see the college graduate catalog.
Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for physical therapist, administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). After successful completion of this exam, you will be a physical therapist, registered (DPT). Most states require licensure in order to practice. State licenses are usually based on the results of the FSBPT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the FSBPT certification examination, attain state licensure or complete fieldwork.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy at College of Saint Mary is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email; accreditation [at] apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 402-399-2640 or email kbryant [at] csm.edu.
State Authorization
College of Saint Mary seeks to make available all online programs/courses to residents of Nebraska and other states, and to allow completion of required clinical or practical experiences in those states. We work through the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) process and with states directly to ensure that when authorization or licensure is necessary, required approvals are secured. Nebraska is a member of SARA and CSM is an approved SARA institution. As such, we adhere to a set of national standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance education courses and programs. SARA also covers all interstate placements in clinical or practical situations among SARA member states, no matter the nature of the main program. However, not all states are SARA members (i.e. California). While we do monitor the laws in each state, authorization of distance education is a dynamic environment and prospective students should check often for updates. It is the student’s responsibility to understand current circumstances or special requirements in their state of residence.
Admissions Requirements
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
- Cumulative GPA: 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
- Minimum prerequisite course GPA 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale.
- A grade of C or better on all the prerequisite courses is required.
- Completed application.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- Two letters of reference: one from a licensed physical therapist and one from a person of the applicant’s choice.
- 50 hours minimum of community involvement (volunteering) post high school.
- 50 minimum observation hours in a physical therapy setting prior to application deadline.
- Applicants for whom English is not their first language, TOEFL is required.
- Ability to fulfill the essential functions of a physical therapist.
- Successful completion of an admission interview. Applicants are selected for an interview based on a holistic evaluation of their application and supporting documents. The admissions interview will include an oral interview and written essay questions.
- Complete an approved Criminal Background Check (CBC) prior to matriculation.
- All courses need to be completed with a C or above.
- Biology I with Lab
- Biology II with Lab
- General Chemistry I with Lab
- General Chemistry II with Lab
- General Physics I with Lab
- General Physics II with Lab
- Human Anatomy with Lab
- Physiology with Lab
- Psychology
- English Composition or Writing
- Statistics or Research Design
**Prerequisites must be completed within ten years preceding entrance to the graduate program.
DPT Admissions Decisions
Completion of basic requirements does not guarantee an interview or admission into CSM’s DPT program.
CSM’s Physical Therapy Admission Committee uses a selection model to choose which candidates best qualify for the program and practice of the profession from a pool of applicants. Admission is based on quality of baccalaureate academic institution, cumulative and prerequisite GPA, difficulty of prior coursework, references, and applicant interview.
Academic Description
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Courses are taught in a hybrid model (both online and in-person), flexible and convenient from the comfort of your own home.
- A hybrid learning and competency-based model offers you the opportunity to study from a location convenient to you and your life circumstances while attending onsite program sessions throughout each semester.
- Learn from faculty with broad educational and clinical experiences in a range of practice arenas from around the United States.
- Apply knowledge and skills learned in academic courses to clinical experiences at one of our many active clinical partner sites across the country in a variety of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health, schools, and outpatient clinics.
- Complete two 16-week internships at the end of your curriculum, in both an inpatient and outpatient setting.
- GRE not required.
- Receive your Doctor of Physical Therapy in just 31 months.
- Program open to both men and women.
CSM Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Mission Statement
The CSM DPT Program’s mission is to offer a blended curriculum to prepare competent, compassionate, and professional physical therapists who demonstrate excellence in the physical therapy practice to diverse and medically underserved communities. The program prepares graduates to be lifelong learners and health care leaders in accordance with the values of CSM as inspired by the Sisters of Mercy: excellence, service, dignity, compassion, inclusivity, and integrity.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Information Session Presentation
Accreditation
Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy at College of Saint Mary is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email; accreditation [at] apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 402-399-2640 or email kbryant [at] csm.edu.
State Authorization
College of Saint Mary seeks to make available all online programs/courses to residents of Nebraska and other states, and to allow completion of required clinical or practical experiences in those states. We work through the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) process and with states directly to ensure that when authorization or licensure is necessary, required approvals are secured. Nebraska is a member of SARA and CSM is an approved SARA institution. As such, we adhere to a set of national standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance education courses and programs. SARA also covers all interstate placements in clinical or practical situations among SARA member states, no matter the nature of the main program. However, not all states are SARA members (i.e. California). While we do monitor the laws in each state, authorization of distance education is a dynamic environment and prospective students should check often for updates. It is the student’s responsibility to understand current circumstances or special requirements in their state of residence.
Admissions Requirements
Admissions Requirements
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
- Cumulative GPA: 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
- Minimum prerequisite course GPA 3.2 or above on a 4.0 scale.
- A grade of C or better on all the prerequisite courses is required.
- Completed application.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- Two letters of reference: one from a licensed physical therapist and one from a person of the applicant’s choice.
- 50 hours minimum of community involvement (volunteering) post high school.
- 50 minimum observation hours in a physical therapy setting prior to application deadline.
- Applicants for whom English is not their first language, TOEFL is required.
- Ability to fulfill the essential functions of a physical therapist.
- Successful completion of an admission interview. Applicants are selected for an interview based on a holistic evaluation of their application and supporting documents. The admissions interview will include an oral interview and written essay questions.
- Complete an approved Criminal Background Check (CBC) prior to matriculation.
- All courses need to be completed with a C or above.
- Biology I with Lab
- Biology II with Lab
- General Chemistry I with Lab
- General Chemistry II with Lab
- General Physics I with Lab
- General Physics II with Lab
- Human Anatomy with Lab
- Physiology with Lab
- Psychology
- English Composition or Writing
- Statistics or Research Design
**Prerequisites must be completed within ten years preceding entrance to the graduate program.
DPT Admissions Decisions
Completion of basic requirements does not guarantee an interview or admission into CSM’s DPT program.
CSM’s Physical Therapy Admission Committee uses a selection model to choose which candidates best qualify for the program and practice of the profession from a pool of applicants. Admission is based on quality of baccalaureate academic institution, cumulative and prerequisite GPA, difficulty of prior coursework, references, and applicant interview.
Curriculum
Plan of Study
Summer Year 1 - First Semester
Total Credit Hours: 15
- PT Professional Issues: Intro to PT Profession (3 credits)
- PT Professional Issues: Language of Practice (1 credit)
- Human Anatomy Lecture and Lab (6 credits)
- Pathophysiology I (3 credits)
- PT Practice Issues: Psychosocial Aspects of PT (2 credits)
Fall Year 1 - Second Semester
Total Credit Hours: 19
- Neuroscience (Neuroanatomy & Neurophysiology) (3 credits)
- Movement Science: Human Movement/Gait and the Movement Systems (3 credits)
- Evidence Based Practice I (2 credits)
- Clinical Biomechanics and Kinesiology (3 credits)
- Pathophysiology II (3 credits)
- Introduction to Physical Therapy Examination (4 credits)
- Clinical Decision Making - PT Management (1 credit)
Spring Year 1 - Third Semester
Total Credit Hours: 18
- Biophysical Agents/Therapeutic Interventions (4 credits)
- Evidence Based Practice II (2 credits)
- Integrated Clinical Experience I (1 credit)
- Clinical Pharmacology (3 credits)
- Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy I (4 credits)
- Neuromuscular Physical Therapy I (4 credits)
Summer Year 2 - First Semester
Total Credit Hours: 18
- Cardiovascular and Pulmonary PT (4 credits)
- Physical Therapy for the Integumentary (3 credits)
- Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy II (4 credits)
- Neuromuscular Physical Therapy II (4 credits)
- Principles of Education and Communication: PT’s as Teachers and Learners (2 credits)
- Integrated Clinical Experiences II (1 credit)
Fall Year 2 - Second Semester
Total Credit Hours: 16
- Geriatric PT (3 credits)
- Pediatric PT (3 credits)
- Prosthetics and Orthotics (3 credits)
- Integrative Pain Science (3 credits)
- Differential Diagnosis/Diagnostic Imaging (3 credits)
- Acute Care/Primary Physical Therapy (2 credits)
Spring Year 2 - Third Semester
Total Credit Hours: 12
- Healthcare Delivery Systems (3 credits)
- Business and Leadership in PT (3 credits)
- Comprehensive Case Analysis of Complex Patients (3 credits)
- Test Prep for NPTE and PEAT (1 credit)
- Health Informatics (2 credits)
Summer Year 3 - First Semester
Total Credit Hours: 11
- Full-time Clinical Internship (16 weeks) (8 credits)
- Comprehensive Case Analysis of Complex Patients - Capstone Project (3 credits)
Fall Year 3 - Second Semester
Total Credit Hours: 8
- Full-time Clinical Internship (16 weeks) (8 credits)
Degree Requirements
Requirements for Graduation
For information about graduate classes, see the college graduate catalog.
Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for physical therapist, administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). After successful completion of this exam, you will be a physical therapist, registered (DPT). Most states require licensure in order to practice. State licenses are usually based on the results of the FSBPT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the FSBPT certification examination, attain state licensure or complete fieldwork.
