Doctor of Physical Therapy
Format: In person on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah
Credit Hours: 134
Entry Terms: Fall
The Physical Therapy program at Georgia Southern University is a full-time doctoral program offered on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, Georgia. There are 36 students admitted to each class. The program consists of nine semesters of academic coursework, including three full-time clinical affiliations (with a minimum of 33 weeks of full-time clinical practice) and several additional clinical experiences.
Upon completion of the program, all students are awarded a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. All program graduates are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and apply for state licensure in all jurisdictions.
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This program uses an external application system.
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The professional curriculum consists of two phases: “systems” and “life span”. Courses introduced during the first year use a systems approach with cases in musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, neuromuscular and integumentary physical therapy. As closely as possible, courses are coordinated so that students are instructed in the anatomy, pathology and diagnosis related to specific joints or systems of the body at the same time.
During the third semester, students are given the opportunity to practice and integrate their professional skills in a simulated clinic course, case management. (Use of this experiential learning technique has been presented at international meetings.) Following the completion of the first year, students have an 8-week full-time clinical experience, allowing them to further solidify and integrate the classroom material in a clinical setting.
During the second year and early third year of study, students explore practice topics in greater depth within the context of a life span approach, covering content from diseases of children to impairments associated with aging. These advanced courses are followed by two final full-time 11-week clinical experiences, with a return to campus for final coursework at the end of the program.
Program Links
The curriculum is further integrated by team teaching, a feature of several of the courses. Besides providing linkages between courses, this enables the faculty to serve as role models for the advantages associated with working together as a team.
Our Graduates
| CLASS | 2021 | 2022 | 2-Year Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Employed as physical therapists within one year of licensure | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Licensure Examination Pass Rate | 100% passed the NPTE (93% on first attempt) | 98% passed the NPTE (90% on the first attempt) | 99% passed the NPTE (92% on first attempt) |
Prospective Students
Thank you for your interest in Georgia Southern University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Please review information pertaining to our admission criteria, application process and tuition and fees. View current detailed information about GS DPT student costs and debt. This will provide prospective students the ability to compare financial information across programs since the format is standardized and required for all programs beginning August 1, 2022. You are also encouraged attend one of our information sessions (which includes a tour of our facilities).
Faculty
Currently the program consists of 11 full-time faculty and several adjunct faculty members. All are licensed to practice within the state of Georgia.
Contact Us
Please contact the program office with any questions about admissions:
Phone: 912-344-2580
Email: pt_dept@georgiasouthern.edu
Those outside the DPT program who wish to report a concern or complaint or DPT students who wish to address concerns that are not addressed in the Georgia Southern University Student Handbook should reach out to the Rehabilitation Sciences Interim Department Chair, Maya Clark, Ph.D., at mclark@georgiasouthern.edu, or the Interim Associate Dean of the Waters College of Health Professions, Laurie Adams, Ed.D., at laadams@georgiasouthern.edu.
Those who wish to register a complaint about the program may contact the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305; telephone: 800-999-2782; email: accreditation@apat.org; website: https://www.capteonline.org.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Georgia Southern University 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@apat.org; website: https://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 912-344-2580 or email pt_dept@georgiasouthern.edu.
Those who wish to register a complaint about the program may contact the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
Professional License Disclosure
The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences anticipates that graduates of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program will seek individual state licensure from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences has determined that the required classes and educational activities of this academic program will qualify a graduate of this program to take the exam for a physical therapy license in the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
For required disclosures on whether this program satisfies the license requirements of all states and territories for Physical Therapy license, go to www.fsbpt.org to check the requirements of your state or territory.
Last updated: 5/22/2023
