Frequently Asked Questions

All applications occur through PTCAS.  You can begin the application process through the following link:  http://www.ptcas.org/home.aspx

Average Undergraduate GPA:         3.2

Average prerequisite GPA:              3.2

Average verbal GRE:                      153

Average quantitative GRE:              153

Average analytical writing:              4.0

All applicants must complete a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution prior to matriculation. There is no requirement for any specific degree. Current students hold degrees in Kinesiology, Biology, Sports Medicine, Athletic Training, Psychology, Performing Arts, Physiological Psychology, English, Business, and Chemistry.  Academic diversity creates a rich learning environment. All applicants must complete the required prerequisite courses.

No, state of origin is not considered in the application process.  Admitted students come from diverse national and international geographic locations.

When reviewing applications, the Master’s cumulative GPA will have a greater weight in the admissions evaluation than the cumulative GPA from the Institution that granted the Bachelor’s degree.  If an applicant’s cumulative UG GPA is less than the required 3.0 minimum, we recommend they earn a Master’s degree.

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No, the program is accredited to deliver the curriculum on a full-time basis. 

No, the program has a few hybrid courses but the curriculum is designed and accredited to be delivered in person.

Yes, you may defer admission for one admission cycle.  You must contact the Program Director for approval of the deferment.

Yes, if admitted, a $500.00 deposit is required to hold a place in the program.  The deposit is non-refundable.  It is applied to program expenses during the first semester of the program.

Mount Saint Mary’s University welcomes students of all faiths.  This is in keeping with the mission of the founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet – to serve all persons without distinction. 

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet were founded in Le Puy, France in 1650.  Six ordinary women joined forces to devote themselves to the needs of ordinary people.  They dedicated themselves to the "practice of all the spiritual and corporal works of mercy of which woman is capable and which will most benefit the dear neighbor." They were neither educated nor wealthy, but worked to support themselves by making lace and taught this skill to local women  living in destitution.

The Sisters currently “serve others in the United States, Japan and Peru. We do it in a manner that respects individuality and diversity, fostering the common good through parish service, adult education, spiritual direction and retreat work, direct service of the poor, and justice activities.  We find the strength from being in community, which allows us to share resources and skills. Learn what living in community means to us.”

http://csjla.org/

Students in the third year of the program are eligible to apply for teaching assistant positions in courses they have already completed.  Typically, these courses are Gross Anatomy, Patient/Client Management: Orthopedics, Health Care Procedures and Therapeutic Exercise. TAs are paid on an hourly basis for a maximum of 10 hours/week. TA application are reviewed by faculty in the DPT program.

Students in the second and third year of the program are eligible to apply for teaching assistant positions in the undergraduate biology laboratory courses.  The application process and TA selection occur through the Department of Biology. 

Ultimate Pass Rate - % of graduates passing licensure exam

Employment rate per alumni surveys - % employed (full-time or part-time) within one year following graduation:

Graduates are generalist practitioners and are licensed to practice in any setting that is appropriate for physical therapy services.  Some of the settings recent graduates practice in are: outpatient orthopedics, outpatient sports, outpatient neurorehabilitation, acute care, ICU, emergency department, wound care, women’s health, skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation, inpatient pediatrics, outpatient pediatrics, school-based pediatrics, geriatrics, wellness, vestibular rehabilitation.

Mount Saint Mary’s University – Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Admission policy changes in response to COVID-19

Current application cycle (2019-2020)

Physical Therapy Observation Hours

MSMU DPT program has a requirement for observation hours in inpatient and outpatient physical therapy.  Our requirement is for 120 hours with 20 of these hours in inpatient physical therapy.  Inpatient physical therapy hours can be obtained in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.  If any applicant, either accepted to the program or on the waitlist, was unable to complete their observation hours because a facility was closed or a facility released all non-essential personnel in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please send that information directly to Dr. Lowe, DPT Program Director at dlowe@msmu.edu.  This requirement will be modified for those individuals.

Grades of CR or P

MSMU DPT program does not normally accept prerequisite courses for which grades of CR or P are assigned.  We require all courses to have a letter grade.  The letter grade must be a “C” or higher.  If any applicant, either accepted to the program or on the waitlist, attended a University or College that assigned grades of CR/NC or P/F for Spring 2020 to prerequisite courses, we will accept the prerequisite(s) as long as the grade is a CR or P.  Please contact Dr. Lowe, DPT Program Director if you are in this situation.  dlowe@msmu.edu

Online courses for required prerequisite labs

MSMU DPT program does not normally accept prerequisite courses for which the lab portion of courses is online.  If any applicant, either accepted to the program or on the waitlist, attended a University or College that moved their instruction to online for Spring 2020 and/or Summer 2020 we will accept these prerequisite courses with online didactic and online labs.  Please contact Dr. Lowe, DPT Program Director if you are in this situation.  dlowe@msmu.edu

Next application cycle (2020-2021)

Grades of CR or P

MSMU DPT program does not normally accept prerequisite courses for which grades of CR or P are assigned.  We require all courses to have a letter grade.  The letter grade must be a “C” or higher.  An exception will be made for applicants whose University or College assigned grades of CR/NC or P/F for Spring 2020 to prerequisite courses.  We will accept the prerequisite(s) taken in Spring 2020 as long as the grade is a CR or P.  Please contact Dr. Lowe, DPT Program Director if you are in this situation.  dlowe@msmu.edu

Online courses for required prerequisite labs

MSMU DPT program does not normally accept prerequisite courses for which the lab portion of courses is online.  If any applicant attended a University or College that moved their instruction to online for Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020 and/or Spring 2021 we will accept these prerequisite courses with online didactic and online labs.  We will assess the situation for Summer 2021 for possible extension of this policy.  Please contact Dr. Lowe, DPT Program Director if you are in this situation.  dlowe@msmu.edu

Physical Therapy Observation Hours

MSMU DPT program has a requirement for observation hours in inpatient and outpatient physical therapy.  Our requirement is for 120 hours with 20 of these hours in inpatient physical therapy.  Inpatient physical therapy hours can be obtained in a hospital or skilled nursing facility.  We will not require the 20 hours for inpatient physical therapy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  If an applicant has any physical therapy hours for the inpatient setting you should include these even if it is less than 20.  If an applicant has any experience in a hospital setting that is not related to physical therapy, please include this in the category that is most applicable, volunteer or work activity.  For applicants that have neither of these, they may demonstrate knowledge of inpatient physical therapy by watching videos posted on youtube of individual experiences in this setting or interviewing a physical therapist that works in the inpatient setting.  Good diagnosis to look up for this is spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, Guillian-Barre, stroke (and many others).  From these the student needs to answer the following question. How is inpatient physical therapy different from the outpatient setting?  Please keep this to less than one page.   Please send this information directly to Luis Flores at LAflores@msmu.edu.  It will be added to your PTCAS file.