Bachelor of Science in Pre-Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy is a profession, which develops and utilizes selected knowledge and skills in planning, organizing, and directing programs for the care of individuals whose ability to function is impaired or threatened by disease or injury. Physical Therapy deals primarily with those individuals whose potential or actual impairment is related to the neuro-musculoskeletal, pulmonary, and cardiovascular systems. It focuses on methods of evaluating the functions of those systems and on the selection of appropriate therapeutic procedures to maintain, improve, or restore these functions. Physical Therapy serves a wide population in a variety of settings such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, public health agencies, school districts, private practice, and the armed forces.

Following the completion of the Bachelor of Science degree in pre-physical therapy. Students may apply to an entry-level Master’s or doctoral physical therapy program at an accredited institution. The minimum educational requirement for entry into the profession is a Master’s of Physical Therapy.

Program Outcome

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in pre-physical therapy is not a professional degree and the degree cannot be used to seek employment as a physical therapist.  Following completion of the BS degree in pre-physical therapy, students will have acquired the qualification needed for admission into an entry-level Master’s or doctoral (professional) degree program at an accredited institution.

Upon successful completion of the BS degree in pre-physical therapy, the graduates will:

• Apply the language of health professions in documenting patient history and progress of treatment.
• Apply psychological and sociological theories in explaining human behaviors in different clinical scenarios.
• Apply knowledge of physical and medical sciences in explaining disease pathology, physical therapy diagnosis and intervention.
• Demonstrate knowledge of physical therapy as a health care profession.
• Differentiate the roles and responsibilities of the members of the health care team.
• Comprehend published research in allied health.

Admission Progression and Graduation Requirements

The Physical therapy program admits freshmen and transfer students. Applications are accepted and reviewed throughout the year. Students must complete the general university admission requirements and successfully complete the required university examinations in English, mathematics and reading, in addition to federal and state constitution examinations.

The requirement for admission into the Pre-Physical Therapy program is a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. After the student has completed a total of 90 credit hours, the student must attain a GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale to be able to graduate from the program. Students will be required to change their major if they failed to attain the GPA benchmark

Students in the Pre-Physical Therapy program are expected to graduate with a GPA of 3.0 or better in order to be competitive for admission into the entry- level doctorate in physical therapy (DPT) program.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS (120 Credits)

Core Curriculum Requirements indicated by asterisk mark (*)

Sophomore year

Junior year

Senior year

*HSC 3321 (Service Learning in Health ) is a mandatory interdisciplinary course for all students enrolled in the Collegeof Health Sciences, including pre-physical therapy majors

Prospective students should contact the Department of Health Studies chairperson for further information on the BS degree in Pre-Physical Therapy.

Dr. Thomas Britt
Office: (773) 821-2201
Email: tbritt@csu.edu

Department of Health Studies' Policy on Admission, Progression and Retention