Post-Professional Program for
International Physical Therapists
Faculty | Admission | Tuition and Costs | Requirements | Schedule
- Courses are fully online.
- The program can be completed in one to three years.
- The program is affordable and competitively priced.
- Students network and connect with nationally recognized faculty and peers.
- Students may take two courses before formal application and matriculation.
- After successful completion of 13 credits (GPA of 3.0 or better) students receive a Professional Practice Certificate and are permitted to enter and complete the Transitional DPT program.
- Arcadia University's Physical Therapy program is ranked in the top 15 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
The profession and practice of physical therapy is rapidly changing. The demands imposed upon a physical therapist today are very different from those of even five or 10 years ago. These demands often go beyond the formal education provided in more traditional entry-level programs. Therapists increasingly are required to justify their practice patterns based on research evidence, to take on consulting and supervisory roles, and to provide administrative expertise and leadership.
Graduates will demonstrate the ability to do the following:
- Solve clinical problems based on evidence.
- Critically evaluate current literature and theories.
- Communicate professionally through scientific writing.
- Function as an effective teacher at multiple levels—with patients, students, peers, and the public.
- Use skills required to be an independent and lifelong learner.
This is a program for foreign-educated physical therapists who are preparing for licensure in the United States and for foreign-educated physical therapists practicing in the United States who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills and progress to the Transitional D.P.T. program. The program is highly interactive and capitalizes on the wealth of knowledge clinicians bring with them.
Faculty
Admission Requirements
Register for a Course | Apply for Admission
Students may take two courses before formal application and matriculation. Acceptance into a course does not guarantee admission.
In addition to the general admission requirements for graduate students, the following program-specific requirements must be met:
- Proof of graduation from a government-recognized physical therapist degree program
- Course descriptions or syllabi from completed physical therapists degree programs
- Current professional license in US jurisdiction (if applicable)
- Three written recommendations (professional or academic)
- Brief essay articulating goals for study
- Basic computer skills including use of the internet and email
- Computer system requirements
Tuition and Costs
2012-13 Tuition: $788 per credit
Program Requirements
(21 credits minimum)
- PT 503 Ethics and Law
- PT 504 Teaching Methods
- PT 515 Clinical Decision Making for International Physical Therapists†
- PT 516 Post-Professional Orientation†
- PT 518 Medical Screening across the Lifespan or PT 508 Medical Screening
- PT 528 Health Care Systems
- PT 556 Diagnostic Imaging* or PT 555 Pharmacology
- PT 705 Orthopedic Physical Therapy*
- PT 706 Neuromuscular Physical Therapy*
- PT 707 Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy*
- PT 708 Integumentary Physical Therapy*
† All matriculated students must begin with these two courses (enrollment in a course does not guarantee admission to the program)
* Courses that may be waived based on Portfolio Assessment
After successful completion of the above (GPA of 3.0 or better), students receive a Professional Practice certificate.
The following courses are required for the Transitional DPT degree:
- PT 556 Diagnostic Imaging or PT 555 Pharmacology
- PT 547 Health Promotion
- PT 656 Neuromuscular Tissues
- PT 702 Case Analysis
For those licensed to practice in the United States:
After successful completion of the Professional Practice Certificate (GPA of 3.0 or better), students are permitted to enter and complete the Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
For those not yet licensed to practice in the United States:
This program is designed to prepare foreign educated physical therapists for a license to practice in the United States. Successful completion of the program is a pathway to acceptance into Arcadia University’s Transitional DPT program.
For continuation into the Transitional DPT program, students must:
- Complete supervised clinical practice in the student's geographical area in the US
- The facility must have two or more physical therapists
- The supervising PT must be an APTA credentialed clinical instructor or a board certified clinical specialist (ABPTS)
- The facility must be part of a healthcare system with diverse patient populations representing a broad array of diagnoses
- Attain current professional licensure as a Physical Therapist in a US jurisdiction
Course Waiver Criteria
Course waiver requests are evaluated on the following detailed criteria via portfolio review:
A waiver for a course in the Clinical Practice Series (PT 705 Orthopedic Physical Therapy; PT 706 Neurologic Physical Therapy; PT 707 Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy, PT 708 Integumentary Physical Therapy) requires APTA Clinical Specialist Certification or prior post- professional coursework that may either be university-based or continuing education and total at least 42 contact hours in a particular specialty area. The student must submit the following:
- Course description
- Course syllabus
- Written documentation of content
Course Schedule
Spring 2013
- PT 503 Ethics and Law, Jan. 14 - March 1
- PT 508 Medical Screening, March 11 - April 26
Summer 2013
- PT 504 Teaching and Learning, May 6 - June 21
- PT 707 Cardiopulmonary, May 6 - June 21
- PT 708 Integumentary, July 1 - August 16
Fall 2013
- PT 516 Orientation†, July 29 - August 16
- PT 515 Clinical Decision Making†, August 26 - Oct. 11
- PT 556 Diagnostic Imaging, August 26 - Oct. 11
- PT 555 Pharmacology, Oct. 21 - Dec. 6
† All matriculated students must begin with these two courses.
For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of our students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website at www.arcadia.edu/gainful.
