PHYSICAL THERAPY

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is offered through Sage Graduate School (SGS). Students who already have a baccalaureate degree should refer to the SGS catalog for admission information. For details about the professional DPT Program, including the Program Mission and Philosophy; Expected Student Outcomes; Technical Standards for Physical Therapy Practice; Academic Standards for the Professional DPT Program; physical therapy course sequences; and accreditation information, please refer to the DPT program description in the Sage Graduate School catalog.

Entrance Requirements

Students applying to either the 4+3 or the 3+3 DPT programs at RSC must meet the following entrance requirements:

High School Applicants

Women students who are admitted to the pre-professional level of the DPT directly from high school are guaranteed continuation into the professional DPT providing all prerequisite courses and academic requirements are met in a 3+3 accelerated program. The successful high school applicant will demonstrate the following academic profile:

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• High School overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 90 percent
• High School Science GPA of 90 percent
• Combined SAT score of 1100 with a minimum of 500 in Verbal SAT and Math SAT
• Class rank in top third.

Transfer Applicants

Transfer students who have completed courses at another institution may apply for admission to RSC for the Bachelor’s degree leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy. The successful transfer applicant will demonstrate the following academic profile:

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• Overall 3.0 GPA for all college coursework
• Minimum 3.0 GPA in PT Program prerequisite science coursework completed to date (Anatomy & Physiology I and II; Cell Biology Chemistry I and II; and Physics I and II)
• Minimum grade of "C" or better in all PT Program prerequisite courses to be transferred from another institution

Typical 4+3 Program (Bachelor's and DPT)

Students who are admitted to the 4+3 program at RSC complete the bachelor's degree in four years. This program allows greater latitude for taking additional elective courses of interest to the student and may be more conducive to success. Women students who are admitted to the pre-professional level of the DPT Program are guaranteed continuation into the professional DPT Program at Sage Graduate School providing all prerequisite courses and academic requirements are met during completion of the 4+3 program.

The baccalaureate degree is awarded from RSC in the spring of the fourth year. The Doctor of Physical Therapy is awarded from Sage Graduate School at the end of the seventh year. The first formal review for eligibility to progress into the professional program will occur after the fall semester of the fourth year at RSC.

Accelerated 3+3 Program (Bachelor's and DPT)

Exceptionally prepared women entering Russell Sage College (RSC) from high school or transferring students who are accepted into the accelerated 3+3 Program complete both a Bachelor’s degree from RSC and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Sage Graduate School (SGS) in a total of six years.

Undergraduate transfer students who have completed courses at other institutions may be admitted to the accelerated program, with acceptance based on space availability, students' qualifications, and previous college coursework. Transfer students must complete a minimum of one academic year at RSC prior to entering the DPT program, during which time college undergraduate major coursework, general education requirements and DPT program course prerequisites must be completed.

Students who are admitted to the accelerated 3+3 bachelor's program at RSC are eligible to advance to the professional Doctor of Physical Therapy program in their fourth year, providing they have completed a minimum of 90 undergraduate credits and meet the academic requirements for acceleration (listed below). Graduate-level DPT courses begin in the summer following the third year at RSC. The bachelor’s degree is awarded from RSC in December of the fourth year, and students participate in the spring commencement ceremony. The Doctor of Physical Therapy is awarded from Sage Graduate School at the end of the sixth year. The first formal review for eligibility to accelerate into the professional program will occur after the fall semester of the third year at RSC.

Two-Year Articulation Agreements

Russell Sage College has articulation agreements with many 2-year institutions that provide a seamless transfer into Russell Sage College and guarantee admission to the DPT Program. For more information about the agreements, please visit the DPTprogram web site.

Students accelerating into the DPT program will take the following courses in the summer and fall of the fourth year:

Prerequisite Support Courses for Admission into the Professional Program

The following courses must be completed prior to beginning the professional program.

Academic Requirements to progress or accelerate into the Doctor of Physical Therapy

• Completion of the bachelor's degree and DPT Program prerequisite courses prior to beginning the DPT Program (4+3 students only).
• Completion of a minimum of one year in residence at RSC to meet the undergraduate major and general education requirements and DPT Program prerequisites (3+3 students only).
• Earned minimum of grade of "C" or better in all DPT Program prerequisite courses
• Earned overall GPA of at least 3.0 for all college coursework
• Earned science GPA of at least 3.0 in DPT Program prerequisite science coursework (Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Cell Biology, Chemistry I and II, and Physics I and II)
• Completion of at least 40 hours of physical therapy clinical observation under the direction of a licensed
  physical therapist before beginning the professional program.
• Completion of at least 90 undergraduate credits by the end of the 3rd undergraduate year (3+3 students only)
• Completion of the acceleration 3+3 process (3+3 students only)
• Completion of the progression process (4+3 students only)

Procedures for Progression/Acceleration into the DPT Program

By January 15 of the fourth year (4+3 program) or third year (3+3 Program,) students progressing or accelerating into the DPT Program will:

1. Arrange for a meeting with the DPT Program faculty
2. Complete DPT Program application forms (Academic Standards Statement, Clinical Observation Document, Prerequisite Form) available from the Physical Therapy Department office or the web page: http://www.sage.edu/academics/schoolofnursingandhealthsciences/physicaltherapy
3. Submit transcripts from all college institutions attended
4. Provide a resume
5. Submit one professional letter of recommendation
6. Submit a career goals essay; and,
7. Submit a list of courses in progress and planned during the remainder of the undergraduate program.