Exceptionally prepared students entering Russell Sage College (RSC) from high school or transferring students who are accepted into the 3+3 accelerated program complete both a bachelor’s degree and a doctor of physical therapy degree from Russell Sage College in a total of six years.
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 for 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. The bachelor’s degree is awarded in December of the fourth year, and students participate in the spring commencement ceremony. The Doctor of Physical Therapy is awarded at the end of the sixth year. The first formal review for eligibility to accelerate into the professional program will occur at the end of the fall semester of the third year. Students not meeting the requirements for acceleration at that time will be re-reviewed at the end of the spring semester. If they meet the requirements at that time, they will be admitted into the DPT program on a space-available basis.
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. In some cases this may take more than one year, and will be determined by advisement.
High School Applicants: Admission Requirements for the 3+3 Program
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 DPT prerequisite courses, academic requirements, and program requirements are met in a 3+3 accelerated program. The successful high school applicant will demonstrate the following academic profile:
- High School overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 90 percent
- High School Science GPA of 90 percent
- Class rank in top third
Transfer Applicants: Admission Requirements for the 3+3 Program
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. Transfer students who are admitted to the pre-professional level of the DPT are guaranteed continuation into the professional DPT providing all DPT prerequisite courses, academic requirements and program requirements are met in a 3+3 accelerated program. The successful transfer applicant will demonstrate the following academic profile:
- Earned overall GPA of at least 3.250 for all college coursework
- Earned Science GPA of at least 3.250 in DPT Program prerequisite science coursework completed to date (Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Cell Biology, Chemistry I and II, Physics I and II)
- Earned minimum grade of “C” or better in all DPT prerequisite courses to be transferred from another institution
Two-Year Articulation Agreements
Russell Sage College has articulation agreements with many 2-year institutions that provide a seamless transfer into RSC and guarantee admission to the DPT Program. For more information about the agreements, please visit the DPT program web site, https://www.sage.edu/academics/programs/physical-therapy/.
Prerequisite Support Courses for Admission
- The following courses must be completed prior to beginning the professional program.
Procedures for Acceleration
Students accelerating into the DPT program will take graduate physical therapy courses in the summer and fall of the fourth year according to the curricular sequence for the DPT Program and will include a minimum of 30 credits.
For Students who entered RSC directly from high school:
By December 1 of the third year, students accelerating into the DPT Program will:
- Arrange for a meeting with their DPT Program faculty advisor
- Complete DPT Program application forms (Academic Standards Statement, Clinical Observation Document, Prerequisite Form) available from the Physical Therapy Department office or the web page: www.sage.edu/academics/health-sciences/programs/dpt/admission/
- Submit transcripts from all college institutions attended
- Provide a current resume
- Submit one letter of recommendation from a Sage faculty member
- Submit a career goals essay
For Students who entered RSC as a transfer student:
Students who transferred into RSC from another college institution must complete the online application process through the Physical Therapist Central Application Service, known as PTCAS. For more information about this process please visit the Physical Therapy Department web page or the PTCAS web page (both are listed below).
- Arrange for a meeting with their DPT Program faculty advisor;
- Complete the online application process through PTCAS (www.ptcas.org);
- Complete DPT Program supplemental application form for PTCAS applicants available on the Physical Therapy Department web page: http://www.sage.edu/academics/health_sciences/programs/dpt/admission/
- Submit transcripts from all college institutions attended to Russell Sage College (if they are not already on file)