D.P.T.

Physical Therapy 3+3 (B.A./B.S. and D.P.T.)

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 (undergraduate majors: Biology (BA), Health Sciences, Psychology, Sociology) 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.

Admission Requirements for the DPT

  • Earned GPA of 3.000 or higher for all college coursework
  • Earned Science GPA of 3.000 or higher in the prerequisite science lab coursework
  • Completion of all DPT prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher
  • Completion of 90 or more credits including all general education & major requirements for students in the 3+3 program.
  • Completion of at least 40 hours of physical therapy clinical observation under the direction of a licensed physical therapist before beginning the professional program.

Prerequisite Courses

BIO 201 Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab (4cr)
BIO 202 Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab (4cr)

CHM 103 Intro to Gen Chem with Lab (4cr)
CHM 104 Intro to Organic & Biochem with Lab (4cr)
or 
CHM 111 General Chem I with Lab (4cr)
CHM 112 General Chem II with Lab (4cr)

PHY 101 Physics I with Lab (4cr)
PHY 102 Physics II with Lab (4cr)

Two courses in Biology with Lab (not botany):
   BIO 208 Microbiology with Lab (4cr)
   BIO 220 Cell Biology with Lab (4cr)
   BIO 415 Cell & Molecular Biology with Lab (4cr)

PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology (3cr)
Statistics Course (3cr-4cr)

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 3.000 for all college coursework
  • Earned Science GPA of at least 3.000 in DPT Program prerequisite science coursework
  • 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 visit the DPT program, sage.edu/academics/schools/health-sciences/physical-therapy-programs/

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.

By December 1 of the third year, students accelerating into the DPT Program will:

  • Arrange for a meeting with their DPT Program Director
  • Complete DPT Program application forms (Academic Standards Statement, Clinical Observation Document, Prerequisite Form) available from the Physical Therapy Department office or the web page: sage.edu/academics/schools/health-sciences/physical-therapy-programs/
  • Provide a current resume
  • Submit one letter of recommendation from a Sage faculty member
  • Submit a career goals essay
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