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Graduate Studies/MPT-DPT
Admissions to Master of Physical Therapy and Post-Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy (MPT-DPT) Graduate Program
Individuals must possess a baccalaureate degree and complete all prerequisite requirements prior to beginning the professional major. Students are only admitted for the fall semester. Students should apply to the program in the fall prior to anticipated entry into the Physical Therapy Program.
Fall 2010 MPT-DPT Application is NOW OPEN.
The deadline for submitting your department application through
PTCAS is December 1, 2009, and CSU Graduate Application deadline is November 30, 2009.
Click here for Admission Requirements
Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT)
The Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) is the new educational standard for the field. At Fresno State, the DPT is a joint program with the University of California, San Francisco and is designed to expand the foundation of knowledge developed in the Masters of Physical Therapy Program and better prepare graduates to function autonomously in current and future healthcare environments. This final year of learning is dynamic and interactive with a strong evidence-based approach. Learning activities are centered on active student involvement through seminars, case studies, clinical investigations, grand rounds, and patient care.
Admissions to the post-professional joint DPT Graduate Program
Students who successfully completed the MPT (final GPA of 3.0 or better, passed the culmination for the MPT, satisfactory completion of all clinical clerkships including PhTh 275, and demonstrated acceptable record of professional behavior) are automatically eligible for the DPT year of study. Students must submit a graduate application to UCSF for fall admission (check UCSF catalog for deadlines).
The DPT year is an additional 9 months of advanced study (34 semester units).
The joint DPT year is offered as a self-support year and therefore, additional fees apply. Please contact the Physical Therapy program office for updated information.
Culminating Experience for the DPT
Students research and write an in-depth patient case report and an evidence based review of a clinical problem following the criteria established in PhTh 295/296 and PT209/PhTh 297 courses. The manuscripts must be prepared in a journal-ready format as well as presented orally to an audience of faculty and peers.
International Students
International students cannot be admitted to the Master's Physical Therapy - Doctor of Physical Therapy program (MPT-DPT) prior to coming to the United States for several reasons: 1) the application for the MPT program requires completion of 7 prerequisite courses (with a C or above) to be taken at a U.S. institution, 2) the required 100 contact hours with a licensed physical therapist must be in the United States (50 hours must be in-patient hours), and 3) the applicant must be available in the Spring Semester prior to Fall Semester admission for an interview.
The 2 year MPT program is impacted and currently takes a maximum of 20 students/year. If you would like to pursue applying to the graduate program in Physical Therapy at Fresno State, we recommend you first come to the United States and enroll in a community college to complete the prerequisites. In addition, you must complete a minimum of 100 observation hours under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist in the United States, complete your GRE, complete an application packet in fall semester to apply the following fall semester and participate in an interview on campus with the faculty during the spring semester. Students who are strong candidates are considered for early admission to a 3 year MPT program (1 year of pre-professional coursework and 2 years of professional coursework). Students are notified of acceptance in spring semester to start the MPT-DPT program the following fall semester. There is no guarantee of admission to the graduate Physical Therapy degree program.
Or, an international student pursuing the graduate program in Physical Therapy, could enroll at Fresno State as an undergraduate student in a specific program. The Interdisciplinary Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (IHRS) Pre-Physical Therapy degree program /chhs/depts_programs/physical_therapy/about/degrees_programs/IHRS.shtml is recommended and is intended to prepare the student to enter graduate programs in Physical Therapy (as well as other health care professions). One advantage of completing the IHRS degree program at Fresno State is that the 4th year of coursework includes pre-professional coursework required for the MPT-DPT program. Thus, the student would be able to complete both pre-requisites and pre-professional coursework and apply to the 2 year MPT-DPT program (2 years of professional coursework). All applicants must complete a minimum of 100 observation hours under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist in the United States, complete the GRE, complete an application packet in fall semester to apply the following fall semester and participate in an interview on campus with the faculty during the spring semester.
For more details on how to apply to the program, please contact a faculty advisor once you arrive in Fresno.
The graduate program is not a post-professional program for currently practicing professionals. If you are already a physical therapist, having graduated from a PT program outside of the United States, our program would duplicate much of your Physical Therapy education. The type of program you are looking for would be a Post-professional Education program. You may obtain information about those programs from the American Physical Therapy Association (1111 North Fairfax, Alexandria, VA 22314) or from their website at click here.