Pre-Physical Therapy Pathway

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The College of Arts and Sciences has approved the following pathway to prepare students for graduate physical therapy programs. Students who complete this pathway will have completed all the courses required for entry to Widener’s graduate physical therapy program. Students with a reserved seat in the graduate physical therapy program must meet additional requirements specified in their agreement. This pathway is compatible with a wide range of majors and specific curricula are available in Anthropology, BA ; Biology, BA , Biology, BS ; Chemistry, BA ; Visual and Performing Arts, BA ; French, BA ; Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, BA ; History, BA ; Mathematics, BS ; Psychology, BA ; Sociology, Health and Society Specialization, BA ; Digital Media Informatics, Audio-Visual Specialization, BA Digital Media Informatics, Digital Writing Specialization, BA Digital Media Informatics, Game Design and Graphics Specialization, BA Digital Media Informatics, Web and Mobile Apps Development Specialization, BA and Spanish, BA . Specific details are included in the Pre-Physical Therapy section for these majors.

At Widener University, the Institute for Physical Therapy Education offers a graduate course of study and supervised experiences leading to the degree of Doctor of Physical Therapy. For more information on the graduate physical therapy program, visit www.widener.edu/ipte.

Course Requirements

Reserved Seat Programs

Three-Plus-Three Reserved Seat Program

Undergraduate students may major in a variety of majors offered in the College of Arts and Sciences to complete prerequisite coursework so as to be able to gain admission to Widener’s graduate physical therapy program during their junior year. Because of the intense demands of these curricula, the three-plus-three admissions program is recommended only for students with a record of outstanding academic achievement at the high school level.

Those students accepted into the graduate program through this option begin the physical therapy curriculum in the summer after their third year of study at the university. Students following these curricula must meet all requirements of their selected major as described in the sections of this catalog pertaining to the Science, Humanities, and Social Science Divisions. Students following these curricula must also satisfy the general education requirements. Please see the relevant sections of this catalog for details. Students who successfully complete the prescribed program of study and meet the prescribed requirements outlined in the reserved seat agreement retain a reserved seat in Widener’s graduate physical therapy program.

To remain a part of the reserved seat program, the student’s prescribed requirements include maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher by the end of the fall semester prior to matriculating into the graduate program. In addition, the student must complete all of the specific courses required for admission to the graduate physical therapy program at Widener University with a grade of B (this does not include a B-). Students who do not meet these requirements can still apply for admission to the graduate physical therapy program. See “Alternative Admission” to the graduate physical therapy program.

By the fall of the student’s junior year, they must complete all required observation, volunteer, and/or work experience in physical therapy practice sites. The student must submit an application, along with a complete set of supplemental materials required by the graduate physical therapy program, by November 15 of the junior year. The required supplemental materials include two letters of recommendation (one from a a licensed physical therapist who has supervised the student and one from a professor who can speak to the student’s academic capacity), the undergraduate transcript, and documentation of at least 40 volunteer hours in physical therapy. The letters of recommendation and documentation of volunteer hours must meet the existing standards for all applicants to the physical therapy program.

The courses that the “Three-Plus-Three” students take during the first year of the physical therapy program count toward requirements for the baccalaureate degree and toward requirements for the graduate physical therapy degree. The baccalaureate degree in their undergraduate major is conferred upon completion of the first year of graduate study. Students pursuing a pre-physical therapy pathway should consult regularly with the Institute for Physical Therapy Education Program Director in addition to their science, humanities, or social science faculty advisor.

Four-Plus-Three Reserved Seat Program

In addition to the three-plus-three program, Widener University offers the four-plus-three program for pre-physical therapy students. The four-plus-three program provides for a less intensive schedule of courses, thereby increasing the opportunity for students to broaden their undergraduate experiences and to complete the program successfully. The College of Arts and Sciences has identified a variety of majors compatible with the pre-physical therapy four-plus-three program. The requirements and curricula information are described in the science, and the humanities and social science areas of the Colleges of Arts and Science section of this catalog. The requirements for remaining a part of this program are the same as those described above in the section on the three-plus-three program. Students who successfully complete the prescribed program of study and meet the prescribed requirements retain a reserved seat in Widener University’s graduate physical therapy program. Students who do not meet the requirements for this program can still apply to the graduate physical therapy program. See the section on “Alternate Admission to the Graduate Physical Therapy Program” below.

In this program, students apply for admission to the graduate physical therapy program in their senior year. By the fall of the student’s senior year, they must complete all required observation, volunteer, and/or work experience in physical therapy practice sites. The student must submit an application, along with a complete set of supplemental materials required by the graduate physical therapy program, by November 15 of the senior year. The required supplemental materials include two letters of recommendation (one from a licensed physical therapist who has supervised the student and one from a professor who can speak to the student’s academic capacity), the undergraduate transcript, and documentation of at least 40 volunteer hours in physical therapy. The letters of recommendation and documentation of volunteer hours must meet the existing standards for all applicants to the physical therapy program.

Students pursuing these pathways should consult regularly with their science, humanities, or social science faculty advisor.

Alternate Admission to the Graduate Physical Therapy Program

Students who do not meet the requirements for continuing in either the three-plus-three or four-plus-three reserved seat program may apply for admission to the graduate physical therapy program in the regular admissions cycle. For more information on admission to the graduate physical therapy program via the regular admissions process, please contact the Graduate Admissions Office at gcs@widener.edu. All applicants that are not in the Widener reserved seat programs must apply via the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). Please visit the Institute for Physical Therapy Education website for details: www.widener.edu/ipte.

Please Note:

The program of study that appears here applies to students who were admitted for the summer session of this catalog year and later. Students admitted prior to that term should select the appropriate catalog year of their admission. Choose previous catalogs from the Home, Graduate, or Undergraduate Catalog Page at http://Catalog.widener.edu.