Physical Therapy

The Physical Therapy program is a full time three-year post-baccalaureate Doctor of Physical Therapy degree curriculum. Upon completion of the program, students will receive a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. Please go to the Physical Therapy Program website for updated information on the present curriculum, the admissions requirements and process, open-house dates, and to download clinical experience and other forms. Physical therapists, as essential members of the health care team, address health maintenance and the prevention of disabilities, the identification and assessment of impaired motor function, and rehabilitation toward optimal health and function. The physical therapist provides therapeutic services to individuals of all ages with musculoskeletal, neurological, sensorimotor, cardiovascular, and other physiological dysfunctions. Physical therapists may be employed in hospitals and extended-care facilities, ambulatory clinics, school systems and sports medicine centers. They may also be self-employed professionals in private practice. The present graduate program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association. Graduates are prepared for the National Licensing Examination in Physical Therapy.

Administration

Department Chair: 

Cristiana K. Collins
Room E 007, Brookdale Campus
(212) 396-7103
gradpt@hunter.cuny.edu

Associate Professors: Babyar, Collins, Karpatkin, Lipovac

Assistant Professors: Holland, Rachwani, Silberman

Director of Clinical Education: Dr. Silberman

Website: www.hunter.cuny.edu/pt

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for entry into the DPT degree program are described below. The bachelor’s degree requirement for entry is based upon the CAPTE criterion that mandates that physical therapy programs are “built on a balance of course work in social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, which is appropriate in depth and breadth, to develop the ability in students to think independently, to weigh values, to understand fundamental theory, and to develop skill for clinical practice, including critical thinking and communication.”1 To be considered for acceptance, the following prerequisite course work and admission requirements must be met.  Admission is once/year to begin the program in the Summer and is limited to 32 students. 

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution by the end of the spring semester prior to entry into the DPT program

2. Two semesters of anatomy and physiology for science majors with lab (minimum 8 cr.)

3. Two semesters of physics for science majors with lab (minimum 8 cr.)

4. Two semesters of chemistry for science majors with lab (minimum 8 cr.)

5. Two semesters of psychology (we recommend but do not require one semester of developmental or child psychology).

6. One semester of college level math.

7. One semester of statistics

8. One semester of English composition (expository writing)

9. The Graduate Record Examination must be completed and scores sent to the Graduate Admissions office at Hunter College (ID # 2301)

10. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification by the American Heart Association or the Red Cross

11. An undergraduate grade point average (GPA), calculated from all college courses, of 3.0 or above

12. Documented clinical experience of at least 100 hours in the United States under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist, with a minimum of 50 hours in a hospital-based or rehabilitation setting.

    • Applicants may inquire at any hospital or other facility about volunteering in its physical therapy department as a means of gaining access to clinical experience. A Clinical Experience Form is available from our website. The completed documentation should be provided by the supervising physical therapist by the dead- line of November 1 prior to the  summer semester for which admission  is sought.

13. Filing of an online application through the Graduate Admissions office at Hunter College by the November 1st deadline

14. Applicants invited for an interview with the faculty of the Hunter College Physical Therapy Department will be provided a topic to write an essay as determined by the department.

15. For applicants who have not studied in English-speaking countries, a score of at least 550 on the TOEFL examination

16. Students who have not completed up to 6 credits of prerequisites may be conditionally accepted for the incoming class, but all requirements must be met before the starting date of the program in the fall semester

The application process is self-managed. Applicants must file on line via a link from the Graduate Admissions Office of Hunter College. You do not need to submit official transcripts until we request them. However, you should submit electronically either a student copy of all college transcript(s) (or scan an official copy) and submit it electronically to the Hunter College Graduate Admissions Office. Either you or the person supervising your clinical experience must submit your completed Clinical Experience Forms to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Hunter College, 425 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010. Prepare a draft of your prerequisite checklist for input into the Graduate Application at the time you apply. Letters of reference (including letters [not clinical experience forms] from supervising physical therapists) will be uploaded by the person submitting the letter through the online application process. Documents submitted by eligible applicants will be reviewed for calculating cumulative and/or prerequisite GPA, clinical experience and other relevant experience in health care to identify those eligible for interviews. Subsequent to the interviews, a standardized scoring form will be used to evaluate each applicant, based on GPA, GRE and TOEFL scores, clinical experience, essay quality, and interview scores. Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance to the program, which is based, by necessity, on the limitations of space and resources. The Hunter College Physical Therapy Program is dedicated to equal opportunity for all applicants who meet admission requirements.

1 Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (1996). Evaluative Criteria for the Accreditation of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapists, Effective January, 1998. Alexandria, VA: American Physical Therapy Association.