The program runs 9 semesters consecutively, or 36 months with the first term of the program beginning with the summer semester. The graduate completes a minimum of 119 credit hours. The first year focuses largely on the foundational sciences of human anatomy, physiology of disease, and biomechanics/kinesiology. Course work in patient care is also introduced during the first year. During the last six weeks of the fourth semester students participate in a six-week clinical experience. An increased emphasis on clinical sciences occurs during the second year. During the last half of the seventh semester, part of the eighth and ninth semesters the student participates in the two full time clinical experiences, each 7 or 8 weeks in length and a final clinical experience of 10 weeks, and applied research and elective courses. Students must complete a Clinical Capstone Research Project prior to graduation from the program. CLINICAL EXPERIENCES: The students have a total of 34 weeks of full-time clinical experiences. The first full-time clinical experience is a 6-week clinical experience that occurs at the end of the fourth semester during the second summer term. The remaining 28 weeks of full-time clinical experiences consist of two clinical experiences of 7 or 8 weeks each and a final one, 10 weeks in duration. The first two clinical experiences run consecutively beginning after the completion of 6 weeks of classes during the seventh semester. The final clinical internship occurs during the final semester of the program. Every student is required to have a clinical experience in an orthopedic setting, a neurological setting, an inpatient setting, and an outpatient setting. The program has contracts with more than 150 different clinical settings.
FACULTY: There are 8 full-time core faculty members. Of the full-time core faculty, 88% hold post-professional doctoral degrees. Over the past 3 years, the faculty has averaged 1:5.5 publications in peer-reviewed journals. The faculty to student ratio is 1:12. ENROLLMENT:There are approximately 2,500 undergraduate students and 1,500 graduate students enrolled at Governors State University. The Department of Physical Therapy admits new students into the Program during the Summer Semester. The Program has a maximum capacity of 36 students per class.
This non-refundable deposit is a true tuition deposit. If you attend GSU the deposit will be applied to your tuition bill. However, if you decided not to attend GSU after paying the deposit, you will forfeit the deposit.
Program gives slight preference to applicants whose permanant residence is Illinois.
http://www.govst.edu/DPT/