The
mission of the Sacramento State Department of Physical Therapy is to educate competent
physical therapist generalist practitioners who demonstrate ethical, responsible,
professional behavior, who are sensitive to cultural and psycho-social
differences, use evidence derived from research as a base for practice, utilize critical thinking and problem solving, practice
life long learning, and provide services that contribute to the optimal
health and function of the residents of the communities they serve.
Physical Therapy at Sacramento State is one of several professional curricula in the
College of Health and Human Services. The program complements others in
the College and provides opportunities for research, instructional collaboration,
and interaction.
The curriculum of 2½ years, including summers, encompasses didactic
instruction, laboratory experience, and clinical education. The clinical
component consists of thirty weeks of full-time, off-campus clinical internships
leading to a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Physical Therapy.
Special Features
Following successful completion of both the clinical
and regular academic program, students are awarded a Master's in Physical
Therapy and will be eligible to take the national licensure examination.
Computer facilities are available for self-guided and interactive learning experiences.
The Master's in Physical Therapy at Sacramento State has been
granted accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical
Therapy Education/APTA. The Commission can be contacted for questions
at 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488, (703) 684-2782.
Notes:
Admission is for fall semester only.
Classes are offered primarily during daytime hours, and full-time
study is required.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must
have received (or will receive by the end of the summer semester)
a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
have completed all prerequisite course work by the January 15th deadline
with the exception of four courses. These remaining courses must be
completed in the spring and/or summer semester (a maximum of two of
these courses may be completed during the summer);
have a minimum of 2.5 GPA for the last 60 semester units;
have a minimum of 3.0 GPA in the prerequisite course work;
have accumulated and documented a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer
or paid experience in at least two physical therapy settings (e.g. acute, rehab, SNF, outpatient orthopedics, pediatrics, geriatric, etc.) under the direct supervision of a licensed
physical therapist;
have three (3) recommendation forms to be submitted with the MPT application: two (2) recommendation forms must be from licensed physical therapists and one (1) from an academic professional;
submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (analytical, quantitative,
and verbal) by January 15th; and
applicants who do not possess a bachelor's degree from a post secondary
institution where English is the principal language must demonstrate
competence in English by scoring a minimum of 550 (213 if computer-based)
on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology must have been completed within the last ten (10) years at the time of enrollment to the MPT program.
Admission Procedures
All prospective graduate students, including Sacramento State graduates,
must file the following with the Office of Graduate Studies, River Front
Center 206, (916) 278-6470:
an online application for admission; and
official transcripts from all colleges and universities
attended, other than Sacramento State.
Note to International Students:
Review CSU Sacramento international application procedures at http://www.csus.edu/oge/International_Apply.htm International applications are due to the Office of International Admissions by October of the year preceding anticipated enrollment. International students must complete eight units of the prerequisite course work listed in the MPT Application, at a U.S. accredited college or university.
The MPT application is available as a fill-in downloadable/printable document online at http://www.hhs.csus.edu/pt/. The completed application along with required items, need to be enclosed in a 9” x 12” envelope postmarked or delivered in-person no later than January 15th of the year of anticipated enrollment.
Department of Physical Therapy
Attention: Admissions Committee
California State University, Sacramento
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819-6020
Selection Procedures
Application materials are reviewed by the MPT Admissions Committee and a point system is utilized to assign a score to each applicant. During the first screening, points are given for the prerequisite course work GPA, recommendation forms from two (2) licensed physical therapist and one (1) academic professional, and additional background criteria. Based on the results of this first screening, the top applicants will be invited for a panel interview and to compose an essay using a word processing system (MS Word) at the time of the interview. The top thirty-two (32) applicants along with alternates will be notified of their status within two weeks of the final interviews.
Additional Information
Health Requirements
Students admitted to the graduate program in the Department of Physical
Therapy are required to have specified immunizations
by the Student Health Center or a private physician prior to beginning
the program. Complete information on health requirements
for Physical Therapy students may be secured from the Department of Physical Therapy
office.
Costs and Fees
In addition to University registration fees, students can be expected
to incur costs of approximately $1,500 per year for books, supplies, malpractice/liability
insurance, and laboratory fees. Students are required to assume responsibility
for transportation and housing costs for clinical internships which may
be anywhere in California.
Health Insurance, Transportation Schedules, CPR Certification,andBackground Screens
All students accepted into the graduate program in the Department of Physical
Therapy must provide their own health insurance and transportation to
clinical facilities. Health insurance is mandatory prior to beginning
clinical experiences. CPR certification (Basic Adult and Pediatric) is
required at the time of fall enrollment and recertification must be maintained
according to the requirements of the American Heart Association or American
Red Cross. Malpractice/liability insurance is required prior to any clinical
placement and is purchased through the university. Information on malpractice/liability insurance will be provided upon enrollment. Students will be required to complete (at their own expense) a criminal background check prior to clinical placements. A positive criminal history may preclude student participation in the clinical courses.
Advancement to Candidacy
Each student must file an application for Advancement to Candidacy indicating
a proposed program of graduate study. This procedure may begin as soon
as the classified graduate student has:
removed any deficiencies in admission requirements;
successfully completed all first year courses with a minimum of 3.0
overall grade point average in all graduate level course work;
successfully completed the first clinical education experience;
formulated an approved written plan for the required graduate project
portfolio; and
passed the Writing Proficiency Examination (WPE) or secured approval
of a WPE waiver.
REQUIREMENTS - MASTER
OF PHYSICAL THERAPY DEGREE
A. Required Prerequisite Courses (48-52 units)
Prerequisite course work must have been completed at an accredited college or university with a minimum grade of "C" or better.
Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry (CHEM
1A or CHEM 6A or a high school chemistry course and passing a qualifying exam given in the first laboratory period)
General Physics: Mechanics,
Heat, Sound (Recently completed
three years of high school algebra and geometry; and a college
course in algebra and trigonometry for those having an inadequate
mathematics background)
Introduction to Statistics
(MATH
9 or three years of high school mathematics which includes
two years of algebra and one year of
geometry; completion of ELM requirement and the Intermediate
Algebra Diagnostic Test) OR
Note: Please see department for course corequisites
and prerequisites. Course work is sequenced; therefore, students cannot progress from one semester to the next without successfully completing all courses in a given semester with a grade of "C" or better. Students can repeat a course in which they received less than a "C" grade one time only, but cannot do so until the course is offered the following year. Students must pass the PT 300 course prior to beginning second-year courses.
The Certificate of Clinical Competency requires the completion of a total
of 30 weeks of full-time clinical experiences assigned by the physical
therapy curriculum, under the direct and immediate supervision of a licensed
physical therapist, in a facility with a signed clinical contract with
Sacramento State. The first clinical affiliation of 6 weeks occurs between the first
and second year of the Master's physical therapy curriculum and is open
to those students who have successfully completed the first year in the
curriculum. The second part of the clinical certification requirement
involves affiliations totaling 24 weeks of full-time experience following
the successful completion of the second year in the physical therapy Master's
curriculum. The certificate will be awarded following documentation by
clinical faculty of students' consistent demonstration of safe, entry-level
competencies in a prescribed number of clinical areas, as determined by
the ACCE, the program Director, faculty, and the national accrediting
body.
Hospitals · Ambulatory Care Centers · Private Practice ·
Sports Medicine Centers · Rehabilitation Centers · Industries
· Extended Care Facilities · Home Health Care · Schools
· University Teaching and Research · Consulting
FACULTY
Ed Barakatt PT, PhD, Bryan Coleman-Salgado PT, DPT, Rafael Escamilla PT, PhD, Clare Lewis PT, PsyD, Susan McGinty PT, EdD, Michael McKeough PT, EdD, Brad Stockert PT, PhD
CONTACT INFORMATION
Susan McGinty, Director
Jasajo Green McDaniel, Administrative Support Coordinator
