Post-Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy

The Physical Therapy Program at the University of North Georgia (UNG) offers a Post-Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy (PPDPT) degree for both U.S trained and foreign-educated physical therapists (FEPTs) who are not residents of the United States. This program is an extension of the entry level DPT program in the Physical Therapy Department at UNG. This program, in addition to degree augmentation, provides the participants with a unique opportunity to learn advanced diagnostic and therapeutic skills in specialty areas beyond those taught in entry-level physical therapy programs. The online didactic and onsite practical courses of PPDPT are designed to deliver an exceptional education and enhance participant’s level of practice and competency in managing variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Through this program students are expected to master performance of advanced manual techniques; to acquire profound clinical reasoning skills and to become experts in their area of specialty. Students will have this opportunity to transfer the practical courses in the PPDPT program toward optional certification programs in Dry Needling, Vestibular Rehabilitation.

The intent of the PPDPT program is to assist students to qualify for PT licensure in the US. Participants will have the chance to remediate some of the deficiencies seen during educational credential evaluations. However, it will not guarantee that every student will meet all the requirements for licensure in the US.

Mode of Delivery

The PPDPT program is a one year program which is offered through 3 semesters. This program, taught in English, provides a hybrid method of classroom and real-time online courses. Select didactic and practical clinical courses will be taught on-campus at UNG. Other basic science courses with no laboratory requirements will be taught through real-time online webinars.

Curriculum

Each student in the program will be required to complete 44 credit hours consisting of the following (see Plan of Study below for listing of individual course requirements/options):

1. Core courses: 23 credit hours - These courses cover content areas that were not typically addressed in physical therapy education programs prior to implementation of the DPT as the first professional degree.
2. Specialty clinical practice courses: 18 credit hours - The initial phase of the program will emphasize courses in musculoskeletal physical therapy. As the program develops, additional specialty courses will be added.
3. Elective courses: 3 credit hours - These courses are designed to provide exposure to clinical specialty areas other than the area selected by the student. These courses will be utilized in the future as the foundation for additional clinical specializations. Initially, Alternative and Complementary Medicine in PT will be offered as an elective. As the program grows and demand for other courses increases, additional courses will be developed.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must provide the following documents for admission:

1. Completed online application for admission to the Post Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.
2. Proof of graduation from an accredited entry-level physical therapy (PT) program:
   1. A minimum of BSc in physical therapy is required. Higher degrees in Physical Therapy are preferred.
   2. A minimum GPA of 3.0 from 4.0 in the entry-level physical therapy program is required. Students with higher GPA will have priority for admission.
   3. Credentials and degrees obtained from foreign institutions must be evaluated for U.S. institution.
3. Proof of a valid license to practice Physical Therapy in the country of origin.
4. Proof of at least two years of work experience in musculoskeletal physical therapy.
5. Three letters of recommendation relative to the applicant’s ethics and proficiency in physical therapy practice.
6. An English Proficiency Exam is required for International students who have completed their entry-level Physical Therapy education at institutions in which the primary language of instruction was not English.
   1. Applicants who have completed any secondary education program of which the language of instruction was English or who have completed at least one year of college education in English are exempted from taking a test of English proficiency.   Requests to waive the requirement for an approved test of English proficiency must be submitted to the Graduate Admission Office at UNG for.  Adequate justification for the waiver should be provided by the applicant.
   2. Applicants who do not satisfy the language proficiency requirement or the aforementioned exemption conditions,  are required to take one of the English proficiency examinations listed below and achieve the indicated minimum score:
      • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), computer based: 213
      • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), internet based: 79
      • International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 6.5