Learning Outcomes

1. Students and graduates practice in a safe manner that minimizes the risk to patient self and others.
2. Students and graduates demonstrate professional behaviors in all situations and practices in a manner consistent with established legal and professional standards and ethical guidelines.
3. Students and graduates are able to: 1) communicate in ways that are congruent with situational needs; 2) adapt delivery of physical therapy services with consideration for patients' differences, values, preferences, and needs; 3) participate in self assessment to improve clinical and professional performance; and 4) apply current knowledge, theory, clinical reasoning, and the patient's values and perspectives in patient management.
4. Students and graduates are able to: 1) determine with each patient encounter the patient's need for further examination or consultation by a physical therapist or referral to another health care professional (screening); 2) perform a physical therapy examination using evidence-based tests and measures; 3) evaluate data from the patient examination (history, systems review, and tests-measures) to make clinical judgments; 4) determine a diagnosis and prognosis that guides future patient management; 5) establish a physical therapy plan of care that is safe, effective, patient centered, and evidence-based; 6) perform physical therapy interventions in a competent manner; and 7) educate others using relevant and effective teaching methods.
5. Students and graduates will produce quality documentation in a timely manner to support the delivery of physical therapy services and collect and analyzes data from selected outcomes measures in a manner that supports accurate analysis of individual patient and group outcomes.
6. Graduates from the UofSC DPT program will demonstrate advanced knowledge in all four major content areas of the NPTE (National Physical Therapy Exam) above that of the national average: 1. Physical therapy examination; 2. Evaluation, Differential Diagnosis, and Prognosis; 3. Interventions; and 4. Non-System domains.
7. Graduates from the UofSC DPT program will demonstrate advanced knowledge in all four system specific content areas of the NPTE above that of the national average: 1. Cardiovascular and pulmonary; 2. Integumentary and Lymphatic Systems; 3. Musculoskeletal; 4. Neuromuscular; and 5. Other systems.

Admissions Requirements

Minimum qualifications or prerequisites for applicants:

• Overall GPA (Undergraduate or Masters) Minimum: 3.0
• Prerequisite GPA Minimum: 3.0
• GRE Verbal Reasoning Scaled Score Minimum: 146
• GRE Quantitative Reasoning Scaled Score Minimum: 146
• GRE Analytical Writing Scaled Score Minimum: 3.5

Course Prerequisite info can be found here: https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/public_health/study/areas_of_study/physical_therapy/pt_future_students/prerequisites/index.php

Additionally, accepted students are required to have taken Medical Terminology before beginning the program in August. Those who are lacking this requirement will be provided an online course in the Summer at no cost.

Application materials must be submitted through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application System (PTCAS), including : 

• Official Transcripts (which will then need to be submitted to the USC Graduate School if an application is accepted and a seat deposit received).
• Official GRE Scores
• Personal Essay/Statement
• Two Letters of Recommendation.

Degree Requirements (122 Post-Baccalaureate Hours)

Foundational Core (25 Hours)

Clinical Core (61 Hours)

Clinical Experiences (30 Hours)

Research Core (6 Hours)

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Three credits is the minimum. Additional credits may be required to complete the project.

Sequence of Study

The DPT program is a lock-step program in which required courses must be taken in sequence, as listed below, unless prior permission to vary the order is received from the program director.