Doctor of Physical Therapy

Advance your vocation to serve those in need

We are committed to developing health care professionals who have a sound foundation in movement science and are prepared for safe, autonomous, and ethical practice as physical therapists within a changing healthcare environment. Through this program, our faculty seek to foster personal growth in mind, body, and spirit for Christian service to the community.

Program Overview

Through the program, you’ll receive the in-depth training for entry-level practice of physical therapy as a generalist clinician. Over the course of your studies, you’ll explore not only the scientific underpinnings of this profession, but also the professional characteristics of a leader in healthcare. You’ll learn how to supervise PT staff and personnel, create programs that promote healthy living, and follow the legal and ethical standards of clinical practice.

The physical therapy program at CUW is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Graduation from a CAPTE-accredited program is required for eligibility to sit for the licensing exam, for which Concordia graduates have an overall first time three year pass rate is 100%.

Our comprehensive Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum includes coursework in human anatomy and motion, therapeutic exercise, neuroscience, clinical decision making and problem solving, and musculoskeletal disorders, to name just a few. This learning will take place out in the field and in our state-of-the-art-facilities, which include a human anatomy lab with cadavers.

Those of you who enroll in CUW as undergraduate freshman and take all of your science courses at the Mequon campus will receive special perks for your commitment. These include being eligible for priority admission to the Doctorate program and the opportunity to complete the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 6 rather than 7 years.

Testimonials from our Clinical Placement Sites:

"I have had the great opportunity to work with the CUW PT program for the last several years with benefits that were unexpected. The professional staff of well-prepared professors have developed skills in the students that will bode well for the future of our profession and the reputation of CUW. The clinical interns demonstrate the knowledge that allows them to develop more patient interactions with confidence. The greatest character that I have experienced with staff and clinicians is the blend of the mind, body and spirit. This character is felt and all of the patients have appreciated this as well as being impressed with the skill levels of the interns." Craig Howe, PT

"I have always enjoyed my 3-week pediatric clinical with the CUW students. They are always energetic, intelligent, and well-prepared. The students are highly motivated for learning through integrating their hands-on experiences with what they have learned in class. I am appreciative of their insightful questions and discussions, as well as their flexibility, as work in the schools brings all sorts of unexpected surprises. The CUW DPT students graduate with a good balance of learning through both the academic and clinical settings and become valued members of our profession." Beth Ciche, MPT

What to Expect

Upon graduation our graduates will be able to:

Goal 1: Demonstrate the knowledge and skills for entry-level practice of physical therapy as a generalist clinician

Demonstrate knowledge and skills for safe clinical practice
Possess entry-level knowledge and skills for patient/client management (screening, examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, plan of care, interventions (procedural & educational), documentation, outcomes assessment)
Value and use evidence in practice

Goal 2: Embody the multiple facets of professionalism, within the clinic.

Follow legal and ethical standards of clinical practice
Demonstrate professional behavior
Demonstrate effective written, oral, and non-verbal communication skills
Demonstrate cultural sensitivity in clinical practice

Goal 3: Value service to the church, community, and profession.

Report a belief in service as a professional duty
Students/graduates will report participation in service activities

Goal 4: Demonstrate knowledge and skills for adapting to changes in health care delivery systems.

Possess the ability to direct and supervise PT support personnel
Possess the ability to manage financial resources (reimbursement; equipment/supplies; productivity; time management; environmental resources) within the clinic
Be prepared to serve as a consultant within the healthcare system
Possess the knowledge and skills related to developing prevention / health promotion programs
Possess the knowledge and skills related to management of care delivery (i.e., providing patient care through direct access; collaboration with other healthcare practitioners; participation in case management)
Value the role of the PT in social responsibility & advocacy

Locations

In addition to our main and online campuses, Concordia has nine center locations which offer accelerated undergraduate and graduate programs close to where you live and work.

Mequon

Admission Requirements

DPT Admissions

Applicants to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program apply through an online service called Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). To learn more about the PTCAS application process, prerequisites, CUW’s admission requirements, and admission deadlines, please visit www.ptcas.org.

Please submit your official GRE scores to code 7697 for the Concordia DPT program; they will automatically be sent to PTCAS. Do not send your GRE scores to the main university or graduate admissions code.

To apply for this program you must have the following:

Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
Minimum GPA of 3.0 in all required sciences
Ability to perform Essential Functions of a physical therapist
Completion of the following pre-req courses: (also see PTCAS for listing)
- Anatomy & Physiology I & II: full year sequence of either separate Anatomy and Physiology courses or A&P I and II are accepted. Must include Lab.
- Chemistry I & II: two-semester sequence of General or Inorganic Chemistry with labs is required.
- Physics I & II: two-semester sequence of General Physics with labs is required. Courses do not need to be Calculus-based.
- Psychology: one semester. A course in psychological statistics will not fulfill the psychology requirement, but may be used to meet the statistics.
- Additional Social/Behavioral Science: Any behavioral or social science course is acceptable. One Semester
- Statistics Course: one semester of the following courses meet statistics requirement: Biology: Biostatistics; Business: Statistics, Mathematics: Statistics; Psychology: Statistics; Education: Statistics

Priority DPT Admission

We offer priority admission to CUW students who:

Are current, full time students at CUW and will graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Mequon or Ann Arbor
At the time of application are not missing more than one prerequisite science course
Have a GPA of at least 3.45 in prerequisite science courses
Submit all applications materials by the PTCAS “Early Decision” deadline, and
Successfully complete a personal interview

Accelerated DPT Admission

The accelerated admission option will allow students to complete the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in six rather than seven years. The option will be open to students who matriculate as freshmen at the Concordia University Mequon campus and who take all their science prerequisite coursework on the Mequon campus.

If you decide to pursue admission through the accelerated process, you will receive a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Science (BSRS) following completion of your fourth year of academic study at Concordia University.

Admission into the DPT Track of the Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Science

High School Graduate with a high school overall GPA of 3.45
Evidence of Service/Extracurricular Activity/Athletics

Accelerated Admission for CUW students

Major in Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Science (BSRS)/DPT track at Concordia University
Maintain a 3.45 in Science prerequisite courses & 3.0 overall GPA in the BSRS curriculum
- If Science GPA or overall GPA falls below 3.45/3.0 student will be required to (with help of advisor) select another undergraduate degree
- Must achieve at least a 3.0 in all Science prerequisite coursework
Demonstrate proficiency in science courses in the first attempt at taking the course. Science prerequisite GPA will be calculated using the first earned grade in the course. If a student re-takes a course and he/she desires the second grade counted to their GPA (science or overall), they are no longer eligible for accelerated admission and will need to apply through the regular 4 year DPT degree application process (process open to graduates of non-Concordia Wisconsin degree programs). In addition, students who withdraw from a course late in the semester are not eligible for accelerated admission.
Have all Science prerequisite courses completed by end of spring semester sophomore year and apply for early decision via Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS) during summer between sophomore and junior year.
Have all their science prerequisite coursework completed at Concordia University Mequon
Complete 40 hours of observation of a diversity of PT services
Complete an admission interview during early decision day. This will occur during Fall Semester of their Junior Year

Reach100 is a nationwide call to membership for PT and PTA students to demonstrate their commitment to APTA membership. For more information, please click here.

Accreditation

The Physical Therapy Program at Concordia University Wisconsin is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: www.capteonline.org

Graduation from a CAPTE-accredited program is required for eligibility to sit for the licensing exam, for which Concordia graduates have an overall first time three year (2014, 2015, 2016) pass rate is 100%.

Elizabeth Alfonsi PT, DPT, ATC

Assistant Professor

Robert Barnhart PT, MS, ScDPT, Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy - Emeritus

Program Director, Professor

Program Outcomes

Learning Outcome Data

*Graduation rate according to the formula in the Annual Accreditation Report
**Licensure examination pass rate consistent with the information published by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy
***Employment rate: % of graduates who were employed as PT’s or PTA’s within 6 months of passing the licensure examination

Graduation Year	Graduation Rate *	Licensure Pass Rate **	Employment Rate ***	Number of Applicants	Number of Students per Cohort	Average Cumulative GPA of Accepted Students	Average Science GPA of Accepted Students	Number of Concordia Undergraduates in Cohort
2009	95.8%	100%	100%	76	24	3.30	3.31	6
2010	79.2%	100%	100%	84	24	3.49	3.37	7
2011	91.7%	100%	100%	97	24	3.49	3.49	3
2012	90.9%	100%	100%	148	24	3.56	3.46	10
2013	95.8%	100%	100%	185	24	3.59	3.57	4
2014	91.7%	100%	100%	203	26	3.59	3.58	2
2015	89.3%	100%	100%	385	28	3.60	3.52	18
2016	96%	100%	100%	423	26	3.66	3.51	3
2017	100%	96%	100%	500	26	3.75	3.73	11
2018	n/a	n/a	n/a	457	26	3.74	3.64	5
2019	n/a	n/a	n/a	288	28	3.62	3.64	5
2020	n/a	n/a	n/a	274	27	3.7	3.61	3

Essential Functions

The Concordia University Wisconsin Program in Physical Therapy endeavors to select applicants who have the ability to become highly competent physical therapists who will practice in a legal, ethical, and safe manner. The Program does not discriminate in student admission policies or administration of its educational policies on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, disabling conditions, or marital status.

In addition to meeting the academic standards required for this Program, a student must be able to perform the essential functions listed below. These essential functions encompass cognitive, psychosocial, and physical skills and abilities that are required for satisfactory completion of all aspects of the Program curriculum as well as for the development of appropriate professional attributes.

Cognitive

Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities:
Problem solving is a critical skill required of physical therapists. To develop this skill, the student must be able to memorize, measure, calculate, analyze and synthesize relevant content in basic science and clinical courses; this includes the ability to discern and comprehend multi-dimensional and spatial relationships of structures. The student must be able to obtain and use relevant patient information in order to recognize and define problems, analyze data, develop and implement solutions, and evaluate outcomes. The student must also demonstrate the ability to self- assess, self-correct, and self-initiate within the learning process. Significant or long-term disruption of cognitive function jeopardizes a student’s acceptability.

Psychosocial

Communication:
The student must be able to speak, read, write, hear, see and observe in order to: (1) obtain information from patients, caregivers, and medical records; (2) recognize the significance of nonverbal communications; and (3) direct timely and accurate verbal and written communication concerning a patient’s status to appropriate sources. The student must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, caregivers, family, physicians, and other members of the health care team. He/she must be capable of responsive and empathetic listening to establish a rapport that promotes openness on issues of concern and sensitivity to potential cultural differences.

Psychological and Social Attributes:
The student must possess emotional stability which consistently allows maximum use of intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the timely completion of all responsibilities, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, peers, and supervisors. The student must be able to function effectively under physical and mental stress and adapt to changing and unpredictable environments. The student must be able to comprehend the basis and content of ethical physical therapy practice. He/she must demonstrate the ability to appropriately seek supervision and consultation. The student must possess attributes which provide a foundation for professionalism: compassion, empathy, personal integrity, tolerance for differences, personal accountability, self-direction, and openness to feedback.

Physical Skills

Observation and Sensation:
The student must possess functional use of sight, hearing, and touch in order to perform such tasks as: accurately observing a patient both near and far, assessing a patient’s skin color, listening with a stethoscope, palpating and differentiating normal and abnormal body structures, and observing demonstrations and experiments in the basic science laboratory.

Motor Skills:
The student must be able to execute both fine and gross physical movements required for the performance of basic clinical tests and diagnostic procedures used to examine patients. He/she must possess the physical capability to perform manual procedures such as massage, palpation, and assisting a patient to exercise paralyzed limbs. The student must be able to safely assist patients with common mobility tasks, such as walking, rising from a chair, or climbing stairs. The student must be able to ensure the physical safety of him/herself and the patient at all times.