Application and Admission

Admission to the professional program requires a special application and selection process. An application can be requested from the University of Mary Department of Physical Therapy at the following address:

University of Mary
Department of Physical Therapy
7500 University Drive
Bismarck, ND   58504-9652
ptdept@umary.edu
(701) 355-8053 or (800) 408-MARY

Requests for applications can be made at any time; however, they are e-mailed to prospective students in January of each year and accepted until March. Professional class selection is usually complete by mid-April of each year. The Admissions Committee selects candidates eligible for the required personal interview. The final class is selected on an objective point system based on core GPA, interview and writing sample.

If candidates hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, they must have completed all core and other requirements of the program by the time they begin the professional curriculum. If candidates do not hold a bachelor’s degree, they must have completed 92 credits of undergraduate study including the core and other requirements prior to beginning the professional level curriculum. The following are the course prerequisites and minimum criteria for admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy professional program.

Core Requirements

• Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• Human Anatomy and Physiology II  
• Lifespan Development or Developmental Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology   
• Fundamentals of Chemistry
          or General Inorganic Chemistry I
• Introduction to Organic &  Biochemistry  
         or General Inorganic Chemistry II
• Introduction to Physics                  
  Intermediate Physics   
                      

Other Requirements

• Medical Terminology
• Ethics
• Statistics

Recommended Courses

If students plan on participating in the optional field experience in Guatemala, they are encouraged to take beginning Spanish. If students are not familiar with computer technology, including Microsoft Word, Power Point, and access to the Internet, they are encouraged to take Introduction to Computers.

Transfer Students

Transfer students are welcome to apply. Advising of transfer students is through the Office of Admissions at (701) 355-8030 or jweltz@umary.edu. 

Minimum Academic Criteria

• A minimum GPA of 2.75 on all undergraduate college work on a 4.0 scale
• A minimum composite GPA of 3.0 on the eight core requirement courses and a minimum grade of C on any course
• If a candidate has less than a B in any of the eight core requirements, he or she may retake the course. The highest grade will be used when calculating the core requirement GPA
• A minimum of 92 semester credits from an accredited college. No more than 64 of 92 semester credits may be transferred from a two-year institution. Eight credits must be at 300 level or above.

• A minimum of five core courses completed at the time of application. If five courses are not complete, the student may petition the Admissions Committee for individual consideration.

If candidates do not hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, in addition to the core requirements, they must have earned sufficient credits and content of undergraduate study to be able to meet all University of Mary Bachelor of University Studies requirements upon completion of the 400-level physical therapy curriculum.

Clinical observation or work experience requirement

The candidate must complete 40 hours of volunteer or paid experience required with a licensed and practicing physical therapist in more than one area of clinical practice. The clinical experience hours must have taken place within two years of the application date. For each clinical experience, the student and the supervising physical therapist complete a Clinical Experience Form. These forms can be requested from the physical therapy department at any time.

Rolling Admissions

If the class number doesn't reach the limit of 30, rolling admissions comes into effect. Students must meet all criteria previously outlined and participate in the formal interview process. Rolling admissions applications are considered until the first day of class in the fall. Applicants will be reviewed based on the time of submission of a completed application.

Evaluation and Grading

The program uses a variety of teaching methods including lectures and discussion, laboratory practice seminars, student presentation, and conferences. Competency and proficiency are determined by written, oral, and practical examinations, class presentations, and projects.

Students must meet the academic requirements of this program in compliance with the regulations of the graduate policies of the university. The minimum cumulative GPA requirement is a 3.0 for both the university and the DPT program.

• Practice in a safe, legal, and ethical manner
• Utilize evidence-based physical therapy techniques and personnel to manage patient and client conditions
• Practice autonomously while recognizing when a problem or need is outside the scope of physical therapy practice
• Effectively communicate in verbal, non-verbal, written, and electronic formats
• Incorporate an understanding of individual and cultural differences in practice, servant leadership, education, and scholarly inquiry 
• Educate others using a variety of teaching methods commensurate with learner characteristics
• Demonstrate critical inquiry and clinical decision-making in the evidence-based practice of physical therapy to promote activities that result in effective outcomes for patients and clients 
• Participate in the administration of the practice setting.
• Provide prevention and wellness programs appropriate to physical therapy
• Demonstrate a commitment to professionalism including lifelong learning, servant leadership, and the Benedictine values