Graduate Program in Physical Therapy

The application period for entry into the class beginning in the Summer of 2008 is open.  The deadline for submission of all application materials for this period is March 1, 2008.  The prerequisite and application materials contained in the links below are for this application period.

• What is a Physical Therapist?
• The MPT Curriculum
• Eligibility Requirements & Prerequisite Coursework
• Early Commitment Options for ASU-Jonesboro Students & Mentor Program
• Applications & Admissions Process
• Professional Program Coursework
• Mission Statement
• Accreditation
• Contact Information
• Financial Aid
• Housing Information
• Other Important ASU Links
• Common Questions About Our Program (Recommended Reading!)

What is a Physical Therapist?

The physical therapist provides services aimed at preventing the onset of, slowing the progression of, and/or facilitating the recovery from conditions resulting from injury, disease, and other causes. The physical therapist provides these services to people of all ages who have functional conditions resulting from back and neck injuries, sprains/strains and fractures, arthritis, burns, amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, birth defects such as cerebral palsy and spina bifida, injuries related to work and sports, and others.

Physical therapists work in a broad range of settings, including the following:

• Hospitals
• Outpatient clinics or offices
• Rehabilitation facilities
• Skilled nursing, extended care, or sub-acute facilities
• Homes
• Education or research centers
• Schools
• Hospices
• Industrial, workplace, or other occupational environments
• Fitness centers and sports training facilities

The MPT Curriculum

The Physical Therapy Program at Arkansas State University is an entry-level, graduate professional program.  The program begins in the first summer term each year, is 2.5 years in length and is designed to prepare a generalist physical therapy practitioner and to foster lifelong professional development.  The Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) degree is awarded upon successful completion of the program.

In addition to the classroom, laboratory and research components of the curriculum, successful completion of the professional program requires the student to participate in five full-time clinical internships (a total of 31 weeks).  Clinical education may require the student to travel away from Northeast Arkansas and even out of the state.  

To schedule an appointment with an advisor, please contact our office at 870-972-3591.

Eligibility Requirements & Prerequisite Coursework

Admission to the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy is a competitive process.  In order to produce graduates who will be competent to serve in the many roles required of a physical therapist, the faculty values a mature applicant, one who has demonstrated his/her academic and cognitive abilities as well as his/her personal and professional potential.  Applicants to the program should possess the following minimum qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or international university with equivalent requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The degree can be in any field, but must include the prerequisite courses listed below.

• A record of academic accomplishment sufficient to meet the entrance requirements of the ASU Graduate School.  Admission to the physical therapy program cannot be finalized until the applicant has been admitted to the ASU Graduate School.

• Abilities and Skills described in MPT Abilities & Skills Document (Adobe .pdf file).

• Successful completion of the following prerequisite coursework or equivalent prior to admission. 

  • Anatomy and Physiology (11-12 credits)

  • Physics (8 credits)

  • Chemistry (4 credits)

  • Research Methods (3 credits)

  • Statistics (3 credits)

  • Medical Terminology (1-3 credits)

  • Introduction to Physical Therapy (2 credits)

  Click on the following link for Suggested Prerequisite Courses (Adobe .pdf file) at ASU.  Applicants from other campuses can use this list to help determine if similar courses exist on their home campus.

  Refer to the ASU Undergraduate Bulletin for more course descriptions.

Early Commitment Options for ASU-Jonesboro Students

Two additional admissions options, the Freshman and Senior Early Commitment Options, are available to ASU-Jonesboro students who meet certain requirements. A description of these requirements is included below. An applicant who meets the requirements for an early commitment and would like to exercise one of these options should schedule an appointment with the Director by contacting the Programs in Physical Therapy Office.

The ASU Graduate Program in Physical Therapy offers a limited number of early commitment options to qualified freshmen and seniors on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Once this option is granted to a student, a spot for this student will be reserved in the MPT class that begins in the year the student plans to graduate from undergraduate studies.  To keep this spot, the student must meet and maintain the criteria listed below.

To take advantage of these early commitment options, the student must do the following:

1. Meet the requirements listed below:

Freshman Early Commitment Requirements

• Be an ASU-Jonesboro student;
• Have ACT score of 24 or higher,
• Submit a request for the Freshman Early Commitment prior to completing 30 credit hours;
• Maintain a 3.25 GPA each semester during the undergraduate years;
• Complete the required core of preparation coursework with minimum grade of B in these courses,
• Begin membership in the ASU Physical Therapy Student Association (PTSA) in the freshman year, and maintain membership in the PTSA until the bachelor’s degree is awarded;
• Maintain continuous enrollment at ASU-Jonesboro until the bachelor’s degree is completed;
• Gain admission to the ASU Graduate School when qualified and complete the MPT application process prior to the deadline for the class to which the student is applying.

Senior Early Commitment Requirements

• Be an ASU-Jonesboro student;
• Have completed 90 or more college credits with the last 30 hours having been completed at ASU;
• Submit a request for the Senior Early Commitment in the first semester after completing 90 credit hours;
• Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or higher;
• Have a 3.25 or better GPA on all completed prerequisite coursework with minimum grade of B in these courses;
• Begin membership in the ASU Physical Therapy Student Association (PTSA) and maintain membership in the PTSA until the bachelor’s degree is awarded;
• Must have declared a major field and be making satisfactory progress toward a degree;
• Maintain continuous enrollment at ASU until the bachelor’s degree is completed;
• Gain admission to the ASU Graduate School when qualified and complete the MPT application process prior to the deadline for the class to which the student is applying.

2. Schedule a meeting with the Director of the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and indicate the intent to pursue one of the early commitment options.

3. Submit unofficial transcript(s), and a completed Early Commitment Option form to the Admissions Committee, Programs in Physical Therapy, PO Box 910, State University, AR 72467. The Admissions Committee will review this information. The Committee will subsequently inform the Director of its decision concerning the student and then the Director will inform the student in writing of the Committee’s decision. If the student is accepted as an early commitment option, the Director will assign the student a faculty mentor who will serve as the student’s pre-PT mentor until the student completes the bachelor’s degree. The faculty mentor does not replace the student’s normal undergraduate advisor.

4. Provide evidence to the faculty mentor each semester that the student continues to meet the early commitment eligibility requirements. If, in any semester, the student ceases to meet one of the eligibility requirements, the student will cease to be eligible for that particular early commitment option. This will not preclude the student from taking advantage of a later commitment option or from applying to the MPT program through the normal application process.

Applications and Admissions Process

Applications for the Graduate Program can be downloaded from our website   The application deadline for any given year is March 1.

Important: Admission to the ASU Graduate School is a prerequisite to admission to the MPT Program.  Students should submit an application to the Graduate School Prior to making application to the MPT Program. 

All application materials must be received on or before March 1 of each year. Any application materials received after this date will be classified as late and may not be processed for the class beginning in that year. In addition, the Admissions Committee must be able to verify that the applicant has made application to the ASU Graduate School.  Applicants for whom the Graduate School has not received a completed application packet by March 1 may not be considered to have completed the application process. Therefore, those applications may not be processed for that year. International and out-of-state applicants should submit their Graduate School applications early enough to avoid this problem.

Pre-application advising is available for all students interested in the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy. Please contact (by phone, letter or email) the Programs in Physical Therapy Office to speak with a faculty advisor.

Applicants are evaluated on the following factors:

1. Academic/Cognitive Measures
   1. Cumulative GPA
   2. Prerequisite Coursework GPA
2. Non-Cognitive Measures
   1. Life Experiences Profile
   2. Personal Orientation Inventory - see application packet for details
3. Accomplishment Interview - The top applicants will be chosen using the criteria in parts A and B above.  These applicants will be invited to participate in a structured interview process.  Based on the interview, students will be chosen for the program.  Applicants not invited for interviews will be designated as alternates.
4. Tie breakers - preference, if necessary in the case of a tie, is given to ASU-Jonesboro students.

Admissions Policies and Procedures are reviewed / updated each May.  Applicants should check with an MPT advisor to make sure that they have the most current materials.

If you have additional questions about the application or admissions process, please feel free to contact the Programs in Physical Therapy Office.

Professional Program Coursework

In addition to the classroom, laboratory and research components of the curriculum, successful completion of the professional program requires the student to participate in 5 full-time clinical experiences. Clinical education may require the student to travel away from Northeast Arkansas and even out of the state.

See Graduate Catalog for course descriptions.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy is to provide students an educational foundation that prepares them for practice in a variety of settings particularly those practice settings commonly found in the Mississippi Delta region.  The program provides the student an opportunity to make a meaningful and practical application of an undergraduate liberal arts and sciences preparation in the process of acquiring professional competencies.  The Graduate Program in Physical Therapy strives to facilitate life-long learners who will use their problem solving skills to positively address the health needs of the state, region and country. The Graduate Program in Physical Therapy involves students in research via a faculty research mentoring relationship.  Such exposure and involvement are key elements in the development of a professional who is pro-actively involved in change and strives to serve the community. The program places high value on socialization into the professional physical therapy community and encourages students to take advantage of opportunities for professional growth and development.

Accreditation

The Graduate Program in Physical Therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the sole accrediting agency of U.S. physical therapy education programs [Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, Telephone: 703-706-3245].

Contact Information

Graduate Program in Physical Therapy
PO Box 910
State University, AR 72467

Phone: (870) 972-3591
Fax: (870) 972-3652

Email: ptadmissions@astate.edu 

Important ASU Resource Links

• Graduate School
• Student Services
• Registrar
• Blackboard
• Undergraduate Catalog
• Graduate Catalog
• Financial Aid Office