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Vision

As Ignatian educators, our vision is to build upon a Jesuit education for our students, which is transformational. Above and beyond excellence in the clinical practice skills of exercise physiology, athletic training and physical therapy, we also desire that our students carry out their life’s work for the greater glory of God as men and women in service to others. With this zeal for excellence enacted in clinical practice and service, we expect that Marquette University will be included in public discourse as among the best in preparing graduates in exercise physiology, athletic training and physical therapy in America

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Mission

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Philosophy

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Expected Global Student Outcomes

Graduates of the Physical Therapy program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the skills necessary to provide autonomous physical therapy services in essential practice areas as defined by the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice.
2. Screen individuals through testing and differential diagnosis, to determine a physical diagnosis which is within the scope of physical therapy and/or to determine the need for referral to other health professionals.
3. Apply evidence based decision making in planning and delivering effective, cost efficient plans of care.
4. Participate in professional learning.

Students admitted to the Physical Therapy program are enrolled in a curriculum that culminates in a doctor of physical therapy degree. This is a six-year curriculum for a student admitted at the freshmen level. The student first will earn a baccalaureate degree of his or her choice and then be awarded the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree at the end of the professional course work. Students admitted with a bachelor’s degree will earn the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree after completing the three-year professional program.

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Undergraduate Admission Requirements

Students may be admitted to the program as freshmen with a guaranteed admission to the professional phase beginning fall of 2014 if the student successfully meets all requirements for advancement. Guaranteed admission cannot be extended if requirements are not successfully completed in the pre-professional phase.

High school applicants to the Department of Physical Therapy are expected to fulfill the general admissions requirements listed in the university section of this bulletin. In addition, the following specific items should be noted for admission to the Department of Physical Therapy:

1. One year of high school chemistry and biology is required. Applicants should include trigonometry among the three required units in mathematics because trigonometry is a prerequisite for General Physics 1 and 2 at Marquette.
2. Freshman class enrollment is limited. College entrance exam results, transcripts and the application must be received at Marquette by Dec. 1 of the preceding academic year for which the student is applying.
3. The sequence of courses in the professional phase begins in August of each academic year.
4. Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate credits are accepted for general university requirements, however only Chemistry I and Physics I can be applied to the DPT pre-requisite course work.

Marquette students who were not admitted as freshmen may apply to transfer into the program. Further details of entrance requirements are available from Marquette’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

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Physical Therapy Observation Hours Policy

Currently enrolled Marquette students, who have a health care major with a clinical component in their undergraduate course work, may complete up to 40 hours of the required minimum 80 hours of PT observation as part of their clinical component in their undergraduate major. Clinical hours completed in the undergraduate major must be documented by their undergraduate academic adviser. The remainder of the 80 hours must be completed under the supervision of a physical therapist and documented on one or more of the Marquette clinical hour’s assessment and verification forms prior to June 1 preceding fall enrollment in the professional phase.

A minimum of 10 spaces have historically been offered to Marquette pre-physical therapy students (PREP) wishing to transfer into Year Four. To apply for this window of admission, students need to complete at least 12 of the physical therapy prerequisite credits at Marquette University and meet or exceed all requirements for the undergraduate phase. External transfer students with degrees from other institutions are encouraged to apply for entry into the professional phase and are enrolled as space allows.

DPT prerequisites courses must be completed at an accredited four-year institution and cannot be completed through online courses. DPT prerequisites required before admission to the professional phase:

Area	Credit Hours
Biology	3
General Chemistry 1 and 2	8
Introduction to Physical Therapy*	1
General Physics 1 and 2	8
Statistics	3
*Total***	23

*	Waived for accepted transfer students but will need to document proficiency in medical terminology in lieu of Intro to PT Class. Completion of a programmed text and written departmental test in medical terminology would meet this requirement.
**	External transfer students will need 12 credits of social sciences and/or humanities in addition to the DPT prerequisites. Three credits of cognitive and motor learning are strongly recommended, but not required.

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Essential Functions

Students are made aware as freshmen and prior to entering the professional phase that all students must be able to carry out the basic duties of a generalist physical therapist with or without reasonable accommodation(s). A generalist P.T. is one who is capable of treating patients across the lifespan. Specifics of the essential functions are included in the Physical Therapy Student Handbook.

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Accreditation

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) has granted accreditation to the current Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Initial accreditation of the DPT program was granted in April of 2002. Current Accreditation Status: Accreditation. Five-year history: Accreditation. Students are free to contact CAPTE with questions or concerns by mail or phone at: CAPTE American Physical Therapy Association; 111 N. Fairfax St.; Alexandria, VA 22314; (703) 684-2782.

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Academic Regulations

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Undergraduate Phase

Students admitted to the DPT Program as freshmen must meet all requirements for advancement. These include: student must have achieved a 2.400 or greater cumulative grade point average in the specified prerequisite professional course work (23 credits). Students must submit proof of completion of 80 volunteer and/or work related hours supervised by a physical therapist by June 1 after completion of the DPT3 academic year. Students must also have a demonstrated plan to receive their bachelor’s degree at the end of the spring term of the DPT5 year in the professional phase (years 4, 5 and 6) of the program. Except for ATTR and EXPH students, students who do not complete their undergraduate degree in the traditional 4 years must submit a written plan to the PT department chairperson to complete their undergraduate degree within the required time frame. Students who complete pre-requisite credits (biology, chemistry, physics and statistics) in summer school need to do so at a four-year institution. No online courses are accepted for prerequisite physical therapy courses. Courses taken at other institutions require pre-approval from the assistant dean in the College of Health Sciences. Students failing to satisfy all requirements or students who are required to withdraw for academic reasons will not be admitted to the professional phase of the program. Following acceptance into the professional phase of the program, students follow the curriculum as outlined for the three-year professional phase unless prior approval is received from the department chairperson.

CR/NC Grade Option

University guidelines allow junior and senior students to elect one course per term (to a maximum of four courses) for which only a CR or NC grade is assigned, given certain requirements are met. Refer to the CR/NC option entry in the university section of this bulletin for the specific requirements. However, this CR/NC option is not available for any course that is part of the 23 prerequisite core credits nor any course normally required in the professional phase of the program.

Course Sequence

Professional phase courses taken early while a student is in the pre-professional phase are subject to the academic standards held in the professional phase of the program including a minimum 2.200 GPA for all professional phase courses completed in a given semester. Moreover, all professional phase courses taken early must be completed with a C or better. Taking courses early and out of sequence is discouraged. No online prerequisite courses are accepted. Students who fail to meet these requirements may be placed on academic probation and required to retake professional phase courses.

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Professional Phase

A student must complete the academic requirements of the DPT program within four years of admission to the professional phase of the program in the fall semester of the DPT4 year, unless there are non-academic extenuating circumstances. Failure to complete the PT program requirements within the 4-year time limit may result in dismissal from the program. During the professional phase of the program a student will be considered in good academic standing if he/she complies with the academic standards printed in the Physical Therapy Student Handbook. Failure to meet the academic requirements will result in probation or dismissal from the program.

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Tuition/Financial Aid for Professional Phase

Students who enter physical therapy as freshmen are considered in the pre-professional phase for Years 1-3, and the DPT professional phase for Years 4-6. Full-time students will be charged normal undergraduate rates of tuition for Years 1-3. Students are charged the higher professional phase tuition rate in years 4-6. There is no additional tuition payment for summer work. Even though undergraduate students in Year 4 are considered in the professional phase of the program, they may still apply for normal financial aid available to Marquette undergraduate students. When physical therapy students complete their undergraduate degree, they can no longer be considered for undergraduate sources of financial aid.

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Examinations

A student who misses a final examination risks the loss of credit and the possibility of not being able to enroll in subsequent PHTH courses. All such cases will be judged by the department chairperson.

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Certification in Basic Life Support

Certification in basic life support that includes child, infant and both one- and two-person adult CPR along with AED (automatic external defibrillator) training is required of all students prior to beginning the fourth year of the DPT program. Continued certification is required to be maintained by the student throughout the DPT curriculum. Failure to maintain current certification may jeopardize enrollment in subsequent PHTH courses and/or clinical assignments. Students should contact their local Heart Association or Red Cross offices.

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Emergency Care and Safety

All clinical sites will provide the students with safety information including emergency procedures. There may be potential health risks at a clinical site. Students are required to complete yearly OSHA training. Students are not employees of the facility and are not covered by workman’s compensation. Students provide proof of health insurance, but should also be aware that they are responsible for the cost of any emergency care, unless the injury or illness was due to negligence on the part of the facility. In non-emergency situations, students should expect to be responsible for their own medical care while off campus.

All DPT students are required to attend and provide documentation of completion of yearly OSHA training sessions, which assure that they have received training on OSHA guidelines for blood borne pathogens and universal precautions.

Patient Right to Refuse

Clinical Contracts state that patients have the risk-free-right to refuse to participate in clinical education and patients/clients provide informed consent to being involved in the clinical education experience.

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Policy for Students Requesting Accommodations

It is the responsibility of a student to request reasonable accommodations in the classroom or laboratory. Students are encouraged to discuss their needs with their instructors. It is expected that students will be proactive in addressing learning needs rather than reactive. Disability Services, which is part of the Office of Student Educational Services is a valuable resource to both students and faculty.

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Liability Insurance

Even though the university has liability insurance on students while they are in clinical practice situations, some facilities require the student to have an additional liability policy. This type of insurance can be obtained through the insurance company used by the American Physical Therapy Association by student members of the association.

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Absences

Students who are ill or anticipate absence for a family emergency must contact the physical therapy office immediately. All students must consult with the instructor of the course(s) missed for makeup if necessary. Absences of two or more weeks during the fourth, fifth or sixth years of the program may be considered as grounds for repeating the entire term.

Anticipated absences from full-time clinic must be approved in advance by one of the directors of clinical education at Marquette University and the center coordinator of clinical education at the clinical site. Unapproved absences are not acceptable and may lead to dismissal from the clinical site. Emergency absences, illness, etc., are circumstances usually considered to be acceptable absences if they are substantiated by the coordinators.

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Repeated Courses

Undergraduate students who repeat a course, may do so under certain conditions:

1. Normally, the repeated course is taken at Marquette.
2. The repeated course is identical to the original course in subject, catalog number, title, subtitle and credits.
3. The repeated course is graded with the same grading options as the original, i.e., students may not exercise the CR/NC option for a repeated course.
4. Courses that are failed may be repeated until a passing grade is earned.
5. A passing grade is determined by the grade that is required in order to receive credit for the course, or to fulfill the program requirements of a degree/major/minor/certificate, as published in the academic program requirements of the university/college/school/department.
6. Courses in which a passing grade is earned may be repeated only once.
7. These courses allow unlimited repeats: colloquiums, continuation placeholder, co-ops, independent study/research, internships, practicums/clinicals/field work experience, seminar/reading, studio/workshops, study abroad and variable title courses (e.g., topics).

Credit hours earned in a repeated course are only awarded once; however, all previous courses and grades remain on the student’s permanent academic record. Beginning Fall 1999, the grade in the original course is excluded from the cumulative grade point average calculation. The cumulative grade point average is adjusted at the time the repeated course is graded. If a student audits or withdraws from the repeated course, the earlier grade will remain in the cumulative grade point average. If a student repeats a course that was transferred to Marquette, only the Marquette course/grade will be reflected in the total credits earned.

At the time of registration, the repeat process is automated for the first repeat of any course that is not an unlimited repeat course. Should a student need to repeat a course more than once, a request to repeat must be filed using the Request Permission to Repeat a Course form. This request will only be approved if the student has not earned a passing grade in the course, or the university and/or program requirements state that a certain grade must be earned in that specific course and the student has not previously earned the required minimum grade.

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Medical Withdrawal 

Purpose

An official medical withdrawal may be needed when, in extraordinary cases, a student’s physical and/or psychological condition interferes with that student’s ability to participate in campus life, including the ability to complete or make satisfactory progress toward academic goals.  Upon request, an official medical withdrawal may be granted, or in some cases, required by the university, as referenced in the Student Handbook, or other university, college or school policies.  Note:  a student may withdraw from a term for various reasons, including medical; however, if the student wishes to be verified by the university as having withdrawn with an official medical withdrawal, this policy and the processes outlined below then applies.    

Process

A student who chooses to withdraw and requires documentation of the withdrawal for health insurance or other purposes, must complete the appropriate Medical Withdrawal form found here: mu.edu/mucentral/registrar/policy_forms.shtml.  This form must be submitted before or within the term of illness/injury and by the deadline to withdraw from the session/term, as published in the University Academic Calendars (mu.edu/mucentral/registrar/cal_index.shtml). If the student is unable to participate in the medical withdrawal process and an official medical withdrawal is needed, the student’s college/school office, parent, spouse, partner, or other designee may do so on behalf of the student, once the incapacitation of the student is documented or power of attorney is provided.  The Office of Student Affairs may, at times, require a student’s medical withdrawal on an involuntary basis.  In this case, that office will process the Medical Withdrawal form on behalf of the student.  In either case, voluntary or involuntary withdrawal, the university will not grant retroactive official medical withdrawals of any kind for previous terms/sessions.  In addition, all previously graded courses at the time of the request will remain on the student’s record, regardless of the term/session in which the courses were taken.  

A student who withdraws, or is withdrawn, for medical reasons prior to the end of late registration will have no courses reflected on the academic record for the term of the withdrawal.  A student who withdraws, or is withdrawn, for medical reasons after the end of late registration will receive final grades of ‘W’ in all courses for the term of the withdrawal, except when courses have already been graded, or when grades of ‘ADW’ (administrative withdrawal) are warranted.  

The completed ‘Medical Withdrawal Request’ form is to be submitted in person to Marquette Central or mailed to the Office of the Registrar by the student, the student’s designee, the student’s college/school office, or the Office of Student Affairs, and must include all relevant documentation as described on the form.  The form and all documentation will be confidentially forwarded to the Medical Withdrawal Committee (MWC) for action.  

The Medical Withdrawal Committee is comprised of four to five members.   Permanent members include representatives from the Counseling Center, the Office of Student Financial Aid and the Office of the Registrar.  Additional representatives will be included as follows:  a designated representative from the Committee on Academic Procedures (for undergraduate student requests); a designated representative from the Graduate School (for graduate student requests); a designated representative from the Graduate School of Management (for GSM student requests); designated representative from the College of Health Sciences (for Health Sciences Professional or pre-professional student requests).  The Medical Withdrawal Committee reserves the right to consult with individuals from the student’s college/school office, Counseling Center and/or Student Health Services on a case-by-case basis.  The Medical Withdrawal Committee will carefully review each request for medical withdrawal and determine the action to be taken, including any refund, if appropriate.   A medical withdrawal determination will result in a registration hold placed on the student’s record.    

A student has the right to appeal the Medical Withdrawal Committee’s determination by writing to the Office of Student Affairs within five business days of the Committee’s decision.  The refund decision, if any, may not be appealed on its own, but will be considered as part of an appeal of the withdrawal decision.  The Office of Student Affairs will, in turn, consult with the student’s college/school office, or other university offices if appropriate, and reply to the student within five business days.  The determination of the Office of Student Affairs is final. 

Once a final determination has been made, the form will be signed by the chair of the committee and forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.  The Office of the Registrar will then notify the student’s college/school office and other offices, as appropriate; process the withdrawal; add the registration hold; and apply any refund, if granted.  The original signed form will be retained by the Office of the Registrar as part of the permanent academic record. 

Because a medical withdrawal can affect so many aspects of academic progress at Marquette, the student is encouraged to first consider other options that might enable the student to remain enrolled.  Before requesting a medical withdrawal, a discussion with the student’s college/school office, the Office of Student Financial Aid (if applicable), the Office of International Education (if applicable) and other offices, as appropriate, is highly encouraged (e.g., Veterans, ROTC).  It is also recommended that each student discuss the ramifications of a withdrawal with his/her health insurance or other service providers. 

Readmission after Medical Withdrawal: Immediate Subsequent Term

1. A student who withdraws prior to the end of registration, such that no courses appear on the academic record for the term of withdrawal, must apply for readmission to the university in order to attend any subsequent term. 
2.  A student who withdraws after the end of late registration and  has already earned grades, or receives grades of ‘W’ and/or ‘ADW’ in the term of withdrawal, is not required to apply for readmission to the university for the immediate subsequent term. 

Approval to return to the university following a medical withdrawal is not guaranteed.  The review process will follow all of the regulations outlined in the university readmission policy, in addition to any additional requirements imposed at the time of the medical withdrawal.  The Medical Withdrawal Committee must approve a student’s return to the university and the student’s college/school must subsequently approve readmission to the college/school (if applicable).  The registration hold imposed at the time of the medical withdrawal will not be removed from the record until the student is readmitted by the college/school (as applicable) and/or approved to return to the university by the Medical Withdrawal Committee.    

Because of the documentation required, and the various decisions that must be made by university officials, it is necessary that the process to return, as outlined above, begin well in advance of the term/session in which the student wishes to re-enroll.  At a minimum, the completed readmission application (if applicable), the ‘Request to Return After a Medical Withdrawal’ form and all required documentation must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the start of the session/term in which the student desires to return to the university.  Failure to meet the two-week deadline may result in deferment of readmission to the following term/session. 

Readmission after Medical Withdrawal: Future Terms 

1. A student who withdraws prior to the end of registration, such that no courses appear on the academic record for the term of withdrawal, must apply for readmission to the university in order to attend any subsequent term. 
2. A student who withdraws after the end of late registration,  has already earned grades or receives grades of ‘W’ and/or ‘ADW’ in the term of withdrawal and who does not enroll in the immediate subsequent term, must apply for readmission to the university.    

Approval to return to the university following a medical withdrawal is not guaranteed.  The review process will follow all of the regulations outlined in the university readmission policy, in addition to any additional requirements imposed at the time of the medical withdrawal.  The Medical Withdrawal Committee must approve a student’s return to the university and the student’s college/school must subsequently approve readmission to the college/school.  The registration hold imposed at the time of the medical withdrawal will not be removed from the record until the student is readmitted by the college/school, and/or approved to return to the university by the Medical Withdrawal Committee.

Because of the documentation required, and the various decisions that must be made by university officials, it is necessary that the process to return, as outlined above, begin well in advance of the term/session in which the student wishes to re-enroll.  At a minimum, the completed readmission application, the ‘Request to Return After a Medical Withdrawal’ form and all required documentation must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the start of the session/term in which the student desires to return to the university.   Failure to meet the two-week deadline may result in deferment of the readmission decision to the following term/session.

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Withdrawal from the Physical Therapy Program

Withdrawal from the program is achieved through a written request submitted to the chairperson of the Department of Physical Therapy. Any student considering withdrawing from the physical therapy program is encouraged to meet with the chairperson of the Department of Physical Therapy or his/her adviser prior to making a final decision.

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Curricula Information

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Typical Professional Program — Physical Therapy Degree: DPT †

DPT 4
First Term	Hours	Second Term	Hours	Summer Term	Hours
BISC 4130	5	BISC 4120	3	PHTH 7504	2
BIOL 3701*	4	BISC 3150***	3	PHTH 7549	2
PHTH 7503	3	PHTH 7515	4	PHTH 7560	4
PHTH 7512 (DC)	3	PHTH 7525	3	PHTH 7539	3
PHTH 7513	3	PHTH 7528	2	PHTH 7522	2
Medical Ethics**	1	PHTH 7530	2
		Medical Ethics**	1
	19		18		13
DPT 5
First Term	Hours	Second Term	Hours	Summer Term	Hours
PHTH 7518	3	PHTH 7533	4	PHTH 7986 (section 1002)	4-10
PHTH 7523	1	PHTH 7558	4
PHTH 7505	2	PHTH 7570	4
PHTH 7532	4	PHTH 7577	2
PHTH 7526	3	PHTH 7555	2
PHTH 7986 (Section 1001)	4	PHTH 7667	2
	17		18		4-10
DPT 6
First Term	Hours	Second Term	Hours
PHTH 7668	4	PHTH 7986 (section 1003)	4-10
PHTH 7675	4	PHTH 7986 (section 1004)	4-10
PHTH 7682	3
PHTH 7684	2
PHTH 7674	3
PHTH 7932	0-2
	16-18		8-20
Total credit hours: 113-133

 

†	Students admitted without a completed bachelor's degree must receive their bachelor’s degree by the end of the spring term of the DPT5 year in the professional phase (years 4, 5 and 6) of the program.
*	BIOL 3701 Human Physiology is required for physiological science majors. BISC 4145 Human Physiology may be taken in the spring of the DPT-third year by physical therapy students in other majors in lieu of BIOL 3701 Human Physiology.
**	Students completing an undergraduate major in the College of Health Sciences must take PHIL 4336 Applied Ethics for the Health Sciences during or before the 4th year in order to meet the college requirement of 7 credits of PHIL. Students in other colleges who have met the medical ethics requirement prior to year 4 by taking PHIL 4336 Applied Ethics for the Health Sciences or THEO 4450 Medical Ethics may not need medical ethics in year 4.
***	BISC majors take BISC 4160 Molecular Pathology during the 4th year and BISC 3150 General Pathology during the junior year.