Division of Physical Therapy

For Catalog Listings and Policies for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree, please see the SBU Graduate Catalog. Two special enrollment programs that pertain to undergraduate level students are detailed below.

High School Early Acceptance Program

Selected High School students are eligible to apply on a competitive basis for early acceptance into the physical therapy program subject to the following parameters and guidelines:

Earn a 24 ACT or equivalent SAT score (1160) or equivalent CLT score (76).
Submit a completed High School Early Acceptance (HSEA) application with appropriate supporting evidence and documentation.
Should be a graduating high school senior or collegiate freshman with less than 30 completed undergraduate hours at the time of application. Note: This provision is aimed to not penalize students from taking dual credit courses in advance of regular collegiate admissions as an incoming freshman.
Once accepted into the HSEA program, all undergraduate classes must be taken at SBU with the successful awarding of a bachelor’s degree. The spirit of this provision is not to prevent the student from taking an occasional summer or correspondence course from a different college or university.
HSEA recipients must confirm their intent to matriculate into the professional phase of the physical therapy program by the end of January in their intended enrollment year and pay appropriate deposit.
Must submit current overall graduate program application.
HSEA recipients must earn an overall GPA of 3.00, a prerequisite GPA of 3.25, and a minimum grade of a “C” in all prerequisite courses or else forfeit their acceptance. The prerequisite GPA will be calculated with the first-time attempted course grade. Withdrawals will be considered an “F” grade. Under special circumstances, a withdrawn course can be petitioned, reviewed by the admissions committee, to be retaken for prerequisite GPA consideration.
Document 40 hours of observation or work hours in a physical therapy setting.
Participate in 50 hours of community service.
Complete PTH 2523 - Introduction to Physical Therapy or HSC 1013 - Medical Terminology with a minimum grade of a “B.” Complete KIN 3073 - Physiology of Exercise with a minimum grade of a “B.” Note: These courses are considered support courses and are not used to calculate prerequisite GPA. Courses may be retaken if needed to earn the required grade level.
HSEA applications should be submitted to the department for consideration for the upcoming fall semester before the first of April. If applications are received by the Scholars Day deadlines, acceptance decisions will be made within a few weeks of Scholars Day.
A maximum of 20 awards will be given during any one academic year. If the 20 slots are not filled during the first selection cycle, a late cycle pool will be considered during February of the academic year just prior to the selection cycle for the next academic year. If slots are not filled for any one academic year, they will not roll over or be extended.

The physical therapy division recommends the completion of one of the following undergraduate degrees: Biology, Exercise Science, or Psychology. Students should carefully plan their undergraduate experience such that most prerequisites are completed prior to their senior (or application) year. Students electing to take non-recommended degree paths should make those considerations for other specific purposes and with the knowledge that those elections may increase the duration of their undergraduate experience prior to entering the physical therapy program. If there are ever any questions about the most effective and efficient undergraduate path toward entering the graduate physical therapy program, please contact the program directly.

Eligibility for awarding the HSEA is established at the point of SBU undergraduate graduation and all normal requirements must be completed at the time of recognized graduation. Successful HSEA participants will receive a scholarship upon entering the professional phase of the physical therapy program subject to the following parameters and guidelines:

Students will receive credit for the scholarship by attending and documenting Pre-PT Club events and/or mentoring sessions on a semester basis during their undergraduate semesters.
The total $6,000 scholarship is awarded in equal semester installments upon entry to the SBU physical therapy program (i.e. first-year fall and first-year spring in equal $1000 amounts resulting in a $2,000 “discount” on the annual tuition). HSEA students that matriculated into the DPT program prior to Fall 2022 receive a $3,000 total scholarship under the same distribution pattern described above.
The award is not distributed as a cash award.
If the student does not accept the HSEA enrollment into the SBU physical therapy program, the award becomes null and void.
If the student does not merit entry to the SBU physical therapy program under the established guidelines as a HSEA participant, the award becomes null and void.
A deferment of up to 2 calendar years after earning of a bachelor’s degree from SBU may be granted upon request of the HSEA participant who otherwise meets established guidelines. The spirit of this provision is a variance given to HSEA participants who meet unexpected life events beyond their control.
Once enrolled in the professional phase of the program, the HSEA participant must meet established unconditional matriculation requirements (i.e. not on academic or professional behaviors probation) or the remaining award distributions will be forfeited.

A+ Recruitment Program

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Southwest Baptist University realizes and appreciates that the cost of earning a valuable degree continues to increase and this cost factor does play a role in the decision-making processes on where students elect to attend college. The program wishes support Missouri A+ students who have a professional goal on becoming a physical therapist by establishing a path by which they can complete their A+ requirements and earn an automatic acceptance into the SBU DPT program.

A+ Recruitment Program Requirements

Successfully earn an Associate’s degree based on the existing parameters of the A+ program
Earn a Bachelor’s of Science degree from SBU within two years of completing the identified Associate’s degree
Have the following prerequisite courses completed by B.S. graduation and present on the transcript with at least a minimum grade of a “C” in each course (combined prerequisite GPA should be 3.25)^#:
1. Biology* - one semester, human or animal-based with lab component
2. Chemistry* - two semesters with lab component
3. Physics* - two semesters with lab component
4. Anatomy and Physiology* - two semesters with lab component
5. Statistics
6. One psychology course - general/intro, normal growth and development, or abnormal
7. Medical Terminology - housed in PTH 2523 - Introduction to Physical Therapy at a “B” or higher level (does not enter into prerequisite GPA calculations)
8. Exercise Physiology - KIN 3073 - Physiology of Exercise at a “B” or higher level (does not enter into prerequisite GPA calculations)
Earn a combined overall GPA of 3.0 and prerequisite GPA of 3.25
Complete the GRE with a combined average of “45th” percentile across all content areas
Complete 40 hours of professional physical therapy observation
Complete 50 hours of community service - international mission trips preferred
Complete an application to the PT program during senior year, including an essay and references

^Repeated courses will be reviewed by the admissions committee for evaluation of acceptance. It is the general guideline that courses should not be repeated unless extreme circumstances are presented.

#Course in Pathophysiology is highly recommended, but not required.

*Courses must be taken in sequence from a science-based division