Jeanne Cook, Department Head and Program Director
McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall, Room 204
Phone 417-836-6179; physicaltherapy@missouristate.edu
Scott W. Wallentine, Admissions Coordinator
McQueary Family Health Sciences Hall, Room 204
Phone 417-836-4514; SWallentine@missouristate.edu
The Department of Physical Therapy offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program
for individuals wanting to enter the profession of physical therapy.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Missouri State University is accredited
by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac
Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email:
Accreditation@APTA.org; website: capteonline.org
If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 417-836-6179 or
email PhysicalTherapy@MissouriState.edu.
DPT program description
The Physical Therapy curriculum focuses on the academic and clinical foundations necessary
for a career in physical therapy. Program graduates are prepared to examine patients
with impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities (or other health-related
conditions) in order to determine a diagnosis and prognosis relevant to physical therapy.
They will be able to design, implement, and modify therapeutic interventions to produce
changes in their patients’ conditions. Graduates will be prepared to offer a variety
of additional services including: (1) prevention, wellness and health promotion; (2)
consultation with patients, clients, and other health care professionals; (3) screening
to identify individuals at risk, or in need of, physical therapy; (4) educating patients,
the general public, local, state, and federal health agencies, and other health care
professionals; (5) clinical and basic science research; and 6) administration including
direction and supervision of support personnel.
The program prepares graduates to practice in a variety of settings such as hospitals,
rehabilitation centers, homes, private physical therapy practices, skilled nursing
facilities, schools, corporate and industrial health centers, athletic training facilities,
fitness centers, sports injury treatment centers, and education or research centers.
Academic and Clinical Standards
The Physical Therapy program enforces high academic standards and ethical behaviors.
To remain in the program, students must earn a "C" or better in all academic courses
or a pass when pass/not pass grading is used. A student who earns a "D" or "F" in
any academic course in the curriculum, or receives more than 12 semester hours of
"C" will be dismissed from the program. A student who earns a failing mark in a clinical
internship may be dismissed from the program.
Prerequisite courses
Below is the minimum number of required hours listed by discipline. The course numbers
after each discipline indicate those courses offered at Missouri State University
that fulfill that prerequisite. Students must complete the courses listed below, or
their equivalents, in order to satisfy the prerequisite. If you have questions regarding
the prerequisites, contact the Director of Admissions at 417-836-4514. Courses listed
below are offered at Missouri State University.
- English: 6 hrs. English (Composition I and II)
- Mathematics: 3 hrs. College Algebra (MTH 135) or higher
- Statistics: 3 hrs. MTH 340 or MTH 545 or ECO 308 or QBA 237 or PSY 200 or SOC 302 or BIO 550
- College Physics: 8 hrs. PHY 123 and PHY 124
- Chemistry: 8 hrs. CHM 160 & 161, CHM 170 & 171 or CHM 201, CHM 202
- Psychology: 6 hrs. One course should cover basic psychology and one should include
abnormal psychology, PSY 121, PSY 304
- General Biology: 8 hrs. BIO 121 and BIO 122 or BMS 110 & BMS 111 & BMS 230
- Human or Vertebrate Anatomy: 4 hrs. BMS 307
- Human or Vertebrate Physiology: 4 hrs. BMS 308
DPT Degree Requirements - 133 hrs
- Students must successfully complete the 133 hours of the physical therapy curriculum.
The courses must be taken in the order and at the time scheduled for each admitted
class (cohort group).
- Research. Students must complete and present a graduate level scholarly paper, which is part
of the requirement in PTE 880.
- Comprehensive Examination. Students must pass a comprehensive examination, which is implemented in the curriculum
as computer competency testing.
Curriculum
The curriculum is designed sequentially so that courses must be taken in the order
and at the time scheduled for each admitted class (cohort group). Any exceptions to
the cohort progression requirement must stem from unavoidable and extreme personal
circumstances, and must be approved by the core faculty and Department Head.
DPT Program course schedule
Summer, Semester 1 (10 weeks classroom)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 707 |
Medical Human Anatomy |
6 hrs |
PTE 711 |
Professional Issues I |
2 hrs |
PTE 712 |
Clinical Biomechanics for Physical Therapy |
2 hrs |
PTE 713 |
Embryology |
1 hrs |
Fall, Semester 2 (17 weeks classroom)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 710 |
Introduction to Physical Therapy |
3 hrs |
PTE 720 |
Neuroanatomy- Neuroscience |
4 hrs |
PTE 723 |
Patient Management: Musculoskeletal I |
4 hrs |
PTE 726 |
Clinical Kinesiology for Physical Therapy |
2 hrs |
PTE 740 |
Essentials of Research Methods |
2 hrs |
PTE 760 |
Management of Research Projects |
1 hr |
Spring, Semester 3 (17 weeks classroom)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 714 |
Imaging Analysis in Physical Therapy Practice |
2 hrs |
PTE 721 |
Professional Issues II |
2 hrs |
PTE 722 |
Physical Agents and Mechanical Modalities |
2 hrs |
PTE 733 |
Patient Management: Musculoskeletal II |
3 hrs |
PTE 743 |
Patient Management: Neurological I |
4 hrs |
PTE 750 |
Essentials of Statistics |
2 hrs |
BMS 752 |
Medical Physiology |
3 hrs |
Summer, Semester 4 (7 weeks classroom; 4 weeks clinical)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 732 |
Electrotherapeutic Modalities and Clinical Electrophysiology |
2 hrs |
PTE 737 |
Clinical Internship I |
4 hrs |
PTE 753 |
Patient Management: Neurological II |
2 hrs |
PTE 760 |
Management of Research Projects |
1 hr |
PTE 773 |
Patient Management: Musculoskeletal III |
2 hrs |
Fall, Semester 5 (13 weeks classroom; 6 weeks clinical)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 731 |
Pathophysiology/Differential Diagnosis I |
2 hrs |
PTE 747 |
Clinical Internship II |
6 hrs |
PTE 760 |
Management of Research Projects |
1 hr |
PTE 763 |
Patient Management: Neuromuscular III |
3 hrs |
PTE 764 |
Patient Management: Exercise Physiology, Nutrition, and Wellness |
3 hrs |
Spring, Semester 6 (10 weeks classroom; 6 weeks clinical)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 730 |
Motor Control/Motor Learning |
2 hrs |
PTE 741 |
Pathophysiology/Differential Diagnosis II |
2 hrs |
PTE 744 |
Patient Management: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Problems |
3 hrs |
PTE 754 |
Patient Management: Special Considerations Across the Life Span |
3 hrs |
PTE 757 |
Clinical Internship III |
6 hrs |
PTE 760 |
Management of Research Projects |
1-2 hrs |
|
Electives |
1-2 hrs |
Summer, Semester 7 (11 weeks classroom)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 756 |
Patient Management: Integumentary |
1 hr |
PTE 760 |
Management of Research Projects |
1 hr |
PTE 761 |
Contemporary Issues in Professional Practice |
2 hrs |
PTE 762 |
Medical Pharmacology |
2 hrs |
PTE 765 |
The Physical Therapist as Educator |
1 hr |
PTE 767 |
Health Care Systems and the Physical Therapist |
1 hr |
|
Electives |
1-2 hrs |
Fall, Semester 8 (10 weeks classroom; 8 weeks clinical)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 760 |
Management of Research Projects |
1 hr |
PTE 871 |
Physical Therapy Management and Administration |
3 hrs |
PTE 872 |
Orthotics and Prosthetics, and Assistive Technologies |
3 hrs |
PTE 873 |
Patient Management: Advanced Differential Diagnosis |
3 hrs |
PTE 877 |
Clinical Internship IV |
8 hrs |
|
Electives |
1-2 hrs |
Spring, Semester 9 (3 weeks classroom; 14 weeks clinical)
Course Code |
Course Title |
Credit Hours |
PTE 880 |
Research Seminar |
1-2 hrs |
PTE 883 |
Patient Management: Critical Integration and Analysis |
1-2 hrs |
PTE 887 |
Clinical Internship V |
8 hrs |
PTE 888 |
Clinical Internship VI |
6 hrs |
|
Elective (Education Abroad) |
0-2 hrs |