The Marjorie S. Price Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Louisiana Monroe prepares students to address health disparities by serving rural and underserved communities. Our students find holistic and creative solutions for their patients and work with compassionate care.
ULM's eight-semester DPT program includes 30 weeks of experiential learning in 4 clinic locations: in-patient, out-patient, rural, and the student's own preferred interest. With more than 2700 certified clinic sites and with a dedicated virtual day of the week, the ULM DPT program is determined to help students serve the communities they call home. For the complete DPT curriculum and class schedule, click the button below.
Mission: The ULM Doctor of Physical Therapy program strives to develop diverse, high functioning practitioners and leaders who will partner with community members to produce meaningful and sustainable change with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities.
Vision: The ULM Doctor of Physical Therapy program will serve as a model of excellence for workforce development and scholarship addressing movement-related health disparities.
In alignment with our mission, we define physical therapists as health professionals who diagnose and manage movement dysfunction as it relates to the restoration, maintenance, and promotion of optimal physical function and the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
Physical therapists don’t just work as clinicians. You will find physical therapists working as educators, healthcare administrators, researchers, information technologists, and many other positions.
Our ability to integrate large amounts of information helps to position physical therapists as valuable members of any team. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 22 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.” The Louisiana Workforce Commission estimates that between now and 2024 approximately 980 openings for physical therapists will occur in Louisiana.
The ULM DPT PTCAS deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year is November 15, 2024. The application cycle for the 2026-2027 academic year will open summer 2025. ULM DPT will accept 48 students for each fall cohort.
1. Complete prerequisite courses.
• Science and mathematics: Chemistry with laboratory for science majors (8), Biology with laboratory for science majors (8), Physics with laboratory for science majors (8), Advanced biology sophomore level or higher (3), Human anatomy and physiology with laboratory separate or combined courses (8), Mathematics college algebra or higher (6), Statistics (3)
• Non-Science: English composition (6), Advanced English composition or technical writing (3), Psychology (6), Public speaking (3)
*The statistics course can be either behavioral or experimental courses.*Poetry or literature courses will not satisfy the Advanced English composition or technical writing course requirement.
*Human anatomy and physiology courses must be completed within five years of the application. In lieu of this coursework, the applicant may complete a proctored anatomy and physiology assessment with Respondus offered by ULM DPT with a passing score of 80%. For additional details about the assessment, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below.
2. Confirm you have met program criteria.
• An earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Students may apply with uncompleted prerequisites. A plan of study will need to be included in the application outlining the expected completion dates for each course. The admission committee will access the feasibility of the plan during the review process. The bachelor’s degree must be completed and conferred prior to the first day of DPT training.
• Minimum undergraduate cumulative or most recent 60 semester credit hours GPA of 3.00 (using a 4.0 scale)
• Minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.00 (using a 4.0 scale).
• Two letters of recommendation, including one letter from a physical therapist and one letter from either an educator or a community leader.
• At least 30 hours of paid or volunteer physical therapy observation or experience supervised by a licensed physical therapist. If multiple sites are used, a minimum of 8 hours is required per site.
• Complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better.
*All 3.0 minimum GPA requirements and Observation hours must be met at the time of application submission.
4. ULM DPT will then invite qualified students to an interview.
5. Submit a supplemental application through ULM.
After the interview, students will submit a supplemental application through ULM. A unique code will be provided to you.
ULM's eight-semester DPT program includes 30 weeks of experiential learning in 4 clinic locations: in-patient, out-patient, rural, and the student's own preferred interest. Our hands-on learning approach begins in students' very first semester so that ULM DPT students work with physical therapists in clinics right away. Throughout their time in the program, students will earn 95 credit hours with no more than 15 hours per semester. The curriculum includes 5 anatomy courses over the course of the 8 semesters. These courses are taken with Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students at VCOM-Louisiana. The curriculum below represents the typical course sequence. Shifts may occur due to student, program, or accreditation needs or requirements.
|
DPT Curriculum |
Credit Hours |
|
Fall 1st Semester First Year |
|
|
PHYT 6100 Functional Anatomy I: Musculoskeletal System |
4 |
|
PHYT 6110 Assessment and Management of the Musculoskeletal System I |
6 |
|
PHYT 6120 Clinical Inquiry I |
2 |
|
PHYT 6130 Professional Development I |
1 |
|
PHYT 6140 Cultural and Rural Health I |
1 |
|
PHYT 6150 Integrated Clinical Experience I |
1 |
|
Subtotal |
15 |
|
|
|
|
Spring 2nd Semester First Year |
|
|
PHYT 6200 Functional Anatomy II: Neurological System |
4 |
|
PHYT 6250 Integrated Clinical Experience II |
1 |
|
PHYT 6260 Neurophysiology and Motor Control |
3 |
|
PHYT 6270 Clinical Skills Development |
4 |
|
PHYT 6280 Clinical and Applied Exercise Physiology I |
3 |
|
Subtotal |
15 |
|
|
|
|
Summer 3rd Semester First Year |
|
|
PHYT 6330 Professional Development II |
2 |
|
PHYT 6350 Integrated Clinical Experience III |
1 |
|
PHYT 6360 Assessment and Management of the Neurological System I |
3 |
|
PHYT 6370 Therapeutic and Innovative Modalities |
2 |
|
PHYT 6380 Clinical and Applied Exercise Physiology II |
2 |
|
PHYT 6390 Applied Pharmacology and Diagnostic Imaging |
2 |
|
Subtotal |
12 |
|
|
|
|
Fall 4th Semester Second Year |
|
|
PHYT 6410 Assessment and Management of the Musculoskeletal System II |
3 |
|
PHYT 6420 Clinical Inquiry II |
2 |
|
PHYT 6450 Professional Education I |
4 |
|
PHYT 6460 Assessment and Management of the Neurological System II |
3 |
|
PHYT 6470 Patient Management Across the Lifespan I |
3 |
|
Subtotal |
15 |
|
|
|
|
Spring 5th Semester Second Year |
|
|
PHYT 6500 Functional Anatomy III: Cardiopulmonary System |
4 |
|
PHYT 6510 Assessment and Management of the Musculoskeletal System III |
3 |
|
PHYT 6550 Integrated Clinical Experience IV |
1 |
|
PHYT 6570 Patient Management Across the Lifespan II |
3 |
|
Subtotal |
11 |
|
|
|
|
Summer 6th Semester Second Year |
|
|
PHYT 6580 Assessment and Management of the Cardiopulmonary System |
3 |
|
PHYT 6600 Functional Anatomy IV: Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary System I |
2 |
|
PHYT 6640 Cultural and Rural Health II |
1 |
|
PHYT 6650 Professional Education II |
4 |
|
PHYT 6670 Practice Management |
2 |
|
PHYT 6690 Assessment and Management of the Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary, and Other Systems I |
1 |
|
Subtotal |
13 |
|
|
|
|
Fall 7th Semester Third Year |
|
|
PHYT 6700 Functional Anatomy V: Gastrointestinal and Genitourinary System II |
3 |
|
PHYT 6720 Clinical Inquiry III |
1 |
|
PHYT 6750 Professional Education III |
4 |
|
PHYT 6790 Assessment and Management of the Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary, and Other Systems II |
2 |
|
Subtotal |
10 |
|
|
|
|
Spring 8th Semester Third Year |
|
|
PHYT 6850 Professional Education IV |
4 |
|
PHYT 6870 Independent Study (elective; optional) |
1-3 |
|
Subtotal |
4-7 |
|
TOTAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS |
95-98 |
The DPT Program will conduct 2 (two) Informational Sessions each year.
Fall Term – 1 virtual informational session, 45-60 minutes, Weekday
Summer Term – 1 on-campus informational session, 60 minutes, Weekend
Dates and times to be announced. Follow ULM Doctor of Physical Therapy Program on Facebook and ULMDPT on Instagram for updates. Email ulmdpt@ulm.edu for more information and to register for the sessions.
The assessment will be offered three times a year in person at the University of Louisiana Monroe. Email ulmdpt@ulm.edu for more information and to register for the assessment. Passing the anatomy prerequisite assessment does not guarantee admission into the University of Louisiana Monroe Doctor of Physical Therapy program. However, it allows individuals who have been actively employed in fields related to movement promotion, recovery, or rehabilitation to use anatomy and physiology courses completed more than five years ago to meet the program’s prerequisite requirements, provided they earned a grade of B or better in those courses. Applicants are permitted up to two attempts at the anatomy prerequisite assessment, regardless of how many times they apply to the University of Louisiana Monroe's Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The fee ($50.00) for the anatomy prerequisite assessment is non-refundable. The assessment must be taken before November 15th to be considered in the current admission cycle.
Yes, you can apply with courses pending. You will indicate in PTCAS which courses have been completed, in progress, or planned for a future semester. All prerequisites including the earned bachelor’s degree must be completed prior to starting the DPT training program.
The GRE is not required for the ULM DPT program.
Holistic review is defined as an admission process that allows the program to assess experiences, attributes, and academic metrics in the selective admission process. Each experience or attribute aligns to the programmatic or institutional mission, vision, and core values. In the ULM PTCAS application, the applicant will have the opportunity to identify numerically how many of the listed experiences or attributes need to be considered by the admission committee. If the applicant so chooses, the applicant can provide additional details about the experiences or attributes based on comfort level. Although the text field is large, the admission committee appreciates conciseness.
Please report the GPA that appears on your official transcripts. After you submit your transcripts, we will manually adjust your GPA to reflect the highest grade only.
Please refer to the Prerequisite Courses in the "How to Apply" section above.
Resources: Prerequisite Course Sample PDF | Prerequisite GPA Calculator XLSX
Your application will be reviewed by ULM DPT Faculty, physical therapy faculty and clinicians from across the country, faculty members from other disciplines, and community members.
The DPT program is housed in the College of Health Sciences (COHS). Professional programs in the COHS, such as the DPT program, are overall more expensive than others on campus, as they require extensive equipment and technology to operate as well as expert faculty in the profession. Because of accreditation standards, these programs require lower faculty to student ratios, requiring more instructors and personnel to support the program. Professional fees make it possible to provide high quality facilities, equipment, and instruction to students.
Students must maintain a health insurance policy during enrollment in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and must provide proof of current insurance coverage at orientation and prior to each semester. Coverage as part of a parent’s or spouse’s plan meets this requirement. Information on government plans may be found at https://www.healthcare.gov/young-adults/college-students/. Students failing to provide proof of health insurance may have their offer of admission rescinded or be suspended from the program until such proof is available.
Please see the FlightPath Transfer tool: https://webservices.ulm.edu/flightpath/tools/transfer-search
Lisa VanHoose, Director of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Walker Hall 1-64, 318-342-1236 | vanhoose@ulm.edu
Ashanti M. Jones, Associate Director of Physical Therapy and Director of Clinical Education, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Walker Hall 1-69, 318-342-1967 | asjones@ulm.edu
Making sure your program is the right financial investment is an important part of the search process.
Each fall cohort of 48 students means you will receive individualized attention in the classroom.
The ULM DPT program has a rural health and disparities focus that allows students to examine and research inequities in healthcare, especially in the Southern United States.
The Anatomy course series and the Assessment and Management course series reflect strong alignment of topics and focus areas, allowing students to engage in active learning strategies to improve retention.
Clinical learning encounters provided by our community partners in more than 40 states enable DPT students to work with diverse patient populations and practitioners to obtain the skills and competencies required for the entry-level physical therapist.
DPT students will have the ability to get experiential learning in the clinic starting during their first semester. This early development of clinical skills will give our therapists the advantage of practical training in addition to the classroom coursework.
Research is a priority of the DPT curriculum and faculty. Students will have ample opportunity to work with faculty members on research to enhance their skills as a practitioner as well as scholar.
The American Physical Therapy Association states that “physical therapists (PTs) are movement experts who optimize quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education.
Students who pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree can work in a variety of settings including:
Outpatient clinics or private practices
Sports, fitness and wellness centers
Occupational or workplace environments
Home health care and Hospice
Rehabilitation hospitals
Sub-acute rehabilitation facilities
Extended care centers, nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities
Government facilities for civilians and military personnel
Educational settings such as preschools and vocational schools
Research facilities
Primary care facilities
ULM DPT students and faculty are required to sign an attestation following the viewing of the designated DPT program handbooks.
ULM Institutional Faculty Handbook
DPT Program Handbook for Faculty & Staff
The healthcare field requires teamwork and excellent communication skills. Our students will actively participate in the ULM Interprofessional Education and Practice activities on the campus. Also, we are exploring study abroad opportunities for our DPT students.
For financial aid information, please visit https://www.ulm.edu/financialaid/.
DPT students have the ability to apply for graduate assistantships. Visit the ULM Graduate Assistantship website for more information.
The ULM Foundation offers hundreds of private scholarship opportunities to students, thanks to generous alumni and donors. Each scholarship has its own parameters and guidelines, and some of the scholarships are only available to College of Health Sciences or DPT students. Foundation scholarship applications are open during the month of February every year. Click here to explore ULM Foundation scholarships.
Effective November 8, 2022, The University of Louisiana Monroe Doctor of Physical Therapy Program has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org).
If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 318-342-1265 or email ulmdpt@ulm.edu. Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.
Complaints
If a complaint falls outside of due process, complaints regarding the program should be first addressed to the PT Program Director, Dr. Lisa VanHoose, vanhoose@ulm.edu or by phone at 318-342-1236. Unresolved complaints or complaints about the PT Program Director should be directed to the Dean of the College of Health and Sciences, Dr. Wendy Bailes. Dr. Bailes may be reached at bailes@ulm.edu or by phone at 318-342-1733. All complaints will be documented, including the projected outcome, and kept on file at the program facility. All complaints will be stored in a locked filing cabinet located in the program director’s office
Complaints regarding the Accreditation of this program should be addressed to the Commission for Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education. This Commission is located at 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia, 22305
No retaliation will occur by the program or university to any individual filing a complaint regarding the University of Louisiana Monroe’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program or the faculty that staff the program.
The University of Louisiana Monroe
700 University Avenue
Monroe, LA 71209
318.342.1000
