FAQ

Clinical Education

1. Where do the clinical affiliations and 12 month internships take place?

Clinical affiliations occur during October through December of the first year in 2nd Semester and last approximately 6-8 weeks. Students train in either civilian or military PT clinics mostly in the Joint Base San Antonio area and surrounding communities. The 12-month clinical internship is 52 weeks of clinical training and takes place in San Antonio, TX for the Army and Air Force. The Navy clinical internship is located in San Diego, CA.

Didactic Education

1. Where is the campus located?

2. How many credit hours is in the Army-Baylor University DPT Program? How can I learn more about the curriculum?

Application Process

1. How do I apply?

Those applying to the program must submit an application using the Physical Therapy Common Application System (PTCAS). The program's admissions cycle starts on the first day PTCAS is available (generally 1 July) and concludes on September 15th. Visit the Admissions page for cycle details. Please see the Admission Requirements page for eligibility requirements.

2. What is the schedule for the application cycle and class that is selected?

The Admission Cycle runs from July through September 15th each year. Applicants selected for interviews are notified by 1 November. The selection board meets in February of the new year. Selected applicants are extended offers in early March. Civilian applicants selected to the program will receive orders to enter military service in July, report to Fort Sam in August, begin initial entry training in September, DPT Orientation (Ft Sam Houston) begins in December for ALL services, and the program officially begins on the first business day in January.

3. Will all applicants receive an interview and undergo military entrance physical examinations and background checks?

4. Do you have brochures or pamphlets that you can mail out?

5. I'm an active duty service member, is the process of application different for me?

ALL applicants must meet all minimum academic eligibility requirements for GRE, GPA, observation hours and prerequisite coursework. Active duty Army Officers require an approved conditional letter of release from their local chain of command in order to enter this program. Consult a US Army healthcare recruiter or unit S-1 on how to complete this letter.

General Questions

1. I wonder if I'm even eligible, can I just send in a copy of my transcripts to the program?

Students and academic advisors at undergraduate institutions should fully review all prerequisites and eligibility requirements to determine eligibility. Please review transcripts and identify specific courses which have already been taken which may satisfy these prerequisites and mark them/ highlight them, then email the transcript to the program. If there is a course that you are not sure meets a prerequisite requirement, send the full course name, number and description with your inquiry. Again, you should be sending us a PDF copy of a transcript showing all courses you have taken, with prerequisites marked. We do not accept online "lab" courses to satisfy our Anatomy and Physiology requirements. Email us at armybaylordpt@baylor.edu and visit this page for more information.

2. Do I have to have a specific type of bachelor's degree from a specific major in order to apply to this program?

3. Are there waivers available for the minimum GPA and GRE scores if mine are below the minimum?

Applicants are required to have a 3.25 Prerequisite GPA, 148 GRE Quantitative Reasoning score, 3.5 GRE Analytical Writing score, and a Combined GRE score of 300 to be eligible for admission. These requirements cannot be waived. We highly recommend applicants have a 3.25 cumulative undergraduate GPA and 152 GRE Verbal Reasoning score to be competitive. This is a competitive application process and higher GPA and GRE scores are generally more competitive.

4. May I contact a current Army-Baylor Univ DPT student by email with a question?

5. What kind of observation hours should I obtain and how should I document them?

Applicants are required to obtain a minimum of 100 hours of experience in physical therapy clinics as either volunteers or employees. A memo, signed by a PT, stating the number of hours, the applicant's name, and the clinic site is sufficient to document observation hours. In-patient, out-patient, pediatrics, geriatrics, skilled nursing facilities, sports medicine settings, and neuro rehab are all recommended clinical settings. Applicants are encouraged to get experience in a variety of settings. Applicants are also encouraged (not required) to obtain experience in a military or VA PT clinic.

6. I have an opportunity to join ROTC at my undergraduate institution. Is that type of experience helpful in becoming more competitive for this DPT Program?

7. I'm interested in learning more about the history of the Army-Baylor University DPT Program.

8. Is this an accredited DPT program?

9. I have heard that it is required that applicants have PT observation hours experience in military or VA PT clinics, is that true?

No, it is not a requirement. All applicants are required to have 100 or more hours of PT clinic observation. It is recommended that these hours be conducted in a variety of PT clinical settings. It is also recommended that some of these hours be conducted in a military or VA PT clinic, if the applicant can accomplish that. Each applicant's observation hours are reviewed at the selection board and military PT clinic hours help convey the message to the selection board that the applicant is actively learning about physical therapy and, more specifically, military physical therapy.

10. I heard that students in this program must participate in a research project. Is that true?

11. Where will I reside while going through the program?

GRE

1. What are the minimum eligibility requirements for the GRE?

2. What if my GRE score is not at or above the minimum required for 1 or more categories?

3. What GRE code is associated with the program?

4. How long are GRE results valid?

Military Service Requirements and Experience

1. What is the service obligation if I'm selected for the program?

2. I am interested in joining the Army and becoming an officer but would like more information.

3. Can I apply to the program as an active duty enlisted member?

4. What branch in the Army Medical Center of Excellence do Army Physical Therapists serve in?

5. What military rank will a student be when he/she enters the DPT program.

6. I'm on an ROTC scholarship and need to know if I will require an educational delay for this program.

7. What branch in the Navy do Navy physical therapists serve in?

8. What component of the Air Force do physical therapists serve in?

9. I've never been in the military before, how many students in the program have prior military service and how many come from civilian life into the military to start the program?

10. Do physical therapy students receive a salary during this DPT program?

Yes. All students serve on active duty as Commissioned Officers while in the program and receive a salary commensurate with the pay grade of O-1 (rank designation is service dependent). In addition to their monthly salary, students receive an additional monthly basic allowance for housing (BAH). It is the students responsibility to find a residence. On post housing is a possibility depending on availability. Prior service officer pay grades are determined based on current service regulations.

11. Does the military help pay the tuition for the program?

12. I am a civilian, how can I prepare to become a military officer?

Officers must be physically fit and mentally well-prepared to begin this DPT program. Contact your local US Army Healthcare Recruiter, join ROTC, visit a local military installation and educate yourself about how an individual can prepare themselves to begin a military career. You can find some more information here or visit http://www.goarmy.com/.

13. Upon graduation, can one serve in the Reserves or National Guard instead of active duty?

No. Graduates from this program incur an active-duty service obligation and are required to serve on active-duty military service until that ADSO expires. Upon the expiration of the ADSO, graduates can separate from active duty and continue to serve in the reserve component. Many PTs choose to continue on active duty beyond their ADSO because of the excellent post-professional training opportunities offered to active duty physical therapists.

14. I believe I am academically eligible, but may not be eligible to join the military for other reasons. May I still enter this program if I am not eligible to join the military?

15. I am an active duty enlisted servicemember, NCO or officer with a stellar military record and am interested in becoming a PT. Does this help me gain acceptance into this program?

All applicants (military and civilian) must first meet the academic eligibility requirements--complete all prerequisite courses with GPA 3.25 or above, GRE quantitative 148 or above, combined (quantitative + verbal)GRE score of 300 or above, GRE analytical writing 3.5 or above. Following this, the military record is reviewed including all evaluation reports, awards, leadership experience and documented potential for positions of greater responsibility.

Prerequisite Courses

1. I am not sure if one or more of my classes satisfies the prerequisite criteria for the 11 prerequisite courses, what should I do?

First, review the prerequisite courses listed and see what courses are allowed/not allowed as prerequisites. If you have taken a course and are still not sure if it would satisfy the prerequisite requirement, obtain the full course description from the course catalog published by the institution where you took the course and first discuss it with your academic advisor at your school to determine if it meets the prerequisite requirement. If you are still unsure, email the course number, course name, and the course description and the web link to the course catalog to armybaylordpt@baylor.edu. Applicants should highlight each course on their transcript that meets the prerequisite requirements and request an evaluation of their transcript to determine if they have met all prerequisite requirements. Learn more here.

2. Is there a waiver available for prerequisite courses that surpass the 10 year time limit?

Prerequisite coursework waivers are considered during the admissions committee review. You must apply first, then your application will be considered along with the current cohort to determine if a waiver is appropriate. However, the purpose of the time limit is to determine recent academic performance in courses relevant to physical therapy. If courses exceed 10 years, it is likely they have to be retaken.

3. Do I have to take my prerequisite courses at a 4-year university?

4. Do prerequisite courses expire?

FAQ