• Tools
• Quick Links

Chairperson: Kristine Legters, DSc
Phone:(814) 871-5641
Email: legters001@gannon.edu

Introduction

Physical Therapy is a health care profession that primarily focuses on the preservation, development, and restoration of optimal function. Physical therapists provide evaluative, rehabilitative, and preventive health care services designed to alleviate pain; prevent the onset and progression of impairment, functional limitation, disability resulting from injury, disease, or other causes; and restore, maintain and promote overall fitness, health and optimal quality of life. Physical therapists work with individuals of all ages who demonstrate movement dysfunction, or the potential for such dysfunction, of the neurological, musculoskeletal, sensorimotor, and cardiopulmonary systems.

Physical therapists practice in a hospital setting, or provide services in out-of-hospital settings through home health agencies, in nursing homes, in industrial settings, through public health agencies, in private physical therapy clinics, in public schools and in a variety of other nontraditional settings.

Goals and Objectives

The physical therapy educational program provides learning experiences that will enable each student to develop the competencies necessary as a physical therapist to meet the current and future physical therapy needs of society. At the completion of the program the graduate will function as a provider of physical therapy services within the scope of the profession and the culturally diverse health care system. Further, the graduate will strive for continued development personally and in the profession through participation in clinical, educational, research, professional, and community activities.

Accreditation

The physical therapy educational program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Strengths

Only a small percentage of physical therapists in the American Physical Therapy Association are board-certified clinical specialists. Gannon physical therapy instructors boast certified clinical specialization in orthopedics, neurology and pediatrics.

The Physical Therapy program has over 200 clinical affiliations with physical therapy facilities in the country. This enables the student to have the opportunity to practice with a culturally diverse client population and learn various physical therapy approaches from experienced clinicians.

Gannon University’s PT problem-oriented curriculum is designed to allow immediate application of didactic material and integrate it into clinical practice by the placement of both part-time and full-time clinical experiences throughout the program. Clinical exposure starts in the first semester with the first full-time clinical experience occurring after only two semesters of classroom work.

Since the program’s inception, Gannon PT graduates have passed their state’s licensure exam at a higher rate than the national average on the first attempt.

Graduate Assistantships

Gannon University has several graduate assistantships including positions for certified athletic trainers, anatomy assistants, and administrative assistants. Graduate assistants receive a partial tuition waiver and a stipend.

Admissions Requirements 

**FOR APPLICANTS FROM ALL OTHER (NON-GANNON) UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS** Prerequisite course requirements for entry into the graduate program in Physical Therapy include the following:

• 1 semester of Statistics
• 1 semester of Psychology (minimum 200 or 300 level)
• 1 semester of Human Anatomy (minimum 200 or 300 level course taken at a 4-year degree granting institution) with Lab (cadaver dissection recommended)
• 1 semester of Human Physiology with Lab
• 1 semester of Exercise Physiology (lab recommended)
• 2 semesters of Biology
• 2 semesters of Chemistry
• 2 semesters of Physics with Lab  

Important Notes Regarding Prerequisites:
Prerequisite course requirements cannot be waived.
Prerequisites must be completed within five years preceding entrance to the physical therapy program.
Prerequisites must be completed by June 30 of the year of the expected start date.

Recommended Courses:
Social Science – at least two additional semesters in social sciences (i.e., sociology, social psychology)
Word processing
Kinesiology with Lab

Communication

Practice as health care professional requires the ability to communicate both orally and in writing. The Physical Therapy program stresses communication and expects enrolled students to demonstrate graduate level competence in written as well as verbal communication.