The Program
History
The Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation
on in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Initial accreditation was granted for the Bachelor of Science program in 1980, with subsequent re-accreditation in 1985 and 1989. The MPT program was granted interim accreditation in 1995 and full accreditation in November 2000. The DPT program was granted full approval July 24th, 2008 and will be admitted its first DPT class Aug 25th 2008. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, over 70% of physical therapy education programs nationwide have plans for the implementation of clinical doctoral programs.
Planning for the Physical Therapy program began in the mid-1970s at The University of Texas at San Antonio where the Program was first housed. The first class of 18 students was admitted in June 1978, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Ray Patterson and were awarded Bachelor of Science degrees in May 1980. In the same year, the Board of Regents approved funds to renovate space for the medically related allied health programs on the site of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA). Faculty offices and the teaching laboratory were completed and occupied two years later.
In May 1998, the Department of Physical Therapy moved into the new Allied Health / Research Building at 8403 Floyd Curl Drive, a few blocks from the main campus of the UTHSCSA. The building offers state-of-the art technology for classroom and laboratory instruction, as well as the capability to provide distance education to sites throughout South Texas and beyond.
Current
To become a physical therapist, you must complete a Doctorate in Physical Therapy degree (DPT). The DPT program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at 
San Antonio is a "3 +3" program. This means that students complete about three years of college prerequisites before beginning the three-year physical therapy program. A bachelor's degree is not required for entry into the program, but applicants who already have a bachelor's degree may be accepted also.
Students begin the program in the fall semester and take courses through the spring semester. During the first year, students complete courses in research, pathology, physiology, anatomy, kinesiology, neuroscience and beginning patient care. There are no courses scheduled during the first summer of the eight-semester program.
In the second year, students learn specialized treatment techniques and planning. The courses focus on the treatment of people with orthopedic and neurological problems. After the second academic year and during the summer, students are assigned to clinics to work with patients. Students work in three different clinic sites for eight weeks at each site. All student work is under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The required clinical courses are completed in the fall semester of the third year.
The final semester of the DPT program begins with an opportunity to do a four-week clinical elective. Returning to campus, students take courses in administration, clinical teaching, and complete and present a research proposal. A unique feature of our DPT program is a second anatomy course offered in the last semester. This course helps new physical therapists put science and professional practice together as they prepare to become independent health care providers.
This graduate-level program is offered through the School of Allied Health Sciences at UTHSCSA. The Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy has been discontinued. Students who have completed appropriate basic education prerequisite courses may be eligible for a Bachelor of Health Care Sciences degree after successfully completing the first year of the PT program.
