Georgia State University in Atlanta was first accredited in 1972, and offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree in a full-time program over nine semesters and three summer sessions. Students will complete five clinical internships during their course of study. Classes include gross anatomy, exercise physiology, pharmacology, functional anatomy, pathophysiology, medical screening, prosthetics and orthotics and movement sciences. Applicants must complete a prerequisite course of nine classes that include physics, chemistry, psychology, statistics, biology, human anatomy and human physiology. In addition, a minimum 3.0 GPA is required with a minimum combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).
The physical therapy program at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega was accredited in 1995 and offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy, the first doctorate degree established by the university. The physical therapy program is housed on the third floor of the Health and Natural Sciences building and features two classrooms with media, video and projection systems, five labs, library, research area, computer room, conference room and six learning tutorial rooms. To earn a doctorate, students are required to spend nine consecutive semesters and three summer terms in study, with a curriculum based on seven main areas: foundational sciences, pharmacology and diagnostics, patient care skills, professional socialization, clinical research, clinical problems and clinical education.
Accredited in 1973, the Georgia Health Sciences University (Augusta) medical college confers a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree that spans 36 months of full-time study. Admission to the program is rigorous. Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree in a field other than physical therapy with a 3.0 GPA and at least 100 hours of physical therapy volunteer or observational experience, and must have scored in the 40th percentile on the GRE and earned a grade of C or higher in nine prerequisite courses: biology, physiology, anatomy, chemistry I and II, physics I and II, statistics and behavioral science.
Emory University in Atlanta's division of physical therapy was accredited in 1975 and offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree with a 35-month program of study that admits a maximum of 40 students per year. The first two semesters consist of human body function and movement science principles, then the third semester begins education in pathophysiology and disease processes in conjunction with clinical problem solving and clinical education. Students are required to complete 36 weeks of full-time clinical internships prior to graduating.
CAPTE accredited the Armstrong Atlantic State University (Savannah) physical therapy program in 1997. The school's Doctor of Physical Therapy degree requires nine semesters of study over 36 months with 31 weeks of full-time clinical experience. Small class sizes (20 to 24 students) ensure one-on-one instruction, and more than 90 percent of graduating students pass the state licensing exam on their first try. Facilities in the department of physical therapy include an anatomy lab, clinical athletic training center and a pulmonary function lab. Students must complete an eight-week internship after their first year, and two 11-week internships in their final year of study.