
Applicants should be aware that all physical therapist professional education programs in the US are subject to accreditation "standards that assure quality and continuous improvement in the entry-level preparation of physical therapists, and reflect the evolving nature of education, research, and practice." While the Education Section of APTA recognizes that there are proprietary organizations that rank physical therapist education programs, the profession encourages prospective students to provide their own comparisons through careful examination of information on program and APTA websites, and visits to the campuses to talk with enrolled students and program faculty.
During the three-year period 2004-6 the IC first-time test taker pass rate average is 95 percent (range 93-96). The NYS three-year pass rate average is 68 percent (range 59-77). The national three-year pass rate average is 80 percent (range 71-87). Ithaca College graduates help the NYS and national averages.
Read about the Formicella family's three generations of IC PT students in the Ithaca College Quarterly.
The mission of Ithaca's physical therapy department is to prepare graduates to meet the challenges facing the profession in today's rapidly changing health care system.
We achieve this mission through a high quality program that is evidenced in part by the following:
Students entering as freshmen are able to fulfill the requirements for a doctor of physical therapy (D.P.T.) degree in six years of study. The hallmark of Ithaca's first doctoral program will be excellence in intellectual growth coupled with intense and varied professional clinical experience. Current students in the five-year B.S./M.S. degree program, as well as recent graduates, now have the option to obtain a transitional D.P.T. degree by taking additional courses following completion of the M.S. Transfer students are also accepted.
More details are available in the sections "Why IC PT" and "D.P.T."
Throughout the undergraduate years, opportunities exist for students to fulfill minors or concentrations in other fields of study, as well as to study abroad. Our students are also active in campus activities, including intercollegiate and intramural athletics, theater and music performances, campus employment, a wide array of campus clubs and organizations, and off-campus volunteer and outreach activities.
A vital feature of the physical therapy program is our dual-campus arrangement. Students in the D.P.T. curriculum will spend the summer prior to the senior year and the entire final graduate year at our Rochester Center, benefiting from the seven full-time IC faculty and outstanding new facilities maintained by Ithaca College. Additional learning and research opportunities are provided through the resources and staff of the University of Rochester Medical Center and Strong Memorial Hospital.
More detail are in the section Rochester Center
We offer over 1000 clinical education sites throughout the country. Clinical opportunities in Ithaca include "grand rounds" elective courses with faculty in the on-campus OT/PT clinic and at Longview, a nearby residence for senior citizens.
See OT/PT Clinic
See the Center for Life Skills at Longview