The M.P.T. program is the graduate component of the professional physical therapy curriculum. Students are admitted to the M.P.T. program following successful completion of the undergraduate health sciences component of the professional physical therapy curriculum. Students should refer to the Undergraduate Catalog for information concerning admission requirements to the professional physical therapy program as an undergraduate. Students in the professional physical therapy curriculum begin the graduate component of the professional curriculum upon completion of all requirements for the health sciences major.
In addition to the usual costs for a university student, physical therapy majors are responsible for the costs involved in
uniforms to be worn during all clinical experiences,
transportation to, and room and board at, clinical facilities,
completion of a 3-dose Hepatitis B immunization,
proof of varicella immunity,
student professional liability insurance, and
professional textbooks
Full-time clinical experiences are an integral part of the curriculum, providing the student opportunities to apply academic knowledge under the supervision of skilled physical therapists. Clinical experiences, offered throughout the central United States, are scheduled by the NIU physical therapy faculty. Students are required to complete a six-week full-time clinical experience, as well as two eight-week clinical experiences which occur during the final semester. Specific clinical sites may require background checks and/or drug testing.
