I was just wondering about some opinions regarding the pros and cons of both schools. I received a scholarship from Duquesne, making the cost of both schools about the same. Therefore, since cost won’t really affect my decision, I just want to gather some opinions on important things to know about both of these schools before I commit. I’m leaning towards Pitt at this point with an intended major in Physical Therapy.
Is the physical therapy program in both schools the same length? Do you have to apply into the professional phase or are you guaranteed admission with a certain gpa or other requirements? Is the tuition for the professional phase of the program also comparable or more expensive at one or the other school?
I do not believe the programs are the same length in both schools. But an important thing to note is that I’m not positive that I will stick with my intended major and may possibly change my mind during my undergraduate years. I heard that Duquesne admits you to the PT program during freshman year which is nice but then it’s kind of troublesome to try to leave and join another program without much certainty of your major. This is why I was leaning towards Pitt but I was trying to gather some opinions based on my situation.
For PT at Pitt, you complete the first two years in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. You then apply for a spot in the School of Health and Rehab Sciences for Junior & Senior years. The most popular choice for PT students is the Rehabilitation Science undergraduate degree, with applicants outnumbering the available slots. After that, you apply for the very competitive (and highly ranked) 3-year graduate DPT program.
If you are considering a change in major, those first two years in A&S would give you a lot of options.
@Fauster
Thanks for the information! That’s what I thought about the first two years in A&S. I know they base your acceptance into the graduate program on your college GPA but what are other factors that they consider?
@Chelsey123 , your best bet is to talk directly to the administration in the Health & Rehab Sciences College. My son and I dropped in without an appointment during his accepted student visit and the Dean made time for us to answer all of our questions.
I will give you an idea of how competitive it is to get into the undergrad Rehab Science program. A co-worker’s daughter had a 3.6 GPA after two years in A&S and was waitlisted for Rehab Science. She eventually did get in, but that was an eye opener for my son.
Rehab Science is not the only path to the DPT graduate program but it is the most popular based on our conversation with the Dean.
Are there options for people at Pitt that don’t get into that program or do they just have to apply to other schools?
Are you talking about the grad program or the undergrad program? For the undergrad, your best bet is to discuss the options with the staff. For the grad program, it’s like every other program (unless you have the DPT guarantee). You apply to Pitt and other schools to give yourself better odds of finding a grad program.
If you don’t have the freshman guarantee, does that mean your less likely to get into the program when it comes time to apply?
Yes, admission to graduate DPT programs is very competitive. It’s a lot easier to transfer out of a PT program to another major than to gain admission to a graduate program. If you have a direct-entry (freshman) admission to Duquesne’s PT program but not Pitt’s, I’d suggest choosing Duquesne.