The USC Graduate School awards the D.P.T. to enrolled students who have completed satisfactorily the three-year curriculum of 120/122 credits (depending on electives chosen). The minimum number of credits required for graduation is 120. The minimum GPA required for graduation is 2.75. Clinical experience (clerkship) is part of the curriculum during all three years.
The Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy uses a system of student evaluation and grading that is designed to encourage self-reliance, to stimulate the student's independent quest for knowledge and to promote excellence in clinical and academic achievement.
Faculty of the program are responsible for establishing evaluation criteria appropriate to the objectives of each course and for specifying the manner in which evaluative information is to be gathered. For clinical evaluation, descriptive comments based on the student's performance are submitted by faculty and clinical instructors to the student's permanent file.
| Required courses | Units | |
| PT 507 | Professional Behavior | 2 |
| PT 509 | Systems Physiology | 3 |
| PT 514L | Gross Structure and Function of the Human Body | 4 |
| PT 516 | Principles of Disease | 2 |
| PT 521L | Basics of Patient Management | 4 |
| PT 529 | Life Span Motor Control | 3 |
| PT 534L | Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| PT 536 | Pathology of Cardiopulmonary Disease and General Medical Conditions | 4 |
| PT 539 | Clinical Pharmacology | 1 |
| PT 546 | Neuropathology | 3 |
| PT 547 | Health Care in the United States | 2 |
| PT 549L | Clinical Exercise Physiology | 4 |
| PT 551L | Therapeutic Modification of Body Internal Environment | 2 |
| PT 554L | Analytical Anatomy | 3 |
| PT 557 | Provision of Physical Therapy Services | 3 |
| PT 566 | Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System | 3 |
| PT 569 | Fundamentals of Neuroscience | 4 |
| PT 571L | Clinical Management of Cardiopulmonary Dysfunction | 5 |
| PT 574L | Clinical Biomechanics | 3 |
| PT 577 | Critical Evaluation of Research | 4 |
| PT 581L | Clinical Management of the Patient with Neurological Dysfunction | 5 |
| PT 583L | Clinical Electrophysiology | 3 |
| PT 600abcdefz | Clinical Clerkship | 1-1-1-2-2-2-0 |
| PT606 | Clinical Imaging | 3 |
| PT 621L | Clinical Management of the Patient with Musculoskeletal Dysfunction | 5 |
| PT 626 | Management of Geriatric Conditions, or | |
| PT 627 | Management of Pediatric Conditions | 3 |
| PT 642ab | Clinical Judgment Seminar | 2-2 |
| PT 646L | Pathokinesiology of Gait | 3 |
| PT 681abL | Advanced Management of Orthopedic Dysfunction | 4-4 |
| PT 691abL | Advanced Management of Neurologic Dysfunction | 4-4 |
Students must also select four electives from approved department courses for 8-10 units. Doctoral research is also available as an elective.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995