GPA and 3+3 BS/DPT Students
For institutional monitoring purposes, the undergraduate cumulative GPA minimum of 2.0 will pertain for degree conferral in both programs. Higher program standards, however, will invariably result in minimum cumulative averages significantly higher than 2.0. Professional phase Physical Therapy students (academic years 4-6 or professional phase years 1-3) are subject to academic review by the DPT Program if their GPA is below 2.7 and or they earn a grade of less than a C or Pass (only in pass/fail graded courses).
Due to the continuity of the program of study for students in the GPA or 3+3 undergraduate/graduate degree program and academic policies pertaining thereto, all professional phase students pursuing the DPT (whether through the GPA, BS/DPT curriculum or Post-Baccalaureate entry), will be reviewed by the LMU DPT Program Student Conduct and Academic Success Committee and subject to DPT Program standards for dismissal.
Grading Scale
Students in the GPA or 3+3 undergraduate/graduate degree program are graded in accordance with the undergraduate grading scale outlined in the Lincoln Memorial University Undergraduate Catalog, but upon progression to the professional phase of the DPT program, they are graded in accordance with the DPT program grading scale outlined in this document as well as in the LMU DPT Professional Phase Student Handbook. The main difference between these scales is that, in the professional phase, all grades below 75% are considered failing.
Grade Reporting
Mid-term deficiency (C- or below) grades are traditionally reported for undergraduate but not graduate students. For consistency of practice and student expectation, students in the GPA or 3+3 BS/DPT degree program will receive mid-term deficiency grades and DPT Program faculty will follow all undergraduate grade reporting policies and procedures until the BS degree is conferred. Because the institutional deficiency grade remains defined as C- or below, DPT Program faculty will remain responsible for identifying grades considered deficient in the BS degree and imposing DPT Program sanctions as necessary.
Calculation of Full-Time Equivalency (FTE)
The normal course load for a full-time undergraduate student is 15-17 credit hours per semester and minimum for graduate students is 9 credit hours. The DPT curriculum typically includes more than 9 hours per semester* and during the 1st year of the professional phase, consists of 42 credit hours. Given the highly sequenced and rigorous nature of the professional phase of the DPT program, students are not permitted to engage in part-time study, and any “inaccuracy” in FTE calculation should therefore be negligible.
* Due to the clinical education experiences in the summer semesters of the curriculum that constitute 40 hours of study per week, the DPT program will consider greater ≥ 9 credit hours as full-time enrollment in the Fall and Spring semesters and ≥ 6 credit-hours full-time enrollment in the summer semesters.
Dean’s List, Commencement Honors & Awards
Recognition as a Dean’s List student is based on undergraduate academic criteria (minimum GPA of 3.50), and accordingly, graduate students are not named to the Dean’s List. Students in the GPA or 3+3 BS/DPT degree program will maintain Dean’s List eligibility during the 4th year of the BS degree/1st year of the professional phase of the DPT program.
Students in the GPA or 3+3 BS/DPT degree program will be eligible to qualify for undergraduate graduation honors and awards, but only the credit hours in the professional phase that directly apply to the BS degree will be considered. Policies and procedures regarding honors as well as eligibility and selection of valedictorian and salutatorian will follow those outlined in the Lincoln Memorial University Undergraduate Catalog.
Procedures for Leave of Absence and Withdrawal from the University
For GPA or 3+3 BS/DPT students, upon entry to the professional phase of the DPT Program, students will follow policies and procedures related to leave of absence and withdrawal found in the Professional Program Policies and Procedures section of the LMU DPT Professional Phase Student Handbook.
Placement Statistics
Students earning the BS in Exercise and Rehabilitation Science (or any LMU bachelor’s degree) and continuing in the DPT program shall be included in the University’s annual graduate survey as students who have gone to graduate school.
Curriculum Designs, Credit Evaluations/Degree Audits
Unified curriculum designs, and accordingly credit evaluations and degree audits, are implemented in the DPT program for the GPA and 3+3 BS/DPT degree students.
DPT students earning a Lincoln Memorial University degree other than the BS in Exercise and Rehabilitation Science and applying successfully for admission to the DPT program will, however, have two Lincoln Memorial University degree audits – one for the undergraduate degree and one for the DPT (such students are, in essence, Post-Baccalaureate entry graduate students).
Transcripts
Students in the GPA or 3+3 BS/DPT degree program who complete both programs will have a single Lincoln Memorial University transcript, reflecting both undergraduate and graduate-level work and degrees awarded. Lincoln Memorial University offers a 3+3 undergraduate-graduate degree program in which accepted students received a bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Rehabilitation Science and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in as little as six years. Students may be accepted into this program as first-year students (Direct BS/DPT Entry), undergraduate transfers or change of majors (Change of Major/Transfer Entry). If they already possess a baccalaureate degree and designated prerequisites, they will be accepted as “Post-Baccalaureate-entry” graduate students. The curriculum may be briefly described as follow.