Section 1340.20  Approved Curriculum

a)         In determining whether an applicant's curriculum should be approved, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation-Division of Professional Regulation (Division) may consider accreditation of the applicant's school by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

b)         The Division shall, upon the recommendation of the Physical Therapy Licensing and Disciplinary Board (Board), approve an applicant's physical therapist curriculum if the school from which the applicant graduated meets the following minimum criteria:

1)         It is legally recognized and authorized by the jurisdiction in which it is located to confer a physical therapy degree;

2)         It has a faculty sufficient to make certain that the educational obligations to the student are fulfilled.  The faculty must have demonstrated competence as evidenced by appropriate degrees in their areas of teaching from professional colleges or institutions; and

3)         It maintains permanent student records that summarize the credentials for admission, attendance, grades and other records of performance.

4)         For applicants graduating prior to January 1, 2002, the applicant's curriculum shall have a minimum of 120 semester hours that shall include a minimum of 50 semester hours credit in general education and at least the following subject areas in professional education (a minimum of 57 semester hours required):

A)        Basic Health Sciences

i)          Anatomy

ii)         Physiology

iii)        Pathology

iv)        Kinesiology

v)         Neurology

vi)        Psychology

B)        Clinical Sciences to include, but not limited to the major areas of:

i)          Medicine

ii)         Surgery

iii)        Physical therapy theory and application, including therapeutic exercise, evaluation procedures, physical agents, mechanical modalities, electrotherapy, massage, orthotics and prosthetics, and professional issues

C)        Clinical Education – a minimum of 800 clock hours.

5)         Applicants graduating after January 1, 2002, but before January 1, 2024, must have a minimum of a master’s degree in physical therapy.

6)         Applicants graduating after January 1, 2024 must have a minimum of a doctoral degree in physical therapy.

7)         No course in which the applicant received a grade lower than a C will be accepted for coursework.

c)         The Division shall, upon the recommendation of the Board, approve an applicant's physical therapist assistant curriculum if it meets the following minimum criteria:

1)         The school from which the applicant graduated:

A)        Is legally recognized and authorized by the jurisdiction in which it is located to offer a physical therapist assistant curriculum that leads to an associate degree;

B)        Has a faculty sufficient to make certain that the educational obligations to the student are fulfilled.  The faculty must have demonstrated competence as evidenced by appropriate degrees in their areas of teaching from professional colleges or institutions; and

C)        Maintains permanent student records that summarize the credentials for admission, attendance, grades and other records of performance.

2)         The applicant's curriculum includes at least the following subject areas in professional education (a minimum of 29 semester hours required):

A)        Basic Health Sciences, which shall include the following:

i)          Anatomy and physiology

ii)         Pathology

iii)        Psychology

iv)        Kinesiology

B)        Clinical Sciences to include, but not be limited to, the major areas of:

i)          Medicine and surgery

ii)         Applied physical therapy science, including gross evaluation techniques, physical agents, mechanical modalities, therapeutic exercise, electrotherapy, massage, and professional issues; and

C)        Clinical Education − a minimum of 600-clock hours.

3)         No course in which the applicant received lower than a C will be accepted for coursework.

d)         Recommendation of Approval

1)         The Division, upon the recommendation of the Board, has determined that the curricula of all physical therapist and physical therapist assistant programs accredited by CAPTE on or after January 1, 1996 meet the minimum criteria set forth in subsections (b) and (c) and are, therefore, approved.

2)         In the event of a decision by CAPTE to deny or withdraw accreditation of any physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program, the Board shall proceed to evaluate the curriculum and either approve or disapprove it in accordance with subsections (b) and (c).

e)         Graduates from Outside the United States

1)         A graduate of a physical therapist program outside the United States or its territories shall have credentials evaluated, by a credentialing service acceptable to the Department, to determine equivalence of education to an approved curriculum in the United States.  The credentialing service must have a physical therapist consultant on its staff.  The Department and the Board recognize the Foreign Credentialing Commission of Physical Therapy, Inc. (FCCPT), P.O. Box 25827, Alexandria, Virginia  22313 as an acceptable service.  A person who graduated from a physical therapist program outside the United States or its territories and whose first language is not English shall submit certification of passage of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

2)         A graduate of a physical therapist assistant program outside the United States or its territories shall have credentials evaluated, by a credentialing service acceptable to the Department, to determine equivalence of education to a physical therapist assistant degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.  The Board recognizes FCCPT as an acceptable service.  A person who graduated from a physical therapist assistant program outside the United States or its territories and whose first language is not English shall submit certification of passage of TOEFL.

3)         The minimum total score for passage of the TOEFL is based on FCCPT accepted standards.

(Source:  Amended at 47 Ill. Reg. 13093, effective August 24, 2023)