Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-800.5

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 10, November 13, 2024

Rule 481-800.5 - Educational qualifications

(1) The applicant must present proof of meeting the following requirements for licensure as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant:

a.Educational requirements-physical therapists. Physical therapists shall graduate from a physical therapy program accredited by a national accreditation agency approved by the board.

b.Educational requirements-physical therapist assistants. Physical therapist assistants shall graduate from a PTA program accredited by a national accreditation agency approved by the board.

(2) Foreign-trained applicants.

a. Foreign-trained applicants who do not hold a license in another state or U.S. territory shall:

(1) Submit an English translation and an equivalency evaluation of their educational credentials through the following organization: Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy, Inc., 124 West Street South, Third Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone 703.684.8406; website www.fccpt.org. The credentials of a foreign-educated physical therapist or foreign-educated physical therapist assistant licensure applicant who does not hold a license in another state or territory of the United States and is applying for licensure by taking the examination should be evaluated using the most current version of the FSBPT Coursework Tool (CWT). The professional curriculum must be equivalent to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education standards. An applicant shall bear the expense of the curriculum evaluation.

(2) Submit certified proof of proficiency in the English language by achieving on the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-based test (TOEFL iBT test) a total score of at least 89 as well as accompanying minimum scores in the four test components as follows: 24 in writing; 26 in speaking; 21 in reading; and 18 in listening. This test is administered by Educational Testing Services, Inc., P.O. Box 6157, Princeton, NJ 08541-6157. An applicant shall bear the expense of the TOEFL iBT test. Applicants may be exempt from the TOEFL iBT test when physical therapy education was completed in a school where the language of instruction in physical therapy was English, the language of the textbooks was English, and the applicant's transcript was in English.

b. Foreign-trained applicants who hold a license in another state or U.S. territory may apply for licensure by endorsement.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-800.5

ARC 7978C, IAB 5/15/2024, effective 7/1/2024; Editorial change: IAC Supplement 9/18/2024