A foreign-trained applicant must complete the license application
process as set out in §329.1 of this title (relating to General
Licensure Requirements and Procedures). In addition, the applicant
must submit the following:
(1) An evaluation of professional education and training
prepared by a board-approved credentialing entity. The board will
maintain a list of approved credentialing entities on the agency website.
(A) The evaluation must:
(i) be based on a Course Work Tool (CWT) adopted by
the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy:
(I) Applicants by examination must be evaluated using
the most current version of the CWT.
(II) Applicants by endorsement must be evaluated using
the version of the CWT appropriate to the year the applicant graduated
from the foreign physical therapy program or a more current version.
(ii) provide evidence and documentation that the applicant's
education is substantially equivalent to the education of a physical
therapist who graduated from a physical therapy education program
accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy
Education (CAPTE); and
(iii) establish that the institution at which the applicant
received his physical therapy education is recognized by the Ministry
of Education or the equivalent agency in that country.
(iv) Acopy of an evaluation used as a requirement for
licensure by another jurisdiction that has the authority to issue
a license within that jurisdiction and sent directly to the board
by the jurisdiction will be accepted for an applicant by endorsement
if:
(I) documents required for credentialing are no longer
available from the institution at which the applicant received their
physical therapy education; or
(II) there is an undue delay in receiving an evaluation
from the credentialer beyond the applicant's control.
(B) If the credentialing entity determines that the
physical therapy education is not substantially equivalent, the applicant
is responsible for remedying those deficiencies. The applicant may
use college credit obtained through applicable College Level Examination
Placement (CLEP) or other college advanced placement exams to remedy
any deficiencies in general education.
(C) An evaluation prepared by a board-approved credentialer
reflects only the findings and conclusions of the credentialer, and
shall not be binding on the board.
(D) If the applicant received an entry-level physical
therapy degree from a CAPTE-accredited program located outside the
U.S., the program is considered equivalent to a domestic CAPTE-accredited
physical therapy program, and the applicant is exempt from meeting
the requirements of a CWT.
(2) Proof of English language proficiency. A foreign-trained
applicant by examination must demonstrate the ability to communicate
in English by making the minimum score accepted by the board on the
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the
Educational Testing Service (ETS).
(A) This requirement is waived for graduates of entry-level
physical therapy programs in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland,
New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
(B) Minimum acceptable TOEFL iBT (internet-based test)
scores are as follows: Reading = 22, Writing = 22, Speaking = 24,
and Listening = 21.
(C) The board may grant an exception to the English
language proficiency requirements under the following conditions:
(i) the applicant holds a current license in physical
therapy in a country listed in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph
and has been licensed and practicing in that country for at least
5 years prior to application; or
(ii) the applicant submits satisfactory proof that
he/she is a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S. or a
current U.S. H-1B visa holder, and
(I) has attended four or more years of secondary or
post-secondary education in the U.S. or
(II) has completed a post-professional physical therapy
degree in English from a country listed in subparagraph (A) of this
paragraph.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §329.5 adopted to be effective November 11, 1993, 18 TexReg 7546; amended to be effective October 26, 1994, 19 TexReg 8112; amended to be effective January 3, 1995, 19 TexReg 10099; amended to be effective April 12, 1995, 20 TexReg 2385; amended to be effective November 6, 1995, 20 TexReg 8794; amended to be effective May 8, 1996, 21 TexReg 3709; amended to be effective July 12, 1996, 21 TexReg 6079; amended to be effective April 28, 1997, 22 TexReg 3589; amended to be effective October 29, 1997, 22 TexReg 10508; amended to be effective April 19, 1999, 24 TexReg 2936; amended to be effective October 21, 1999, 24 TexReg8977; amended to be effective February 18, 2001, 26 TexReg 1338; amended to be effective August 15, 2001, 26 TexReg 6021; amended to be effective October 13, 2002, 27 TexReg 9327; amended to be effective March 29, 2004, 29 TexReg 3175; amended to be effective March 15, 2006, 31 TexReg 1299; amended to be effective September 18, 2006, 31 TexReg 8000; amended to be effective May 30, 2007, 32 TexReg 2862; amended to be effective May 6, 2008, 33 TexReg 3643; amended to be effective December 14, 2009, 34 TexReg 8967; amended to be effective April 4, 2011, 36 TexReg 2127; amended to be effective May 27, 2012, 37 TexReg 3831; amended to be effective November 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 7587; amended to be effective May 15, 2024, 49 TexReg 3285 |
