FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
NON-DEGREE SEEKING STUDENTS FOR LICENSURE
1. HOW DO I REGISTER FOR COURSES?
Non-Degree Seeking Students may take up to 6 credits of academic coursework from the following list
of courses without submitting an application to the university.
 *Communication (1 credit; Tuition $443.00; IDS)
 *Consultation, Screening and Delegation (1 credit; Tuition $443.00; IDS)
 *Cultural Competence (1 credit; Tuition $443.00; IDS)
 *Evaluation of Cognition and Environmental Barriers (1 credit; Tuition $443.00; IDS)
 *Integumentary ( 1 credit; Tuition $443.00; Online)
 *Metabolic Disorders (1 credit; Tuition $443.00; IDS)
 *Pharmacology (2 credits; Tuition $886.00; Online)
 *Professionalism: Legal and Ethical (2 credits; Tuition $886.00; IDS)
 *Wellness (2 credits; Tuition $886.00; IDS)
To register for any of these courses, please click here.
*Have already been approved by FCCPT.
Non-Degree Seeking Students who need more than 6 credits of academic coursework and/or Clinical
Internships, or courses not listed above will need to apply to the university by completing the NonDegree Seeking Student Application. You may apply at any time since the University offers “rolling
admissions.” To apply, you must submit the following to the Student Services office:
 Completed application
 Copy of the FCCPT evaluation
 $50 processing fee
 If English is not your native language, you must also submit a TOEFL score report.
After you apply, it takes 3 to 4 weeks for the review process to be completed. We will then notify you
regarding the course(s) you have been approved to take, the course(s) schedule and tuition.
2. WHAT IF I HAVE GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES TO COMPLETE?
For those students who need complete 6 credits or less of the 9 courses listed in question #1, you will
not have to have completed your general education credits prior to registering/completing those courses.
If you need to complete more than 6 credits or any course not listed above in question #1, you will be
expected to complete all required general education courses at another college/university prior to
enrolling in professional courses at USA.
3. WHAT IS THE TUITION?
The current tuition is $443 - $700 per credit, depending on the course. Courses typically range from 1 to
3 credits with the exception of Internships.
4. WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT FOR TUITION ARE ACCEPTED?
Tuition must be paid in full at the time of registration as we do not bill for coursework. The university
accepts the following forms of payment: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Check,
Cashiers Check and Money Orders (US funds only).
5. HOW ARE THE COURSES DELIVERED?
Some courses are offered online and others are offered as Independent Directed Studies (IDS). For
courses with lab components, attendance on campus in St. Augustine, FL or in San Marcos, CA may be
required.
6. WHAT ARE THE COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS FOR ONLINE COURSES?
Your computer must meet certain minimum standards to be able to function properly in the
online education environment. We offer these minimum requirements so that your learning
experience will not be hampered. If your computer was purchased within the last 3 to 4 years, it
will likely be suitable for your courses. If your present computer is old and unreliable, many
vendors have standard desktop computers that exceed the requirements for less than $400 and
laptops for less than $500. For more information click here.
7. HOW LONG DO THE COURSES TAKE TO COMPLETE?
Online courses are usually offered in a semester format and take 8 to15 weeks to complete depending on
the course (please note some courses are not offered every semester). Independent Directed Study (IDS)
courses are self-paced and typically take about 8 weeks to complete. They can be started at any time.
8. WILL I HAVE TO COME TO CAMPUS AND FOR HOW LONG?
You will only need to come to campus if you need to take one of the courses that include a lab
component. If labs are required, they are held on weekends and range from 1 to 7 weekends per
semester, depending on the course.
9. HOW DO I RECEIVE MY COURSEWORK?
If the course is an Independent Directed Study (IDS) you will receive your course information by email
from the instructor after your registration has been processed. You will then submit your assignments
by email.
If the course is an online course you’ll receive a username and password to access the University’s
online course platform after your registration is processed. The course is taken online with a group of
students with instructor- led discussions on a bulletin board, audio/video clips, required readings, and
weekly quizzes. You will be guided through the course content with a unit-by-unit breakdown of the
information that includes asynchronous interaction with students and faculty. If you are not familiar with
online learning, the Intro to Online Learning course (no charge) will prepare you. The Intro to Online
Learning course is only available after you have registered and received your username and password.
There is also a help section on all courses and tech support that is readily available to all online learners.
Anyone who can send email and search the web for information has the skills necessary for completing
an online course.
10. WHAT IF I NEED CLINICAL INTERNSHIP HOURS?
After you have completed all the professional courses you need (if any), you will work with an advisor
to find a clinical facility with which we have a current contract to arrange the hours you need. We must
have a current contract with any site used and we cannot guarantee placement at any particular site.
Dates and hours of attendance are determined by the site. 40 hours of internship = 1 credit. Internship
placements are very limited and not all NDS students can be accommodated.
11. HOW DO I REQUEST A TRANSCRIPT?
Students may request a transcript from the University website at www.usa.edu under the Alumni and
Friends Tab. From that page will be able to download the Transcript Request Form. The Transcript
Request Form may be fax to the Registrar’s Office at 904-810-3819 or emailed to registrar@usa.edu .
Please note all transcript request must have a signature (electronic signatures are not accepted). Please
allow 3 weeks for processing of your request.
12. WHAT IF I NEED A SYLLABUS SENT TO FCCPT WITH MY TRANSCRIPT?
When requesting your transcript please be sure to include on the request form that you also need a copy
of the syllabus sent along with your transcript to FCCPT. If your request for a syllabus is not noted on
the Transcript Request Form, the syllabus will not be mailed.
13. IS THE UNIVERSITY ACCREDITED?
We are licensed by the California Bureau of Post-Secondary Education and the Florida Commission for
Independent Education to offer all of our degree programs. The University of St. Augustine has a
CAPTE accredited entry-level DPT program and ACOTE accredited entry-level MOT Program. The
Doctor of Education, Doctor of Health Science, Transitional DPT, Transitional OTD and Flex DPT
programs are additionally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), which is
authorized by the Department of Education to accredit distance education programs. The Foreign
Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) approves the courses we offer to meet
credentialing deficits.
14. HOW MANY CREDITS WILL I NEED AND MAY I TRANSFER CREDITS TO OTHER
INSTITUTIONS?
The number of credits you need will be based on your FCCPT credential evaluation. If you need to take
a significant number of credits, you may want to consider applying for the transitional DPT program
which requires 22 academic credits. Information about the transitional DPT program can be found on
the University website at www.usa.edu under Educational Programs.
Once you have completed your course(s), you can request an official transcript be sent to FCCPT. The
credits completed may or may not be transferrable to other graduate institutions at their discretion.
15. HOW WILL TAKING COURSES AFFECT MY VISA?
As long as you are doing coursework online or as an independent directed study, it has no impact
on your visa. Also, we are not approved to issue I-20s to transitional DPT or NDS students.
16. DOES THE UNVERSITY HAVE FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE?
There is no financial aid available for NDS students.
Disclaimer: We are obliged to inform foreign trained therapists that completion of credits or a degree program will not
guarantee you licensure to practice physical or occupational therapy in the United States. Each state sets minimum entrylevel requirements based on the standards set by a US accrediting body. These states will look at your entry-level education,
not any post-professional education completed. No matter how many credits or degrees you have earned as a graduate
student, if you do not meet the state’s entry-level requirements, you will not gain licensure from that state.