{"id":32387,"date":"2011-08-17T13:33:37","date_gmt":"2011-08-17T17:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/?page_id=32387"},"modified":"2026-05-11T16:20:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T20:20:50","slug":"dpt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/sar\/programs\/physical-therapy\/dpt\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<h3>Contact<\/h3>\n<p>For contact information, please visit the Sargent College <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sargent\/academics\/departments-programs\/physical-therapy-department\/doctor-of-physical-therapy\/\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Professional Program<\/h2>\n<p>The entry-level professional physical therapy program leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy is designed for students who have earned a baccalaureate degree and who wish to become qualified as physical therapists. Students have the opportunity to acquire basic competencies of physical therapy, participate in supervised clinical experiences, and develop skills in evidence-based practice, education, health promotion, and management.<\/p>\n<p>All students complete supervised clinical experiences at selected facilities that give the students exposure to a range of physical therapy practices and settings. Affiliated institutions are located in the greater Boston area and in many areas across the United States. Availability of clinical sites for any one clinical experience is determined by the PT program\u2019s directors of clinical education and the individual clinical site. Students are advised that there will be additional costs associated with housing and transportation needs during each clinical experience.<\/p>\n<h2>Learning Outcomes<\/h2>\n<p>At the time of graduation, students are expected to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Be prepared as entry-level clinicians to practice in a variety of settings<\/li>\n<li>Utilize critical thinking and reasoning skills in all patient\/client management decisions<\/li>\n<li>Demonstrate the ability to acquire, interpret, and apply evidence to clinical practice<\/li>\n<li>Practice in a manner consistent with the core values of the profession as described by the document: Professionalism in Physical Therapy: Core Values (APTA)<\/li>\n<li>Adhere to the ethical and legal physical therapy practice standards<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Admission Requirements &amp; Deadlines<\/h2>\n<ol><\/ol>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<p><span>Applicants should refer to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sargent\/academics\/departments-programs\/physical-therapy-department\/doctor-of-physical-therapy\/\"><span>program website<\/span><\/a><span> for the most up-to-date admission requirements and application deadlines.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Degree Requirements<\/h2>\n<p>Candidates must complete a minimum of 97 units, including a minimum of 36 weeks of clinical experience, to fulfill degree requirements. All requirements must be completed within six years of initial acceptance. The curriculum is designed for full-time study; part-time enrollment is not an option. Degree candidates must attain an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher. No grade below a C is acceptable for units. For further details, please refer to the DPT Policy &amp; Procedures Manual on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/sargent\/academics\/departments-programs\/physical-therapy-department\/doctor-of-physical-therapy\/\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Curriculum<\/h2>\n<p>The following is a typical three-year program for the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Each course carries 4 units unless otherwise noted.<\/p>\n<h3>Professional Curriculum: DPT<\/h3>\n<h4>Summer Term 1<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR HS 581 Gross Human Anatomy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Summer Term 2<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR PT 515 Physical Therapy Examination<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 520 Functional Anatomy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>First Year (DPT 1)<\/h4>\n<p><em>First Term<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR HP 531 Clinical Medicine 1<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 511 Cardiovascular and Pulmonary System 1 (6 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 521 Musculoskeletal System 1 (6 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 555 Integrated Clinical Experience 1 (1 unit)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 566 Evidence-Based Practice 1 (2 units)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Second Term<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR HP 532 Clinical Medicine 2<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 512 Cardiovascular and Pulmonary System 2 (2 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 522 Musculoskeletal System 2 (6 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 551 Neuroscience for the Physical Therapist<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 565 Integrated Clinical Experience 2 (1 unit)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 720 Educational Theory &amp; Practice (2 units)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Summer<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR PT 791 Clinical Experience 1 (0 units) Fee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Second Year (DPT 2)<\/h4>\n<p><em>First Term<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR PT 610 Health Promotion &amp; Wellness (2 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 618 Prosthetics and Orthotic Technologies (2 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 634 Diagnostic Procedures for Rehabilitation Professionals<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 652 Neurological System 1 (6 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 662 Evidence-Based Practice 2 (2 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 691 Clinical Education Seminar 1 (1 unit)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Second Term<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR PT 623 Musculoskeletal System 3 (6 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 653 Neurological System 2 (6 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 682 Academic Practicum 1 (2 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 692 Clinical Education Seminar 2 (1 unit)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Summer<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR PT 792 Clinical Experience 2 (0 units) Fee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Third Year (DPT 3)<\/h4>\n<p><em>First Term<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR HP 770 Health Care Management<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 757 Pediatrics (3 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 760 Special Topics Seminar (1 unit)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 773 Comprehensive Clinical Reasoning<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 782 Academic Practicum 2 (2 units)<\/li>\n<li>SAR PT 794 Clinical Education Seminar 3 (1 unit)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Second Term<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>SAR PT 793 Clinical Education Experience 3 (0 units) Fee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Additional Information<\/h2>\n<p>This is a full-time program; part-time study is not permitted.<\/p>\n<h2>Admissions Information<\/h2>\n<p>Applicants are responsible for the gathering and simultaneous submitting of all required materials to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apta.org\/cas\/ptcas\">Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS)<\/a>\u00a0by the deadline. A select number of highly qualified candidates are invited in November to participate in an asynchronous interview conducted via the Kira Talent platform. Admitted applicants will be notified and invited to attend an information session during February.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h3 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Admissions Requirements<\/h3><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<p>In addition to submitting a completed PTCAS application, the following items are required to be considered for admission to the DPT program:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Official transcript(s) showing evidence of completion of a baccalaureate degree and prerequisite coursework.<\/li>\n<li>A formal course-by-course evaluation of all foreign transcripts by a third-party verification organization such as World Education Services (WES), if applicable.<\/li>\n<li>All students admitted to the DPT program must complete a baccalaureate degree at an accredited institution prior to matriculation.<\/li>\n<li>For international students whose first language is not English, official TOEFL iBT or IELTS academic scores are required unless they have completed a baccalaureate degree at an institution where the primary language of instruction is English. The minimum TOEFL iBT score is 100, and the minimum IELTS Academic score is 7.<\/li>\n<li>Three (3) letters of recommendation are required. One letter must be from an academic evaluator (professor or academic advisor). The other two letters can be from an academic, healthcare, or employer evaluator who can speak to their ability to be a healthcare provider and\/or a successful graduate student.<\/li>\n<li>PTCAS requires all applicants to submit an essay (4,500-character limit) that addresses the PTCAS prompt to describe their unique traits or experience that will help them be a successful physical therapist. In addition, Boston University requires applicants to submit three (3) short-answer essays (1,000-character limit) addressing their motivations for attending Boston University, describing an empathetic interaction, demonstration of leadership skills, or advocacy.<\/li>\n<li>Thirty (30) hours or more of healthcare experience. Letters of verification are not required.<\/li>\n<li>To be considered for admission, applicants must attain a 3.0 overall undergraduate GPA as calculated by PTCAS. In addition, courses taken to fulfill prerequisites must be completed with an overall prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or higher.<\/li>\n<li>The following coursework at the college level must be completed prior to matriculation:\n<ul>\n<li>Biology (3\u20134 units): one course of general or cellular biology with a lab<\/li>\n<li>Human Anatomy (3\u20134 units): one course with a lab (Note: when anatomy and physiology are taken as a combined course, two terms are necessary to meet the requirements)<\/li>\n<li>Human Physiology (3\u20134 units): one course with lab (Note: when anatomy and physiology are taken as a combined course, two terms are necessary to meet the requirements)<\/li>\n<li>Chemistry (6\u20138 units): two-term course sequence with labs<\/li>\n<li>Physics (6\u20138 units): two-term course sequence with labs<\/li>\n<li>Statistics (3\u20134 units): one course to include descriptive statistics, correlation, and introduction to inferential statistics or research design<\/li>\n<li>General Psychology or Developmental Psychology (3\u20134 units): one course<\/li>\n<li>Exercise Physiology (3\u20134 units): one course, lab not required<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note: An applicant may have courses still in progress by the application deadline, but all prerequisites must be completed by the start of the DPT program.<\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contact For contact information, please visit the Sargent College website. Professional Program The entry-level professional physical therapy program leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy is designed for students who have earned a baccalaureate degree and who wish to become qualified as physical therapists. Students have the opportunity to acquire basic competencies of physical therapy, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2696,"featured_media":0,"parent":16276,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32387"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2696"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32387"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101598,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/32387\/revisions\/101598"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}