Doctor of Physical Therapy

Major: Physical Therapy
Degree Awarded: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 128.0
Co-op Option: None
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.2308
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 29-1123

About the Program

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) curriculum produces broadly educated physical therapists, while being sensitive to the needs of the health care community and the students’ interests. The program strives to foster both intellectual and professional growth in students and is reflective of contemporary practice to prepare graduates for the ongoing changes in health care delivery.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program prepares students for autonomous practice in physical therapy. As a science, physical therapy examines human motion at the tissue, organ, and systems levels. In the clinical environment, physical therapists (PTs) examine and evaluate patients/clients and implement procedural interventions that restore physical function for all people across the life span. As essential practitioners in the health care delivery system, PTs assume roles in rehabilitation services, prevention and health maintenance programs, and professional and community programs. As professional members of the health care team, PTs supervise support personnel, serve as consultants to other health care personnel, serve as consultants to families and caregivers, participate in administrative services, and conduct clinical research. PTs also serve as advocates for health policy and standards of care that help ensure optimum care for their patients/clients.

Graduates of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program are prepared to fulfill their professional obligations, provide leadership to the profession, and use their knowledge and skills to contribute to the health care of society.

The regular program is 2.5 years in length and spans ten academic quarters. There is a decelerated program for individuals who want to progress at a slower pace and a combined DPT/Masters in Business Administration (MBA) that can be completed in 3.5 years. All versions of the curricula consist of integrated didactic and clinical study with an emphasis on adult learning methodology. Foundational courses are emphasized during the first year, with subsequent quarters sequenced to progress through the hierarchy of educational objectives from simple to complex. All didactic material is organized for synthesis and application to professional practice.

Additional Information

For more information, visit the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science page on the College of Nursing and Health Professions website.

For application instructions, visit the Drexel's Graduate Admission page for the Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Degree Requirements

The DPT curriculum occurs in a 10-week quarter format over ten quarters: fall, winter, spring, and summer I; fall, winter, spring, and summer II; and fall, winter, and spring III. Classes begin in late September for first-year students. The curriculum is subject to modification.

Sample Plan of Study

Traditional 2.5 Year Plan of Study

Decelerated 3.5 Year Plan of Study

Clinical Education

A strong history of comprehensive clinical education exists for our professional students. The clinical education for the DPT program is integrated into the didactic portions of the curriculum so that knowledge obtained in the classroom is readily put into practice. The DPT program has contracts with hundreds of clinical sites across the nation, representing all facets of professional practice. Students build confidence by participating in part-time integrated clinical experiences (ICEs) during the first year of the program and 33 weeks of full-time clinical experiences that offer various levels of acuity in different clinical environments.

Students may select from clinical sites that offer experiences with all ages across the life span and in a variety of environments including, but not limited to, acute care, pediatrics, adult rehabilitation, geriatrics, orthopedics, sports medicine, and industrial and occupational rehabilitation.

Additional Information

For more information, visit the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Overview page on the College of Nursing and Health Professions website.

Facilities

Teaching Facilities

Classes are held in lecture halls, classrooms, laboratories or in clinical and research facilities on the University City campus of Drexel University.  A brand new Health Sciences Building (HSB) is where the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (PTRS) is located along with other programs in the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) and the College of Medicine. PTRS has two state-of-the-art dedicated laboratories where the clinical components of the professional curriculum are taught. In these laboratories, equipment reflects current physical therapy practice and is part of a multi-disciplinary clinical learning and resource center. Included as part of the resource center is a standardized patient lab that utilizes paid actors to simulate various clinical situations while students' interactions with those "patients" are monitored by supervising faculty. This center provides a rich environment for student learning.  

PTRS also maintains a human anatomy lab in the HSB where students dissect human cadavers during the first two terms of the program. Additional elective coursework may be conducted in the anatomy labs. The gross anatomy lab is a modern, fully equipped facility providing a state-of-the-art dissection laboratory with medical visualization technologies. The facility allows DPT students to focus on the anatomy most relevant to physical therapy while making relevant connections to clinical practice and integrating with other courses.

The DPT program uses its own faculty-staffed clinical sites as well as various clinical sites in the area to enhance the educational experience of the student. The department operates outpatient physical therapy sites in the Drexel Recreation Center on the University City campus and a pro-bono practice in the 11^th Street Family Health Center. Students rotate through these facilities getting individualized mentoring while connecting classroom content with clinical practice. These experiences are in addition to the 33 weeks of full-time clinical education the student will experience throughout the curriculum.

The entire Drexel campus has wireless capability and all courses are linked to the learning platform, Blackboard Learn.  

Research Facilities

The Department conducts hypothesis-driven research in biomechanics, motor control, neuromuscular plasticity, rehabilitation and functional outcomes, community-based practice, and family-centered care across the lifespan. The research space is a large, multidisciplinary center in the Health Sciences Building close to classrooms and other clinical labs. The facilities include a gait and running lab and a human performance and aging lab each containing a motion capture system with in-floor force plates, neuromuscular performance labs equipped with custom-built force measuring systems, EMG system, and electromagnetic motion tracking systems, and an instrumented treadmill motion analysis lab. 

Research is conducted via partnerships with organizations locally, nationally, and internationally. Other departments involved in research in the College include Nutrition Sciences, Nursing, Counseling and Family Therapy, and Creative Arts Therapy which provides fertile ground for collaboration. DPT students have the opportunity to work with faculty and PhD students on ongoing laboratory projects through elective coursework.

Physical Therapy DPT Faculty

Emeritus Faculty