Doctor of Physical Therapy

Program
Admissions
Curriculum
Accreditation
Outcomes
Financial Facts
Leadership

Program

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program prepares students to be outstanding clinicians in the practice of physical therapy. Graduates of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program are prepared to provide leadership to the profession, and use their knowledge and skills to contribute to the health care of society.

As essential practitioners in the health care delivery system, physical therapists (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.

What you'll learn

As a science, physical therapy examines human motion at the tissue, organ, and systems levels. In the clinical environment, PTs examine and evaluate patients/clients and implement procedural interventions that restore physical function for all people across the life span.

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 program is two and a half years and the curriculum spans 10 academic quarters and consists of integrated didactic and clinical study with an emphasis on adult learning methodology. The curriculum consists of foundational courses 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.

What makes the Drexel DPT program unique?

Knowledgeable faculty who are recognized leaders in their areas of practice and who are invested in student success
Experiential learning that occurs both in our department managed and staffed clinical practices and with our clinical partners
Integrated clinical and research facilities that include multiple disciplines from the College of Nursing and Health Professions
Use of state-of-the-art healthcare technology including a standardized patient lab and simulation manikins
100% pass rate on state board licensure examination for the 43+ year history of the program

Program Fact Sheet (PDF)

COMPLIANCE

The College of Nursing and Health Professions has a compliance process that may be required for every student. Some of these steps may take significant time to complete. Please plan accordingly.

Visit the Compliance pages for more information.

Application Deadlines and Timeline

Regular Decision Application Deadline: December 1, 2023
Program Start Date: September 23, 2024

To be considered eligible for review, a verified PTCAS application and all supporting materials must be received by the application deadline. Please note that the PTCAS verification process can take about 4-6 weeks.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the class is filled. Qualified applicants will be invited to campus for an admissions interview in the fall.

Admission Requirements

Degree:
A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution in the United States or an equivalent international institution.

International students who received a bachelor’s degree outside of the United States (or from native non-English speaking country) must submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For more information, please see the drop down at the bottom of this page.

GPA Requirements:

Minimum cumulative overall GPA: 3.0
Minimum cumulative science GPA: 3.0

Accelerated BS/DPT Option GPA Requirements:
The Accelerated BS/DPT Option requirements are the maintenance of a 3.33 cumulative GPA and a 3.25 science GPA while earning a minimum grade of "C" on all DPT program prerequisite courses. For more detailed information on the Accelerated BS/DPT Option, please refer to the BS/DPT website.

Prerequisite Coursework:
All prerequisite courses must be completed within 7 years of your application to Drexel University. A minimum grade of a “C” is considered transferable; however, achieving a “B” or above will make for a more competitive application.

A full year of Biology with laboratory (8 credits)
A full year of Chemistry with laboratory (8 credits)
A full year of Physics with laboratory (8 credits)
One course in Human Physiology or A&P I with laboratory (4 credits)
One course in Human Anatomy or A&P II with laboratory (4 credits)
One psychology course (3 credits)
One statistics course - behavioral science course preferred (3 credits)

Please note, students who attend a college/university that is on a quarter system will need to complete 12 quarter credits each of biology, chemistry, physics, and anatomy and physiology (or A&P series). Applicants can have up to three outstanding prerequisites when applying.

Application Requirements:

Application: All applicants must apply through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application System (PTCAS) at www.ptcas.org.
Official Transcripts: Send all official transcripts directly to PTCAS. Copies do not need to be sent to Drexel.
Standardized Tests: The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required. GRE scores can be sent using our school code 7795. Our preferred GRE scores are a score of 150, each, on the verbal and quantitative sections and a 4.0 on the writing section.
References: Two letters of recommendation are required. One letter must come from a science-based professor or advisor, and the other letter must come from a licensed physical therapist.
Personal Statement/Essay: The essay prompt is provided in the PTCAS application.
Observation Hours: 50 or more volunteer, shadowing or paid internship hours are highly recommended. Hours must be observed under a licensed physical therapist. We encourage applicants to shadow in multiple PT settings.
CV/Resume/Licenses: We recommend listing your accomplishments in the Experiences and Achievements sections of the PTCAS application.

Interview:
Qualified applicants will be invited to campus for an interview. Qualities such as maturity and effective interpersonal skills are ascertained from the letters of recommendation and an interview. Any candidate who submits an application that is deemed competitive will be offered the opportunity to interview with the program faculty and interact with current students. Overall, the interview is a time for the program faculty to learn more about the applicant, as well as an opportunity for the applicant to discover more about the program.

Students are selected for admission into the program based primarily on the anticipation of their ability to successfully complete the curriculum. To make this judgment, the program’s admissions committee uses the materials submitted by the applicant, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and the interview.

Tuition and Fee Rates:
Please visit the Tuition and Fee Rates page on Drexel Central. Tuition and fees for the DPT program can be found under the College of Nursing and Health Professions drop-down.

International students

International students must also submit:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Applicants who have not received a degree in the United States must take the TOEFL. Official score report must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service. Drexel's TOEFL code is 2194. We require a score of at least 100.
I-20/DS-2019 application form. (PDF)
Transcript evaluation by World Education Services (WES is highly preferred by PTCAS).

Program Requirements for Dress and Scheduling

Dress Regulations
There is no prescribed uniform for the DPT laboratory courses. Depending on the lab skills to be practiced and/or evaluated, students will need to be able to expose relevant body parts. Gym shorts or t-shirts are usually necessary. Students may need to wear a halter-top, sports bra, or bathing suit top underneath their t-shirts. Professional dress is required for clinic visits, clinical education experiences and SPL. Students should also be aware of when guest speakers will be present and dress appropriately. Flat-heeled shoes or sneakers are recommended for lab and clinical settings. Students should avoid wearing open–toed and/or high heel shoes. Students are encouraged to wear their issued nametags or student identification badges within the lab and clinic visits. Course instructors will review any special clothing requirements for their laboratory sessions or clinic visits. During clinical education experiences, students adhere to the dress and nametag regulations of the facility. Failure to dress appropriately and bring necessary materials will lead to dismissal from the laboratory or clinic visit.

Scheduling Requirements
Drexel University supports an environment that respects the religious observances of others and is committed to make every reasonable effort to accommodate the religious observances of students. If a student misses lecture or lab due to religious obligations, they are responsible for making up the coursework that they have missed. This includes reaching out to instructors to meet regarding making up class time/lab work. Students are expected complete class assignments on time and must inform instructors about any absences or conflicts with the examination / assignment schedule due to religious observances at the beginning of the quarter and well in advance of the anticipated absence. For more information, please visit the Provost’s website to review the Religious Observance Statement.

Curriculum

Clinical Education

A strong history of comprehensive clinical education exists for our professional students. The clinical experiences of the DPT program are 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 facet of professional practice. Students build confidence by participating in 32-33 weeks of full-time clinical experiences that offer various levels of acuity in different clinical environments.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Drexel University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085

Telephone: 703-706-3245
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Website: http://www.capteonline.org

If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 267.359.5535 or email ptadmissions@drexel.edu.

Outcomes

Graduates of the DPT Program are prepared to work as physical therapy professionals in a variety of health care settings. Our graduates are innovative practitioners who value life-long learning and assume leadership positions in their area of practice. We are proud of the accomplishments of our graduates including:

National Physical Therapy Licensure Exam Pass Rate

Indicates the percentage of students who passed the National Physical Therapy Licensure Exam. Both an ultimate and first-attempt pass rate for the past two graduating classes are included as well as a two-year average of both.

Ultimate

2023	98.4% (full class data not available)
2022	100%
2-year average	99.2%
History of program	100%

First-time

2023	79.4%
2022	90%
2-year average	84.7%
Last 10 Years	96%

Graduation Rate

Indicates the percentage of students who matriculated into the program and ultimately graduated. Reported separately and as an average for the past two cohorts of students who graduated.

2023	100%
2022	100%
2-year average	100%

Six Month Employee Rate

Indicates the percentage of students who have attained full-time employment six months after graduation. Reported separately and as an average for the past two cohorts of students who graduated.

2023	100%
2022	100%
2-year average	100%

Drexel University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Financial Fact Sheet
2023

The data below applies to students experiencing the program in academic year 2023-2024. (All cohorts enrolled from Fall 2023–August 2024.)

Length of Program which includes all student instruction/interaction (including classroom, laboratory, exams, and clinical education). Include the total number of weeks where either full or partial attendance is required.

Length of Program in Weeks excluding breaks: 110
Length of Program in Weeks including breaks: 130

Clinical Education

Does this program have a requirement for all students to complete at least one clinical education experience for which the students would be required to seek alternative housing or travel accommodations to attend: Yes

Note: Students are responsible for costs associated with housing, travel, and food during clinical education. Actual clinical education costs for each student are extremely variable. For the purposes of the estimates below, the program has allocated $1000 towards the first clinical education experience in the 2nd year and $2000 towards clinical education experiences 2 and 3 in the third year. Please note that these are only estimates; the actual costs may be lower or higher. The DPT program at Drexel works with students on an individual basis if they have extenuating circumstances.

Student Costs

Note: These are costs experienced by students in the Fall 2023–August 2024 academic year. Annual costs are estimates and subject to increases. Students should contact the program for further information related to costs.

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Total
Annual Tuition Public Institution, In‐state Student:
Annual Tuition Public Institution, Out‐of‐state Student:
Annual Tuition Private Institution Student:	61,362	56,180	9,300	126,842
Annual Institutional Fees for a Full‐time Student [Includes general institutional fees, i.e., health insurance, recreation, etc.]:	4,078	4,078	3,518	11,674
Total Expected Cost of Other Program‐related Expenses [Includes: required texts, laboratory fees, and other program costs for the entire technical program.]:	3,110	2,260	2,680	8,050
Total Cost of the Program [Includes: tuition, fees, other program costs for the entire program]:	68,550	62,518	15,498	146,566

Note: Students are encouraged to explore the cost of living for areas where they may choose to live. One possible website: https://livingwage.mit.edu/

Does the institution offer financial assistance specific to DPT students? No
Does the program/institution offer scholarships specific to DPT students? Yes
Does the program offer graduate assistantships specific to DPT students? No
Note: Other opportunities may exist at the institution for financial support. Please contact the program for further information.

APTA student members are encouraged to visit the APTA Financial Solutions Center at https://www.apta.org/yourcareer/financial‐management/financial‐solutions‐center.

Student Debt Summary

Average student debt from the DPT Program for students who graduated in 2022: $92,467
Average total student debt after completing the DPT Program, includes all student loan debt: $104,290