
interprofessional
PT students at D'Youville learn to work as part of a collaborative healthcare team through Interprofessional Education Labs.
learn moreEarn both your bachelor’s and your Doctor of Physical Therapy degree faster with the support of a fully-accredited program designed for your success and at a university at the forefront of healthcare education.
As a leader in healthcare education, D’Youville understands the importance of helping to create the next generation of physical therapists and ensuring they are prepared to take on new roles at the forefront of healthcare. As a physical therapist you'll help people regain function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities to improve movement and the human experience.
At D’Youville, you’ll learn in small classes from professionals who are vanguards in their fields, know your name, and will work with you hands-on to ensure your success. You’ll learn in state-of-the-art labs, and when you’re ready for your clinical education, you’ll have opportunities across the U.S.
We take pride in how we educate our students and we see that reflected in their success — 100% of our students are employed within 6 months of graduation.
Regardless of which bachelor's degree path you choose, after you earn your undergraduate degree you'll automatically be admitted to our Doctor of Physical Therapy program, as long as you’ve maintained the necessary academic standards. No need to reapply!
At D'Youville, our students learning experiences extend beyond a single program and connect students learning across all of our healthcare fields. When you graduate, you won't practice in a bubble and we ensure that's how you learn here. D'Youville's unique interdisciplinary education lab offers the opportunity for you to practice treating patient actors alongside a team of students from 7 other healthcare majors at D'Youville.
D'Youville has developed relationships with 300 clinical fieldwork sites in a wide array of settings, facilities, and treatment protocols. And as you conduct your fieldwork, you’ll be constantly supported by participating in the online discussion that runs concurrently with your clinical experiences.
When you apply for admission at D’Youville, we’ll automatically consider you for our merit scholarships. Undergraduate scholarships can cover as much as 50% of your tuition, and there is no need to fill out a separate application!
Transfer students can qualify for scholarships, as well. And unlike other schools, maintaining your scholarship is easier at D'Youville because we use a realistic 2.00 GPA requirement to determine your eligibility for merit-based scholarships each year.
Find more information and additional scholarships on our scholarships page.
Physical therapists work in a diverse and wide-ranging set of clinical settings and have the option to focus on areas for specialization. At D'Youville, you'll have the opportunity to explore your interests as an undergraduate through our three bachelor's degree options. And after you complete your undergraduate degree, you'll automatically be admitted to our Doctor of Physical Therapy program, as long as you’ve maintained the necessary academic standards.
The BS in Biology option is ideal for students who love science or who are considering a career in research or teaching at the collegiate level. The comprehensive curriculum offered in the BS in Biology program allows you to establish a solid pre-medical education. The scientific and health-related knowledge and skills you'll learn will form a firm foundation for your physical therapy career.
If you envision yourself as a physical therapist working with athletes or other physically active people, the BS in Exercise in Sports Studies may be ideal for you. Not only can this pathway be completed in as few as 6 years with summer classes, but it also offers a wide range of exciting internship opportunities in a variety of clinical settings focused on athletics and physical fitness.
If you’ve already earned your bachelor’s degree, you may apply to enter our three-year professional program leading to a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. This demanding program combines traditional coursework with clinical fieldwork, graduate-level research, and online learning over the course of nine consecutive semesters, allowing you to complete the program in as little as three years.
At D'Youville, we are committed to selecting students who are academically well-rounded and committed to meeting the challenges of a high-quality education. If you have been successful in a traditional college preparatory program in high school, you should be well-prepared for the academic challenges at D'Youville. While we don't require you to submit ACT or SAT test scores, if you have taken or intend to take a standardized test we encourage you to submit your scores if you'd like them to be evaluated as part of your application.
Not Required (utilized in a holistic review for admission if provided):
Not Required (utilized in a holistic review for admission if provided):
Use the Online Course Equivalency database to see whether the courses you've taken at other institutions can be counted towards a degree at D'Youville.
Find detailed course information for the Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Physical Therapy Combined Program, tools to plan your education, and complete academic policies and procedures in the D'Youville academic catalog.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO-639 | Human Gross Anatomy | 6 |
BIO-639L | Human Gross Anatomy Lab | 0 |
GRA-601 | Research Methodology and Design | 3 |
PT-500 | Essential Skills I | 3 |
PT-500L | Essential Skills I Lab | 1 |
PT-502 | Pathophysiology for Physical Therapists | 3 |
PT-503 | Clinical Orientation Seminar I | 0 |
PT-504 | Clinical Orientation Seminar II | 0 |
PT-505 | Intro PT and Health Care Systems | 2 |
PT-506 | Physiology of Therapeutic Exercise | 2 |
PT-506L | Physiology of Therapeutic Exercise Lab | 1 |
PT-510 | Essential Skills II | 2 |
PT-510L | Essential Skills II Lab | 1 |
PT-513 | Orthopedic Physical Therapy I | 2 |
PT-513L | Orthopedic I Lab | 2 |
PT-514 | Integumentary Examination & Intervention | 2 |
PT-515 | Professional Development I | 1 |
PT-518 | Biomechanics and Kinesiology for PT | 2 |
PT-518L | Biomechanics and Kinesiology Lab | 1 |
PT-519 | Lifespan Development | 1 |
PT-519L | Lifespan Development Lab | 1 |
PT-520 | Lifespan Development II | 1 |
PT-520L | Lifespan Development II Lab | 1 |
PT-522 | Functional Anatomy | 2 |
PT-522L | Functional Anatomy Lab | 1 |
PT-525 | Community Health & Wellness I | 1 |
PT-526 | Community Health & Wellness II | 1 |
PT-526L | Community Health & Wellness II Lab | 1 |
PT-547 | Pharmacology for Rehabilitation Spec | 1 |
PT-550 | Clinical Neuroscience | 5 |
PT-550L | Clinical Neuroscience Lab | 0 |
PT-552 | Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy | 2 |
PT-552L | Cardiopulmonary Lab | 1 |
PT-552S | Cardiopulmonary Seminar | 0 |
PT-574 | Clinical Fieldwork I | 3 |
PT-602 | Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics | 2 |
PT-602L | Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics Lab | 1 |
PT-604 | Clinical Orientation Seminar III | 0 |
PT-606 | Neuromuscular Assessment | 2 |
PT-606L | Neuromuscular Assessment Lab | 1 |
PT-613 | Orthopedic Physical Therapy II | 2 |
PT-613L | Orthopedic II Lab | 2 |
PT-615 | Professional Development II | 1 |
PT-618 | Rehabilitation II | 3 |
PT-618L | Rehabilitation Lab II | 2 |
PT-627 | Application of Research Methods in PT | 4 |
PT-627L | App of Research Methods in PT Lab | 0 |
PT-628 | Research Seminar | 3 |
PT-674 | Fieldwork II | 4 |
PT-675 | Clinical Fieldwork III | 4 |
PT-701 | Clinical Decision in Therapeutic Exercise | 2 |
PT-701L | Clinical Decision in Therapeutic Exercise Lab | 1 |
PT-703 | Education Advocacy Consultation | 3 |
PT-709 | Business Management Strategies for Physical Therapists | 2 |
PT-725 | Clinical Fieldwork IV | 5 |
PT-748 | Differential Diagnosis | 3 |
PT-799 | NPTE Examination Preparation | 0 |
PT-XXX | Graduate Elective Credits | 5 |
Total Credits | 108 |
Our program prepares you for general physical therapy practice where you’ll work to improve movement with patients whose functionality is impaired by injuries or disease.
Your role as a practicing physical therapist will be to help your patients regain strength and function, improve mobility, relieve their pain, and prevent or limit the scope or impact of physical disabilities on their lives and their health.
In clinical settings you’ll work with patients to assess their physical functions in the context of their medical history and social support. You’ll also test and measure their strength, range of motion, balance, coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function in order to establish baselines for therapy.
Finally, as a physical therapist you’ll also help your patients after they leave your care by prescribing therapeutic exercise in order to improve the quality of their lives.
The preparation you receive at D’Youville will qualify you to begin your professional career as a physical therapist in almost any healthcare setting. However, while many of our graduates enjoy fulfilling careers in general practice, many others choose to specialize in areas such as:
It's one thing to learn something in the classroom ... it's quite another to put the knowledge and skills you've learned into practice in a clinical setting. At D'Youville you’ll get the experience, guidance, and support you need to become a confident, competent clinical professional.
As a physical therapy student, you'll gain experience with a total of 32 weeks of clinical fieldwork during the professional phase of the program. During your clinical fieldwork, you'll experience the fundamentals of evidence-based practice, including:
Your success is paramount to us, and we'll be with you every step of the way as you progress through your clinical experiences. As you conduct your fieldwork, you’ll be constantly supported by participating in the online discussion that runs concurrently with your clinical experiences.
The Interprofessional Clinical Advancement Center is a research and academic project that uses professional actors to create real-life patient care simulations for students. Students from eight healthcare disciplines at D'Youville take part in the center, including physical therapy.
I have had a rewarding and adventurous career and happy life. I've been afforded the opportunity to practice internationally in Palermo, Sicily, Italy and have experienced several different practice settings from sports and outpatient, to a Level 1 Trauma acute care hospital, to serving older adult populations at a Continuum Care Retirement Community providing therapy services. I've been a staff physical therapist and progressed through my career to be a senior lead PT and then served as a Director of Therapy services for two different organizations.
— Dr .Cara A. Berg-Carramusa '00, PT, MSPT, EdD, GCS
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