Doctorate in Physical Therapy Program Details

Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy

The Ohio State University offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. We have over 60 years of experience in preparing students for successful careers in physical therapy, a well-trained faculty, excellent health-care facilities, and a network of supportive alumni. Most of the information you need is here, but if you have specific questions, please contact our Student Service Office for further information.


If you are already a physical therapist, Ohio State University has many great post-professional educational opportunities. The Division of Physical Therapy now offers five Clinical Residency programs in cooperation with other programs throughout the university and Columbus including:

If you are a college student ready to apply for PT school and you are highly motivated to pursue both your DPT and a PhD for a future career in academics and research, please read about our combined DPT/PhD program.


For more information regarding the Physical Therapy Profession, consult the American Physical Therapy Association or the Ohio Physical Therapy Association.


If you are interested in joining the Pre-PT/OT Club at OSU, please contact the current president by following this link or emailing Dr. DeWitt, the faculty advisor.

 

Facts about our Program

Facts About Our Program

Curriculum
  • The DPT degree requires 9 semesters and includes two intermediate clinical internships, two terminal clinical internships, and a final specialized clinical practicum.
  • The program starts with anatomy and foundations in the first summer. Orthopedics is the focus of the first year, pediatrics is covered the second summer, and neurology and geriatrics are the focus of the second year.
  • Students will have completed three full time clinical experiences for a total of at least 26 weeks before the final semester of didactic coursework.  The final semester includes elective courses to develop specific practice skills and management and leadership courses to support autonomous practice.
  • The final semester includes a terminal clinical experience and a final clinical practicum experience.  The practicum allows for a creative blend of advanced clinical practice with unique higher-level experience such as management, program development, advocacy, or community service. The practicum programs are designed by students in conjunction with the director of clinical education and experts in the community.
  • Each student participates in research, professional service and community service at a level sufficient to gain an appreciation for their importance to the profession. Students with a passion for one of these areas can earn specializations through extended involvement.
  • Each student completes a case report for a patient seen during a clinical internship to produce a publication-quality manuscript, and presents their case to faculty and peers as a culmination of the curriculum.
Faculty
  • The faculty include a careful balanced blend of research faculty, clinical faculty, and practicing clinicians to bring the best level of expertise to each aspect of the student’s education.
  • The student-faculty ratio in laboratory skills courses ranges from 4 to 1 to 8 to 1.
  • The faculty have a large extramural funding portfolio and are nationally and internally recognized for their leadership in research and discovery.

Service

  • PT students and faculty provide thousands of hours of volunteer and pro bono service each year to community health centers serving people who have no other means of obtaining health care.
  • PT students work with faculty on several community service projects each year, representing more than 1,500 hours of service.
Alumni
  • More than 2,500 alumni have graduated from the Physical Therapy Program since 1955.
  • PT graduates work in all 50 states and in many foreign countries. 1,600 of them practice in Ohio.

 

Mission and Vision

Mission and Vision of the Division of Physical Therapy

The faculty, staff, students, and alumni share a great sense of pride in the 50+ year history and accomplishments of the Physical Therapy Program of The Ohio State University. The program is energized by its location within a vibrant and diverse University whose slogan is to “Do Something Great.” The school spirit, the traditions, and loyal alumni enrich the academic and clinical practice environment of the Physical Therapy Division within The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.


It is with this sense of "Buckeye Pride" that we assert that the mission of the Physical Therapy Division of The Ohio State University is to advance the profession of physical therapy through education, scholarship, leadership, and service.


Our vision is that the Physical Therapy Division of The Ohio State University will be among the truly great physical therapy programs.  To realize this vision, we set a goal to increase our ranking from a top 20 program (ranked 19th) in 2014 to top 10 by 2020. We have already reached that goal in 2016, being named to the top 10 in this year’s US News and World Report rankings of the best graduate schools.

Our Core Values

Our Core Values

  • Excellence: We pursue and expect excellence in what we do and how we do it.
  • Accountability: We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
  • Evidence-based practice: We use the best available evidence, combined with critical thinking, problem solving skills and patient values, when making physical therapy practice decisions.
  • Professionalism: Teamwork, respect, dependability, and a commitment to lifelong improvement will continually guide us.
  • Integrity: We strive for the consistent practice of honesty in adherence to our principles.
  • Altruism: We place the needs of the patient ahead of our own self interest
  • Service: We embrace the outreach mission of OSU as a land-grant university, providing education and assistance to benefit our local community, the people of Ohio, and ultimately the people of the world.
  • Diversity: We strive to include peoples and viewpoints across the spectrum for the widest possible perspectives and most creative approaches to solve meaningful problems for the benefit of all.
  • Efficiency: We seek to refine and reduce administrative processes to make teaching and learning the core focus of as much of our effort as is practicable.
  • Collaboration: We work together among individuals and across disciplines to approach and solve problems in the most robust and considered ways.

Why Choose Ohio State

Why Choose The Ohio State University?

As a student applying to or accepted into the program, why should you choose The Ohio State University? 


  • The Ohio State DPT program offers advanced educational opportunities, with a very strong commitment to producing experts in the field.  

  • The DPT program also requires students to participate in service learning, and partners with many different organizations relevant to PT practice. You can read about the service learning program here.

  • The DPT program in Atwell Hall continues to improve its facilities, as well as providing very important and helpful resources to students. One of the programs biggest assets is the presence of residents (OSU has five PT residency programs) in the classroom as instructors within the DPT program. You can read about our facilities and student resources here.

  • Ohio State offers a very large and diverse campus, with countless academic options, research opportunities, volunteer organizations, special interest clubs, or intramural/club sports to participate in. To learn more about the campus and the variety of options available to students, please visit the Visits and Events page.

  • The Ohio State DPT program is located in Columbus, Ohio - a large and diverse city that offers many neighborhoods, festivals, restaurants, cultural and social events, sports teams, and special interest groups to its residents and visitors.

  • Diversity is an asset to the DPT program, as well as OSU as a whole. You can learn more about diversity within the DPT program here.  


Learn more about why you should choose The Ohio State University here.

Licensure Disclosure

Licensure Disclosure

A professional license or certification may be required to practice in the field of this academic program or to advance or specialize in that field. This program meets licensure or certification requirements in the state of Ohio and is approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

If you are planning to seek a professional license or certification in a state other than Ohio, it is highly recommended that you contact the appropriate state licensing entity to seek information and guidance about licensure before beginning the program. For state licensure board contact information, please visit https://odee.osu.edu/students/state-authorization