The D’Youville Physical Therapy Department prepares students for professional success as doctors of physical therapy and leaders in their communities through evidence-based learning, excellent clinical practice and community service. The Program in Physical Therapy was initiated by D’Youville in the fall of 1986 as a 5-year combined B.S./M.S. program. The program was restructured over time, and as of Fall 2007, the department now offers a 3-year entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program with early assurance pathways for graduates of key D'Youville undergraduate degree programs.

The PT Department is part of D’Youville’s School of Health Professions. The School of Health Professions is one of the largest on the campus, with a dedicated and engaged faculty committed to academic excellence and an inclusive environment for teaching and learning. PT Department faculty, students and alumni are actively engaged in promoting healthy communities and behaviors through optimized movement and in enhancing the role of their profession within multi-professional teams and integrated delivery networks.

Students have two main venues to gain acceptance into the D.P.T. program:

College freshmen or undergraduate transfer students may enroll in one of three D’Youville undergraduate programs that provide guaranteed D.P.T. program acceptance provided the students meet all admission requirements at the time of completion of their undergraduate degree. For more information, see the Physical Therapy B.S. + D.P.T page.

Candidates who have completed their bachelor’s degree or higher may apply to enter directly into the 3-year D.P.T. Program provided the students meet all admission requirements at the time of application. More information is available on the Physical Therapy D.P.T page.

The D.P.T. curriculum involves 108 credit hours and includes traditional college coursework, distance learning, and clinical fieldwork affiliations. Coursework in the doctoral program begins in the summer semester of the first year of graduate study and runs through nine consecutive semesters to typically be completed by May of the third year. D’Youville’s 36-month doctoral professional program is organized as 12-month curricula, allowing students to enter practice in a minimum of time. D’Youville’s physical therapy program also offers quality clinical fieldwork experiences at a choice of more than 300 clinical sites.

The three-year graduate D.P.T. program at D'Youville is registered with the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association:

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085

Telephone: 703.706.3245
E-mail: accreditation@apta.org
Website: www.capteonline.org