- Our Programs
- Admission
- Curriculum
- Clinical Education
- Undergraduate
- Accreditation
- Student Outcomes
Clarkson is ideal for highly qualified and motivated students who want a career in physical therapy.
As a physical therapist, you are a movement expert who diagnoses mobility and pain-related disorders,preventsdisease and disability, andprescribesexercise supported by hands-on techniques to optimize physical function.
Physical therapy is a deeply rewarding healthcare profession that improves the lives of people. As a physical therapist you’ll diagnose and treat individuals of all ages with a variety of different health conditions that limit their ability to move and perform tasks. The therapist’s job is to restore pain free movement and the ability to do everyday activities. With physical therapy consistently rated among the top 10 growing professions, physical therapists serve a dynamic and comprehensive role in healthcare, engaging in treatment, consultation, education and research.
We offer a graduate level, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program as well as a pre-physical therapy advising track for undergraduate students.
Request Info Apply Now Contact the PT Dept.
Department of Physical Therapy & Our Programs
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Clarkson University is a 101 credit, full-time, post baccalaureate curriculum that runs fall, spring and summer semesters taking 2 and 2/3 years to complete.
The Department of Physical Therapy has state-of-the-art-technologies for clinical practice and research. Faculty in the department bring decades of clinical experience and scholarly vision to the classroom. Because classes are small, you will work closely with faculty members, which promotes professional growth and success.
Our program uses an experiential learning model,which uniquely prepares you to become a lifelong learner and expert clinician using an integrated case based approach to learning. You will participate in 4 full time clinical experiences in addition to hands on integrated clinical experiences (ICE) which are interwoven throughout the didactic portion of the curriculum.
The Department of Physical Therapy also partners with Clarkson's undergraduate bachelor's degree programs to offer a Pre-Physical Therapy Advising Track for undergraduate students interested in pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy after earning their bachelor's degree. The benefits of being enrolled in the Pre-Physical Therapy Advising Track include having a Physical Therapy program adviser;special courses that introduce important aspect of the physical therapy profession, and the fact that at least 50% of the available seats in our DPT program are held for Clarkson Pre-Physical Therapy undergraduate students who successfully complete all of the requirements.
Admission, Applying and Prerequisites
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Clarkson University is a full-time graduate program. In order to be considered for admission, students must satisfy several requirements, including a number of prerequisite courses.
Learn More about Admission, Applying and Prerequisites
All applications must be submitted through thePhysical Therapy Common Application Service.The deadline for submission of applications is May 15, 2023.The Department of Physical Therapy will also review the application of any individual who wishes to transfer from other physical therapy programs.
Physical Therapy Curriculum
The Doctoratein Physical Therapyprogram at Clarkson University is a 101-credit, full-time, post-baccalaureate curriculum that takes twoand two-thirdyears to complete.
Fall Semester 1
PT 505Foundational Sciences for Physical Therapy (9 credits)
PT 506Professional Foundation for Physical Therapy (2 credits)
PT 508Literature Critique and Review (1 credit)
Spring Semester 2
PT 515 Cardiopulmonary/Exercise Science (9 credits)
PT 517Professional Practice I (2 credits)
PT 518Principles of Measurement and Testing (1 credit)
Summer Semester 3
PT 525 Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy (9 credits)
PT 527Professional Practice Preparation (2 credits)
PT 528Analytical Methods for Evidence Based Practice (1 credit)
Fall Semester 4
PT 537Professional Practice II (6 credits)
PT 604Physical Therapy for Multiple Systems Disorder I (5 credits)
PT 608 Research Methods (1 credit)
Clinical Education
Learn more about Clinical Education
Spring Semester 5
PT 614Neuromuscular Physical Therapy (8 credits)
PT 613Professional Practice III (2 credits)
PT 617AProfessional Practice IVA (1 credit)
PT 618Research Practicum (1 credit)
Summer Semester 6
PT 616Physical Therapy for Multiple System Disorders II (6 credits)
PT 617BProfessional Practice IVB (1 credit)
PT 627AProfessional Practice VA (5 credits)
Fall Semester 7
PT 627BProfessional Practice VB (2 credits)
PT 645Practice Management in the Autonomous Environment (8 credits)
PT 648Writing & Presenting Research (1 credit)
PT 657Advanced Clinical Skills (2 credits)
Spring Semester 8
PT 667Professional Practice VI (8 credits)
PT 677Professional Practice VII (8 credits)
Clinical Education
We strive to produce physical therapists who are effective in clinical practice. This mission informs the entire curriculum which is modular, practice-oriented, evidence-based and problem-based with over 38 weeks of full-time clinical experience/internship and numerous integrated clinical experiences throughout the curriculum, starting at the end of year one.
Diverse Locations Across the Globe
Clarkson University's Department of Physical Therapy offers exceptional clinical experiences. We ensure each student has experiences that are broad in scope and rich in content. Each student's clinical experience is individually tailored to their needs, practice setting interests and geographic preferences. We have formed collaborative relationships coast to coast and internationally, and as such as we have clinical placements throughout the United States, Peru and Italy.
Structure of Physical Therapy Clinical Experiences
* Students begin Level I clinical experience following their first year of didactic coursework
* Level II clinical experience begins at the end of two years of didactic coursework
* Level III begins at the end of three years of didactic coursework
Financial Aid and Costs
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program tuition is based on a flat rate per semester of $12,349. The program runs over the course of three years for a total of eight semesters.
Additional fees and costs include:
- Resource fee: $380 per semester
- CUGSA Activity Fee: $25 per semester
- APTA Student Membership: $85 per semester
- CU Mandatory Health Insurance*: $3,868 per year
- DPT Digital Book: $130 each fall term
*Health Insurance coverage is required during the academic and clinical portions of the curriculum. This insurance is mandatory, but CU health insurance may be waived with proof of other current coverage.
Additional Cost Information
- Costs related to clinical education will be variable and on a student-to-student basis. Planning of clinical experiences typically occurs ninemonths to oneyear in advance of placements, so studentshave ample time to consider and plan for any related expenses.
- For information regarding Graduate Financial Aid,seeGraduate Financial Aid.
- For information regarding student loans, including a comparison of Federal Graduate PLUS loans to Private Student Loans, seeStudent Administrative Services.
- The Financial Aid year begins with summer term, when applicable. Learn more about theapplication process for Federal Student Loans.
- Each student is responsible for the purchase of personal textbooks/e-books, course readers, surgical scrubsand incidental supplies.
Graduate Assistantships
Students who apply to the program are automatically eligible for consideration for these scholarships. Graduate assistantships provide recipients 15% off tuition for which students work for the department.Students cannot receive a Graduate Assistantship during the final semester in the program. Recipients of the scholarships will be notified prior to January 15.
Additional scholarships may be found through the American Physical Therapy Association.
Undergraduate Physical Therapy Programs
For high school students who already know they're interested in a career as a Physical Therapist, Clarkson offers two programs: direct entry, in which students apply for admission into both an undergraduate bachelor's degree program and the DPT in Physical Therapy at the same time,and the pre-physical therapy professional advising track.
Learn more about Physical Therapyundergraduate program options
Our Faculty & Staff
The Department of Physical Therapy is home to over a dozen faculty and professionals working together to create a one-of-a-kind experience for our students. Faculty expertise lies in a variety of areas, including quality of life in children with developmental disabilities, fibromyalgia and headaches, geriatrics and fall prevention, and leadership and practice management.
View Our Physical Therapy Faculty and Staff Listing and Profiles
Physical Therapy Program in Action
Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Clarkson University is accredited by the Commission onAccreditation in Physical Therapy EducationAmerican Physical Therapy Association,3030 PotomacAve., Suite 100Alexandria, VA 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 (315) 268-6418 or email pthealth@clarkson.edu.
The program was originally accredited on Nov. 16, 2001, reaffirmed on Oct. 28, 2009, and reaffirmedagain on April 26, 2017. CAPTE is the sole accreditation agency for physical therapy programs in the nation. Licensure through the state is required for practice as a physical therapist. Licensure is gained through successful completion of the National Physical Therapy Examination offered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
The program has determined that its curriculum meets the state educational requirements for licensure or certification in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands secondary to its accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, based on the following:
CAPTE accreditation of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant program satisfies state educational requirements in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Thus, students graduating from CAPTE-accredited physical therapist and physical therapist assistant education programs are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and apply for licensure in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, refer to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website at www.fsbpt.org.
Provided Student Outcomes
- Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) National Physical Therapy Licensure Ultimate Exam Pass Rate:98% (two year average from 2019, 2020)
- FSBPT National Physical Therapy Licensure First Time Pass Rate:95% (two year average from 2019, 2020)
- Graduation Rate:90% of admitted students to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program graduated (two year average from 2021, 2020)
- Employment: Of those program graduates responding to surveys, 100 percent who sought jobs as physical therapists were employed as physical therapists within 12 months
- The program and institution are also accredited by
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education(July 1, 2008), and to grant a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (March 28, 2006)
- The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New Yorkto offer a Doctor of Physical Therapy degreeprogram (May 18, 2005)
- Comments or complaints about the Clarkson University doctor of physical therapyprogram may be sent to:
- Salome Brooks,Chair & Program Director, Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Ave, Potsdam, NY 13699, sbrooks@clarkson.edu,315-268-7622
- Lennart Johns, Dean, School of Health Sciences, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Ave, Potsdam, NY 13699, ljohns@clarkson.edu,315-268-4019
- Department of Accreditation, American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488; Fax: 703-684-7343; or emailed toaccreditation@apta.orgFor more information on the process of filing a complaint with CAPTE, go tohttp://www.capteonline.org/Complaints/.
Our Mission & Philosophy
Our mission is:
- for graduates to be entry level physical therapists who emulate the core values of the profession in their physical therapy practice
- for faculty, graduates and students to contribute to the profession, community and society, through education, scholarship, service and practice.
Our Philosophy
Our program and its faculty believe that the program mission can best be accomplished through a professional curriculum based upon a strong liberal arts foundation. Further, we believe that the curriculum of the professional program should place at its center the process of clinical problem solving as a construct for: 1) the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills; and 2) for the process of clinical decision-making in professional practice. The application of the clinical problem solving process is patient-centered and utilizes the ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the profession's body of knowledge through effective use of the professional literature and current information technologies. We believe that the problem-based learning model provides the optimal tools for developing graduates who value self-directed learning, who are prepared for the clinical decision-making demands of professional practice and who anticipate and respond to changes in the health-care delivery system.
We believe that role models who are professionally competent and personally committed to serving the greater community are best able to foster the behaviors of a socially responsible professional. We believe that in order to be effective, graduates must be sensitive to the diversity of individuals with whom they interact, and to regional differences in the practice of physical therapy.