Physical Therapy, DPT

Program Coordinator: Amy Gross McMillan (grossmcmillana@ecu.edu)

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program provides the scope, depth, breadth, and rigor of scholarly activity to prepare an entry-level physical therapy practitioner for current and future practice trends. The program includes 80 s.h. of didactic course work, 10 s.h. of research experience, and 32 weeks of full-time clinical education (16 s.h.).

Students begin the program in the 11-week summer session and continue for nine continuous semesters. At the end of the final semester, the student will take a written comprehensive examination and provide both an oral defense and written documentation related to their capstone research. The department chair’s verification of the completion of all degree requirements is necessary to meet physical therapy practice licensure statutes of the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.

Admission guidelines to the Department of Physical Therapy are available at https://pt.ecu.edu/.

The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org ; website: www.capteonline.org.

The degree requires a minimum of 106 s.h. as follows:

Core - 102 s.h.

Electives - 4 s.h.

Select courses from the list below:

* Note:

Only one clinical education course (PTHE 8203 , PTHE 8403 , PTHE 8603 , PTHE 8803 ) may be repeated.

Institutional and Professional Licensure Disclosures for Enrolled and Prospective Students

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 US 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 US Virgin Islands.

For more information regarding state qualifications and licensure requirements, refer to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website.

Licensure/Certification Requirements in North Carolina

The curriculum for all ECU Certificates, Degrees, and other Graduate Programs have been designed to meet the licensure/certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for licensure/certification exams in North Carolina. The various licensure boards in each state are responsible for setting requirements for licensure/certification in their state. Other states have their own requirements, and you’ll want to make sure your program meets criteria in your home state (or state where you intend to work) before you apply.