Doctoral Physical Therapy
About Doctoral Physical Therapy Programs
I thought you didn’t have to earn a doctorate to be a physical therapist, so what is a doctoral physical therapy program?
The programs to earn a doctorate in physical therapy are a relatively new educational addition to this profession. Only in the past ten years have there even been Doctor of Physical Therapy programs, so naturally some people are unfamiliar with the tern.
The degree is not a research doctorate, or a “Ph D” but rather a doctoral level professional program that is one of the accepted credentials for those practicing as physical therapists. It’s true that at this point a bachelor’s degree is sufficient to practice as a PT, but as the profession is looking to advance as a whole there may be a time when doctoral physical therapy program completion will be required for all practitioners.
The American Physical Therapy Association created the degree, stating that by 2020 those practicing would hold doctoral level degrees.
There are three types of doctoral degrees in physical therapy. There’s the professional degree, the transition degree, and the advanced clinical science degree.
The professional degree is awarded when a candidate finishes their entry level DPT program and is prepared to begin practicing as a physical therapist. The transition degree is another doctoral physical therapy degree, which is awarded to practicing PTs who stay up-to-date on current issues in the field through continuing education. And the advanced clinical science degree is the final level of physical therapy doctorate; it usually indicates specialization in one particular aspect of physical therapy.
Many state and private colleges and universities offer programs for physical therapists and potential physical therapists to complete doctorates in their field. It’s important that the program you choose is fully accredited and one which is approved by the American Physical Therapy Association.
