Overview of Program

Physical therapy is a field that embodies scientific and empirical knowledge to explain human motion disorders.  Physical therapists screen for medical pathologies, evaluate the cause of motion disorders, and develop treatment programs to help patients adapt to impairment or loss.  Physical therapists are also involved in health promotion, injury prevention, and public education.

The University of Puget Sound School of Physical Therapy offers a program of study leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.  As a graduate of Puget Sound, you will be prepared to function as an independent practitioner collaborating within the health care environment.  The goal of the program is to prepare graduates to be evidence-based practitioners who are committed to the highest quality patient- and family-centered care.  Types of care may include neurorehabilitation, oncology, orthopedics, pediatrics, and sports physical therapy.

The program is sequentially integrated.  During the first academic year, you will work intensively in the areas of musculoskeletal anatomy, kinesiology, neurophysiology, and other foundations of human motor function.  Building on this foundation in your second year, you will study the theory and foundation, then the techniques of clinical practice.  In the third and final year, you will integrate your knowledge, solve increasingly complex patient problems, complete a clinical research project, and have the opportunity to study two areas of clinical practice of your choice at an advanced level.  Throughout the program, clinical practice is integrated with your classes in experiences that build from simple to highly complex and utilize facilities both on and off campus.  Thirty weeks are spent in full-time, off-campus internships.

The strengths of the Physical Therapy program have earned our graduates well-deserved respect in the practice community.  The ability to communicate well orally and in writing is critically important to physical therapy practice.  At Puget Sound, a well-coordinated program of written and oral communication is woven throughout the entire curriculum.  During the program, you will have opportunities to practice all forms of professional communication. 

Throughout your education at the University of Puget Sound, you will work closely with professors who consider your learning to be their first priority.  You will have an opportunity to involve yourself in innovative projects and research opportunities that benefit the community.  You will receive a physical therapy education of unparalleled quality. 

The University of Puget Sound physical therapy program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.