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Physical Therapy

Doctor of Physical Therapy

In the CAPTE-accredited physical therapist professional education program at the University of Dayton, you'll graduate prepared to be a knowledgeable, service-oriented, self-assured, adaptable, reflective practitioner. You'll gain critical and integrative thinking, lifelong learning and ethical values, and be able to render independent judgments concerning patient/client needs that are supported by evidence; promote the health of the client; and enhance the professional, contextual and collaborative foundations for practice. Our vision is to enhance the physical therapy profession through education, scholarship and service for the common good.

Our innovative three-year (eight-semester) program combines classroom and hands-on training from day one that will prepare you to meet the demands of a rapidly changing health care system.

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Fast Facts

36 student

cohort each fall

97% graduation rate

based on two year average

100% employment rate

based on alumni survey, two year average

Program Overview

Clinical Education

UD is dedicated to providing quality clinical education in a variety of clinical settings — both locally and throughout the U.S. Approximately one-third of the entire three-year doctoral-level program is performed in the clinical setting.

An objective of the physical therapy program is to prepare students for their clinical rotations above and beyond the "norm" for student performance. The problem-based learning format of education enhances the students' ability to problem solve, apply critical information to each unique patient situation, and to "think on their feet" as they move from case to case. Problem-based cases demand students go well beyond diagnoses to address the whole of each person in the Catholic and Marianist spirit of service within our community.

Another important feature of our curriculum is to prepare students didactically for each area of physical therapy practice immediately prior to each clinical placement that "matches" that area of practice. Although it is not always possible to make a "match" with 100% accuracy, every attempt is made. A "match" is defined as a clinical site providing students with at least a 50% caseload of the clinical rotation patient population of focus.

Clinical Rotations Overview

  • General Medicine/Neurology (12 weeks): Fall of Year 2. This rotation takes place in a setting where patients are more medically complex. Examples of settings that work well for this rotation are inpatient acute care, skilled nursing, long term care, home health, and inpatient rehabilitation. This rotation can also be performed in an outpatient setting with an emphasis on a neurologic patient population. Some pediatric settings are also appropriate at this level of the curriculum and can include settings with medically complex patients, children with developmental delay, or in school-based environments.
  • Orthopedic (12 weeks): Spring of Year 2. This rotation is generally performed in an outpatient orthopedic or sports medicine environment. Options include hospital-based outpatient experiences, private practices, or may include opportunities with sports teams.
  • Terminal (12 weeks): Spring of Year 3. Unless a student has a specific need (i.e., they require more exposure to a certain population), this rotation allows a student to further develop in an area of their choosing. This can include any of the previous settings but other options are available as well. Decisions are made in cooperation with the DCE.

Additional Information

Visit the Catalog to view additional details about physical therapy, including degree requirements, course descriptions and a sample plan of study.

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Admission Requirements

Academic Requirements

Applicants to the University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy program are expected to meet all of the following minimum requirements:

  • Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA across all schools attended.
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA for prerequisite science courses.
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA for all general prerequisite courses.
  • Completion of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university prior to the start of the D.P.T. program.
  • Grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted.
  • Minimum of 64 semester credits and four or more prerequisite science courses with labs must be completed at the time of application.
  • Completion of all prerequisite science courses must be within the past ten years. Science coursework that is older than 10 years will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
  • Advanced Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For consideration, CLEP and AP credit must be indicated on a college transcript with the course number for which credit was received.

Early Assurance Academic Requirements

For consideration applicants applying under Early Assurance must meet or exceed the following:

  • Minimum 3.3 cumulative GPA across all schools attended.
  • Minimum 3.3 GPA for all prerequisite science courses.
  • A GRE Score is optional. However, if you would like to submit scores, they must be received by the early assurance application deadline. 
  • Completion of Early Assurance school-specific questions.
  • The deadline for application is August 15.

Prerequisite Course Requirements

Science prerequisites

All sciences must be majors-level courses for science or pre-med majors. All science courses must have been completed within the past 10 years.

  • A two-course sequence in Anatomy & Physiology with lab. OR One course in Anatomy with lab AND one course in Physiology with lab. Each must be at least 4 credit hours. 
  • Two courses of General or Specialized Biology (e.g. Microbiology, Genetics, Vertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Physiology, Developmental Biology, Pathophysiology or Immunology) with a minimum of one lab. Please note: While some anatomy and physiology courses have a Bio prefix, they cannot be used to fulfill the biology prerequisite. 
  • Full sequence of General Chemistry with labs.
  • Full sequence of General Physics with labs.
General prerequisites
  • General Psychology: General or Introductory Psychology
  • One Course Statistics
Recommended Courses (not required)
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Human Development
Prerequisite retake policy

Applicants must indicate on the PTCAS when a course has been retaken; failure to do so may result in the disqualification of the applicant.

If a course has been retaken, the University of Dayton D.P.T. Program will permit an applicant to substitute the higher grade for a maximum of one (1) science prerequisite course. Science prerequisite courses (with their associated labs) include:

  • Anatomy
  • Physiology
  • General Biology I
  • General Biology II
  • General Chemistry I
  • General Chemistry II
  • General Physics I
  • General Physics II

If more than one course has been retaken, then an average of all attempts will be calculated into the respective GPA.

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Graduate Admission Information

Application Information

Where to apply

Application deadlines

  • PTCAS application: Opens around July 1
General application deadlines
  • Application deadline: around Oct. 1
  • Last acceptable GRE test date: Sept. 10
Early Assurance deadlines
  • Application deadline: Around Aug. 15
  • Last acceptable GRE test date: July 30

Note: This includes Articulation Agreement applicants.

Application checklist

Applicants to the UD Doctor of Physical Therapy program are required to submit the following information through the PTCAS application:

  • Official academic records of all previously attended colleges or universities. These records must be submitted directly from the colleges or universities to PTCAS. Hand-carried transcripts, official copies marked Issued to Student, and unofficial copies are not acceptable. Applicants selected for admission will be required to submit all original and final transcripts directly to the program.
  • Three letters of recommendation. One letter must be from a licensed physical therapist, and one letter must be from a professor. The other letter may be from a physical therapist, physical therapist assistant, professor, advisor, or an employer. Evaluators must know applicants in a professional or academic capacity.
  • Optional GRE results: Submit results directly to PTCAS GRE Code 0294. See Admission Requirements
  • Completion of prerequisite courses: Applicants who have outstanding prerequisite courses at the time of application must clearly indicate their plans for completion prior to the start of the program. See Admission Requirements
  • Program-specific questions.
  • Clinical observation record: A minimum of 40 hours of observation under a licensed physical therapist in at least two distinctly different physical therapy patient care settings. A minimum of 10 hours must be completed in an inpatient setting (e.g., acute care, skilled nursing, long-term acute care, inpatient rehabilitation). All hours must be verified by a licensed physical therapist.

International students

International applicants to the University of Dayton Doctor of Physical Therapy program must submit the following by the posted deadline for their files to be considered:

  • Submission of PTCAS application, school specific questions, required observation hours, letters of recommendation, and all prerequisite requirements prior to application deadline.
  • If a WES evaluation that includes course-by-course evaluation has not been submitted to PTCAS, applicants will need to send original English translated transcripts from all schools attended directly to:
    University of Dayton
    Enrollment Services
    300 College Park
    Dayton, OH 45469-2713
  • Official TOEFL (IBT) score submitted directly from ETS. All TOEFL scores must meet or exceed the following criteria: Reading, 22; Writing, 22; Listening, 21; Speaking, 24; Composite, 89.
  • Translated course descriptions of each course that will be used to fulfill prerequisite course requirements directly to the D.P.T. program prior to the application deadline. These descriptions should be sent to:
    University of Dayton
    Department of Physical Therapy
    Attn: Ann Vaughn, Admissions Coordinator
    300 College Park
    Dayton, Ohio 45469-2925

Once all documents have been received, international applicants will be evaluated the same as any other applicant. International applicants selected for further consideration will participate in an interview either on campus or via Skype. 

Additional required supplemental documents and information for international students is available from UD Admission and Financial Aid. Applicants with questions regarding international admissions can contact us.

Note: There is a $50 (USD) application processing fee for International and Canadian applicants. Please contact us to arrange payment of this fee.

Apply Through PTCAS
Read the D.P.T. Program FAQ
Graduate Admission Information

Tuition and Financial Aid

Rooted in our Catholic, Marianist traditions, the University of Dayton is dedicated to being transparent and ensuring student success.

Financial aid may be available for degree-seeking graduate students, file the FAFSA to be considered. Once you have applied and been accepted to a graduate program, we will prepare your applicable aid for the upcoming year.

Financial Fact Sheet
Graduate Tuition
Graduate Financial Aid
Graduate Assistantships

Accreditation Information

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Dayton is fully accredited by the Ohio Board of Regents and the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: www.capteonline.org.

If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 937-229-5600 or email dpt@udayton.edu.

*Pass rates shown are the two-year average based on the class of 2024 and class of 2025.

National Physical Therapy Exam Results*

85%

First-time NPTE pass rate

100%

Ultimate NPTE pass rate

93%

National Average Ultimate NPTE pass rate

Program Highlights

Experiential Learning

Through practical learning opportunities, you can build your resume, gain practical experiences and prepare for a successful career in physical therapy. We partner with clinical sites across the U.S., as well as with professional sports teams. The real-world experiences you have at UD translate to your future success.

Graduate Assistantships

Two half-time annually renewable graduate assistantship positions are typically offered to physical therapy students each year. Students selected for these positions receive a benefit of tuition remission that is equivalent to half of the total tuition costs of the program. These positions are highly competitive, but any accepted student is welcome to apply.

Student Research

Students work alongside physical therapy faculty to conduct and publish research in respected journals. Students also participate in UD's Doctor of Physical Therapy Research Symposium, an annual event that showcases student research to area clinician partners.

Unique Lab Spaces

Our facilities include six unique laboratories that allow physical therapy students the opportunity engage in hands-on learning and research experiences: human anatomy lab, fitness assessment lab, two skills labs, and a state-of-the art motion analysis research lab.