Physical therapists (PTs) are licensed to practice methods to improve mobility, aid in pain relief, restore function, and prevent disabilities for patients with injuries or disease. They use such physical methods as massage, exercise, and hot/cold therapy to manage and diagnose various injuries/disabilities and diseases.
Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT)
The Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) is a three-year degree; there are over 200 accredited physical therapist graduate programs in the U.S.
Although many physical therapy graduate programs do not require a specific undergraduate major, coursework in biology, chemistry and physics is required and as such many pre-PTs choose majors in the biological sciences and kinesiology. Kinesiology is a major designed to prepare students for careers in the broad fields of health, physical education, and exercise science.
Depending on your undergraduate major and the sequence of courses you complete, you may be able to apply to the Early Continent Physical Therapy Option at URI. This accelerated program enables exceptional students to earn both their bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a DPT in six years rather than the usual seven. For more information on this option, and the physical therapy department at URI, check out their website.
For more information on Physical Therapy educational programs, see the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) website.
