Physical Therapy
Virtual Open House - Tuesday, August 4, 2026: 5 p.m.
Join us at one of our upcoming virtual Graduate School Open House events on Zoom! You'll have the opportunity to learn more about ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, understand the Graduate School application process, and meet key program representatives.
We are committed to providing an inclusive, collaborative, learner-centered environment that prepares practitioners who value excellence, lifelong learning, engagement in community outreach, and provision of compassionate care to enhance the lives of others in western North Carolina and beyond.
Preston Ellington, DPT Class of 2025
What You'll Learn
The DPT program is a 113–semester hour, 33-month, full-time, entry-level program (including summers) accredited by the .* The curriculum includes basic sciences, physical therapy sciences, scientific inquiry, clinical reasoning, and a 34-week full-time clinical internship. Students are expected to meet all academic, technical, and professional standards. While the curriculum is delivered in a lockstep format, but should circumstances arise students have up to six years to complete the degree if needed. See details of the DPT curriculum.
Each August, a cohort of 48 students begins the program, with 32 students in Cullowhee and 16 at the Biltmore Park Instructional Site in Asheville. The curriculum emphasizes interprofessional collaboration, evidence-based practice, scholarship, and service, and is delivered by faculty committed to developing exceptional clinicians. A high-fidelity audiovisual bridge supports synchronous learning across both sites, with faculty rotating instructional locations to ensure equitable educational experiences. Students at both locations receive direct, in-person faculty guidance for all laboratory experiences.
Where You'll Go
Physical Therapists have a multitude of career options available. You could work with individuals with orthopedic, neurologic, cardiopulmonary, pelvic health, and integumentary conditions to name a few. You can work in environments from professional sports teams to a rehab facility in your hometown. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states the average salary for physical therapists is $83,940 and is predicting job opportunities in the field to grow by 36% by 2020.
More About Our Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
People from all walks of life need physical rehabilitation for different reasons. A career in physical therapy gives you a chance to work in environments from hospitals to nursing homes helping people restore motor functions that allow them to return to work, participate in recreational activities and regain functionality of daily motor skills.
ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½â€™s Doctor of Physical Therapy is a program that prepares students to become physical therapist clinician generalists capable of practicing in a wide variety of settings. For additional details about the academic environment that supports this program, visit the College of Health and Human Sciences and the Department of Physical Therapy.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). CAPTE accreditation ensures the program meets national standards for physical therapy education and allows graduates to pursue licensure eligibility throughout the United States.
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22305-3085
Phone: 703-706-3245
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Download the Digital Brochure to Learn More!
