Physical Therapy Schools

Schools by State
for Physical Therapists:

AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY

Career Highlights for
Physical Therapists

Training generally required for this career includes: Master's degree.

Jobs and Salary
Median Salary (2008)	$72,790
Unemployment Vs. Other Jobs	Very Low
Jobs (2006)	173,000
Job Growth (2006-2016)	27.1%
Jobs (2016 forecast)	220,000

Flexibility
Working Part-Time	23%
Self-Employed	8%

Education of Current Workers
Bachelor Degree or Higher	89%
Some College	9%
High School or Less	2%

Relevant Job Titles

(Supplied by experts and industry contributors for this career category)

Home Care Physical Therapist
Kinesiotherapist
Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant (LPTA)
Outpatient Physical Therapist
Pediatric Physical Therapist
Physical Therapist (PT)
Physiotherapist
Pulmonary Physical Therapist
Registered Physical Therapist (RPT)
Rehabilitation Services Director
Sports Physical Therapist
Staff Physical Therapist
Treatment Coordinator

Information Sources

BrainTrack's information on colleges and careers is drawn from many sources, including government databases, BrainTrack's own research, and results from original data analysis algorithms.

Physical Therapist Job Description

Career tips, salaries, and lists of schools.

For patients with disabling conditions or injuries, physical therapy plays a key role in their rehabilitation and recovery. Doctors prescribe physical therapy to help patients regain or preserve mobility and strength, relieve pain, and prevent long-term disability. Physical therapists specialize in the mechanics of the human body such as muscle performance, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture and motor function.

Responsibilities of a physical therapist can include:

Establishing a treatment plan for a patient according to the doctor's prescription
Combining different treatment modalities such as heat/cold therapy, electrical stimulation, ultrasound and exercise
Teaching patients how to use devices such as crutches, wheelchairs or prostheses
Helping patients stretch and exercise
Applying traction, massage, paraffin baths and other modalities
Documenting the patient's progress
Collaborating with occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, dentists and social workers

Physical therapists work in hospitals, private offices and medical clinics. They may specialize in sports medicine, orthopedics, cardiopulmonary physical therapy, neurology, pediatrics and geriatrics.

Physical Therapy Degrees and Physical Therapy Schools

Physical therapists hold a minimum of a two-year master's degree from a college or university that is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association's Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

Many master's degree programs require volunteer experience in a hospital's or clinic's physical therapy department for admission.

Physical Therapy Classes

Physical therapy students divide their time between classes, lab and supervised hands-on practice. Classes usually cover:

biology, physics and chemistry
human growth and development
biomechanics and neuroanatomy
therapeutic procedures and examination techniques
manifestations of disease
areas of specialization

Online Physical Therapy Classes and Programs

Although on-campus programs may offer some classes online, the hands-on nature of physical therapy makes 100% online master's programs unsuitable.

Physical Therapist Requirements

Minimum requirements for physical therapists are:

a master's degree in physical therapy from a school accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association's Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
state and national licensure

How to Evaluate Physical Therapy Schools

When comparing master's degree programs, aspiring physical therapists should ask the following:

State approval and accreditation - Is the program accredited by the APTA or CAPTE?
Career goals and focus - What areas of specialization appeal to the student? With what types of clients, such as athletes, the disabled, children or the elderly does the student wish to work? Does the program offer comprehensive course offerings in these areas?
Class size and experiential learning - Is the student-teacher ratio sufficiently small to enable productive interactions with teachers and fellow students? How is supervised clinical experience arranged? Are there lots of diverse opportunities from which to choose?
Tuition and financial assistance - What financial aid opportunities (grants, scholarships, work study and loans) are available?
Graduate success - How many program graduates obtain licensure and employment?

Relevant Schools That Respond Quickly to Info Requests Through This Site

School names link to detailed profiles. Use the Info from the School link to contact the school directly for more information. You may request information from as many schools as you like.

School	Campuses	Awards	Info
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences	Online	Doctorate, Master	Info From School
Apollo College	AZ	Diploma	Info From School
Ashworth College	Online	Diploma	Info From School
Baker College Campus	MI	Associate, Bachelor	Info From School
Boston University Online	Online	Doctorate, Master	Info From School
Hesser College	NH	Associate	Info From School
Kaplan Career Institute	PA	Associate	Info From School
Kaplan College	CA	Certificate	Info From School
Penn Foster Career School	Online	Diploma	Info From School
Utica College	Online	Doctorate, Master	Info From School

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