Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Physical Therapists
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Old Dominion University, Marymount, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Hampton, Marymount, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Old Dominion University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Shenandoah University, Old Dominion University, and Marymount.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Hampton, Marymount, Shenandoah University, and Old Dominion University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Hampton, Old Dominion University, Marymount, and Shenandoah University.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Hampton, Shenandoah University, Marymount, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Old Dominion University • Norfolk, VA
Studying Physical Therapy (completion in 2012)
• 10/23/2011
"Overall, ODU is a great school with great faculty and a great social experience. They also are very helpful in the job search after graduation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If someone wants a program where faculty actually care if you pass, and want to help, this is a great school. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to be a physical therapist. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | ODU is in the top 25 physical therapy programs in the United States. They have new facilities and provide a great overall experience. |
| Program Quality | 10 | ODU was a great school for Physical Therapy. We had actors pretend to be patients to allow us to get a real patient experience, and we had clinical rotations to get us experience in the field. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instruction for the core physical therapy classes was great and we learned a lot. Some of the other classes that were not directly related to PT were not taught quite as well because they were not truly geared toward physical therapists. |
| How Difficult | 8 | ODU's PT program was the most difficult part of all of my schooling experiences. The assignments were tough and practicums were difficult, but they were all directly related to my field so it was, at least, interesting. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of our classes involved some sort of hands-on work, which is quite necessary in the physical therapy field. However, some of our classes had no hands-on work at all and were not very helpful to our education. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | All classes were at the same time, the same day of the week, every semester. Everyone in my "year" of the program had the same classes at the same times. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The facilities provided are great; our lab was quite necessary and helpful for our studies. Classroom space, however, was limited, and we often had to fight with other classes to use a room. |
| Social Life | 8 | ODU itself has events almost every week to keep school spirit high. The physical therapy program, on top of ODU's events, plans events for every holiday and every major event. ODU loyalty is high! |
| Placement Services | 8 | ODU does not supply jobs directly, but our clinical rotations offer a chance for networking and possible job opportunities after graduation. Also, ODU gives us the resources that we need to look for jobs in our field. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Alumni are extremely involved in ODU. They donate gifts to each of the classes every year and attend events to support their alma mater. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.
