DUKE DOCTOR OF PHYSICAL THERAPY PROGRAM

Housed in the Duke School of Medicine's Department of Community and Family Medicine, the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is consistently ranked among the best training programs in the nation. Each year, nearly 200 students work with faculty who are actively engaged in exploring clinically relevant research. Students learn from faculty who are working in both basic science research and clinical studies within each of the major movement sciences. Duke's DPT program emphasizes a team-based approach to teaching and learning both in the classroom and in various clinical settings.

DPT's integrated curriculum requires a three-year, full-time commitment resulting in a comprehensive foundation in the science and art of physical therapy. Aligned with the medical school's goals, the DPT program is focused on personalized treatments that help clinicians understand and promote the health of individual patients, not generalized, formula-driven diagnoses and treatments. Classes are taught by the program's diverse faculty at the medical school and through US-based and global clinical internships. Learn more about the DPT curriculum.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Duke University has an average graduation rate of 94% for the past 3 years (2009 - 2011), including both voluntary withdrawals and academic withdrawals. Our ultimate pass rate on the national licensing examination for physical therapists, for the same 3-year period, is 100%. The employment rate for our recent graduates is 100%.

Through excellence in teaching, evidence-based clinical practice and cutting-edge research, the DPT program is committed to producing the next generation of leaders in the field of physical therapy.

Admissions Overview

The Duke University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program includes a full-time, three-year curriculum. Only full-time students are accepted and credits from external physical therapy programs cannot be transferred. State residence does not influence acceptance or tuition costs.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program receives over 700 applications each year. The average acceptance rate (the number of applicants offered admission to the program divided by the total number of applications) for the past 3 years is 20%.

Important Dates

• PTCAS application opens on July 1st
• Early Decision Deadline: August 15th (interview takes place on September 20th)
• Deadline: November 3rd (interviews take place between November and February)
  
  ~ Duke DPT operates under a rolling admissions process, meaning our admissions cycle is not closed until the class is full. Applications received after November 3rd will only be reviewed on a space available basis.
  
  ~ Please remember that PTCAS can take up to 4-5 weeks to process an application after it has been submitted by the applicant, APPLY EARLY! 
  

Benefits of Applying for Early Decision

1. The numbers work in your favor!
• 81% of early decision applicants have been interviewed.
• 90% of those interviewed have been accepted.
2. Less Stress!
• Early Decision applicants are notified of a decision by mid to late September. Applying early takes the extended wait out of the process.
3. You Can't Lose!
• If you are not invited for an Early Decision interview day, your application will be placed back into our general application pool; so you still have an opportunity to be invited for an interview.
  
  ~ Please note that if you are offered admissions as an Early Decision applicant, you are obligated to accept the offer and you will not be permitted to apply to additional DPT programs via PTCAS.

For more information about the Early Decision process, click here.

Admissions Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college/university at the time of matriculation.
• Application must be submitted via PTCAS.
• Application fee of $50.00 - when the applicant submits an application to PTCAS AND it has been verified by PTCAS they will be contacted by the Duke DPT Admissions Office via email with instructions on how to pay the application fee.
• Official GRE scores - submitted to PTCAS (the Duke GRE Code=5473 - All official GRE scores MUST be submitted to this code; otherwise, the Duke DPT Program will not receive your official GRE scores).
• Completion of all prerequisites prior to matriculation.
• 3 letters of recommendation:
  • 1 letter from a professor who has taught the applicant in a collegiate academic setting and can attest to the applicants academic abilities (letters from teaching assistants, lab instructors, academic advisors, etc. will not fulfill this requirement).
  • 1 letter from a licensed physical therapist, preferably a physical therapists the applicant has observed/worked with.
  • 1 letter from someone of the applicant’s choice. This can be a recommendation from a professor, physical therapist, academic advisor, teaching assistants, lab instructor, mentor, etc. Reference letters from family members will NOT be accepted.
• Physical therapy observation hours in a variety of clinical settings (we recommend that applicants have at least 100 hours in a variety of clinical settings and specialities).
• Positive interview with DPT faculty during an invited visit.
  
  ~ All academic records (transcripts) must be verified by PTCAS. For more information on PTCAS transcript requirements please click here.
  

Prerequisites

Please take a moment to review the Duke DPT Prerequisite Overview that gives a detailed description of the prerequisite requirements, click here.

• Biological Science - 6 semester hours (general or specialized biology)
• Human/Vertebrate Anatomy - 3 semester hours
• must be taken within 5 years of matriculation
• Human/Vertebrate Physiology - 3 semester hours
• must be taken within 5 years of matriculation
• Chemistry - 6 semester hours (one semester of general chemistry & second semester of general or specialized chemistry)
• Physics - 6 semester hours
• Statistics - 3 semester hours
• Psychology - 6 semester hours (general and specialized psychology)
• Social Science & Humanities - 9 semester hours (includes: Ethics, Literature/Writing, Sociology, Social Anthropology, Philosophy, History, Art, etc.)
  
  ~ Labs are not required, but they are recommended.

Questions

If you have questions regarding admissions or your application, contact the Admissions Office via email, dptadmis@dm.duke.edu or by calling 919.668.5206.