Prospective DPT Students
The University of Colorado Physical Therapy Program has established a tradition of excellence for over 70 years. Our 2.5 year graduate professional Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree boasts a commitment to the education of a diverse body of students and a strong network of supportive alumni and clinical faculty.
The PT Program educates competent, ethical physical therapists to assume the multi-faceted roles of clinical practitioner, patient manager, teacher, researcher, administrator, consultant and advocate. In addition to compassion, character and professionalism, certain essential skills are required in order to complete the PT Program. Upon successful completion of the PT Program, graduates are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) in any state.
The following are expected minimum outcomes for our students:
- 90% of our graduates will pass the NPTE on their first attempt to become licensed physical therapists.
- 85% of our graduates will feel competent to practice autonomously as Doctors of Physical Therapy within their first year post-graduation.
- All of our graduates will use critical thinking, evidence, and clinical reasoning in physical therapy patient management.
- All of our graduates will be prepared to provide physical therapy care to meet the needs of patients across the lifespan.
For more information about our Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, please contact CU Physical Therapy Admissions by phone at (303) 724-9144 or email at PT.Admissions@cuanschutz.edu
The PT Program Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee has identified a number of strategic priorities and related activities to better meet the needs of our students and our community. These priorities and activities have emerged from ongoing conversations with program students and faculty, as well as meetings with local and national DEI leadership. Our diversity page outlines more of our commitment and efforts.
Hear from our students
As part of an outreach effort, current DPT students share barriers they overcame in getting to PT school, tips & advice for the process, and navigating PT as a second career among other topics.
COVID Vaccination Policy
The University of Colorado policies require full COVID vaccination for students, faculty and staff on all four CU campuses. This requirement would need to be met at least 4 weeks prior to Orientation, at the start of the PT Program. (Read more about the CU requirement.) There are NO waivers of any kind for students with specific religious convictions or beliefs. Waivers due to a medical condition require approval at the campus level and must adhere to a strict review process.
Footnote 2 of the Requirement and Compliance policy states
“Currently, the only absolute contraindications to COVID-19 vaccination are i) severe immediate allergic reaction to previous dose or to a component of the COVID-19 vaccine, ii) immediate reaction of any severity to a previous dose or known
(diagnosed) allergy to a component of the COVID-19 vaccine.”
In the event a student receives a waiver for a medical exemption, it should be noted that the waiver could impact the availability of placement in certain clinical sites, engagement in educational activities within close proximity of others (common in DPT lab skills courses), and overall progression in the educational curriculum with the cohort.
Program Accreditation
The Physical Therapy Program at University of Colorado is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia
22305-3085; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org;
http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 303-724-2878 or e-mail vonelle.kelly@cuanschutz.edu
On November 3, 2020, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) reaffirmed the accreditation status based upon compliance with all of the evaluative criteria. The
accreditation status remains in effect for the full 10 year period until 2031 at which time the accreditation status will undergo a self-study report and on-site review.
The Program received initial accreditation in 1947 from the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association. The Program made the transition from offering only a certificate to awarding a baccalaureate degree in 1952,
and continued at that degree level until 1990 when a Master of Science, Physical Therapy degree was initiated. In 2003, the Program was approved to offer a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree by the CAPTE. The program has been continuously
accredited since its inception.
CAPTE has a mechanism to consider formal complaints about physical therapy education programs that allege a program is not in compliance with
one or more of CAPTE's Evaluative Criteria or has violated any of CAPTE's expectations related to academic integrity. To obtain the materials necessary for submitting a complaint, contact APTA Accreditation Department at 703-706-3245 or at
accreditation@apta.org.
The
University of Colorado Physical Therapy Program s a member of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) which supports academic institutions to strive for excellence in physical therapist education. We encourage faculty, clinical educators,
academic administrators and students interested in pursuing teaching to check out acapt.org.