Physical Therapy, D.P.T.
Our Department of Physical Therapy has created a substantive Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum that is grounded both in today’s practice and in the profession’s expanding role in patient diagnosis and care.
The DPT coursework will provide you with the substantial base of knowledge you’ll need to enter the profession. We’ll take you through movement and neuroscience to diagnostic imaging and orthopedics. Our graduates will enter the profession with a thorough understanding of the human body, the nature of injury, and the therapies that lead to recovery and improved function.
Admission to the DPT program is competitive, and only a limited number of applicants will be admitted. Each applicant’s strengths are evaluated under several factors associated with the successful completion of our program and passing the licensure examination.
GovState offers an on-campus, entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy degree for those interested in starting a career in physical therapy.
The Physical Therapy program takes approximately three years to complete; each admitted class will begin its coursework in the first fall semester following admission.
Quote from Estevan Aguilar, Doctor of Physical Therapy student
In Governors State’s DPT program, students of many different backgrounds support one another for what may be the most challenging years of our academic careers. This camaraderie not only helps us in the classroom, it prepares us for the modern, synergistic healthcare field. Physical therapy is a people profession, and it is reassuring that both our peers and faculty members are preparing us both as technicians and professionals.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Prerequisites
You don’t have to have a particular undergraduate degree to apply for the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program. A degree in English is as acceptable as a degree in biology. But you do have to have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university before you will be eligible to apply. You will also have to fulfil certain prerequisites. Prerequisites, in this case, include specific college coursework, minimum GRE scores, and a minimum GPA.
Your investment in earning the Doctor of Physical Therapy is significant, both financially and personally. We want you to succeed, and students who have completed the selected prerequisites for the DPT will be far better prepared to enter and finish the program than those who haven’t.
When it comes to the sciences, for example, an undergraduate degree in biology will have done a better job of preparing you to study human physiology than a degree in English. If your bachelor’s degree is in English, you may lack the scientific foundation you’ll need to do well and keep up in courses that expect students to have a strong understanding of biological processes.
This doesn’t mean you won’t be a great physical therapist and a successful student; it only means you may need more preparation before you’re ready to enter the program.
In short, we want to make certain that you have a strong foundation in the subject matter you’ll need to know before you begin the program. The DPT is a rigorous degree program, and you won’t have time to catch up.
Other prerequisites, such as minimum GPA and GRE scores, serve as indicators that you’ve mastered the required subject matter with enough proficiency to meet the program objectives and expected student outcomes.
The following courses (in semester credit hours) or their equivalents are minimum prerequisites for entry into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program:
Required Courses:
- 1 General biology with lab (4) (BIOL 1500, 1501, 1510, 1511)
- 1 General chemistry with lab (8) (CHEM 1141, 1142, 1143, 1144)
- Anatomy with lab (8); two-semester sequence of 1000-level Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab (8) (BIOL, 2200, 2201, 2210, 2211) OR one semester of 2000-level or higher with lab (4) such as Comparative Anatomy (BIOL 3360/3361) and one semester of Physiology (3) such as Human Physiology (BIOL 4444/4445)
- 2 General Physics with lab (8) (PHYS 2141/2142 and PHYS 2143/2144)
- Statistics (3) (STAT 4219)
- 3 courses in Psychology, Sociology or Anthropology (1 needs to be psychology) (9)
Recommended Courses:
- Orientation to Physical Therapy (2) (PHYT 2320)
- Medical Terminology (1) (HLSC 4400) or Computer Application: Medical Terminology for the Health Professional (OCCT 2400)
Observation Hours:
- 30 hours of observation, which can be volunteer or paid (multiple settings recommended)
In addition to meeting university admissions criteria, applicants must: have a bachelor's degree, any major, with a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale; and have appropriate prerequisite course work with a minimum prerequisite G.P.A. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. It is also preferred that applicants have a 300 on the GRE General Test.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Outcomes
Graduation rates are very high. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program has one of the highest retention rates in the university. Occasionally, students complete the program within 150% of the normally expected time, voluntarily withdraw, or do not complete the program for a variety of academic and non-academic reasons. The graduation rate for the past three academic years is presented to the right.
| Academic Year | Graduation Rate | NPTE First Time Pass Rate | NPTE Ultimate Pass Rate | Employment Rate |
| 2025 | 24/26=92.3% | 19/25=75% | N/A | 100% |
| 2024 | 29/30=96.7% | 18/29=62.1% | 27/29=93.1% | 100% |
| 2023 | 31/32=97% | 19/30=63.3% | 29/30=96.7% | 100% |
| 2023-2024 | 60/62=96.8% | 37/59=62.7% | 56/59=95% | 100% |
Quote from David Diers, Department Chair, Physical Therapist, Athletic Trainer
The three-year-average graduation rate from our Doctor of Physical Therapy program is 97.4 percent. We achieve this by working closely with students during the program to prepare students as best as possible for the license exam. We also have three brand-new PT labs that our students have full access to outside of classroom hours to continue their practice.
PT Solutions
Criteria
- Must be enrolled in Physical Therapy program.
- Must be enrolled in PHYT 8820, PHYT 8830 and PHYT 9810 and receiving placement at a PT Solutions location.
Scholarship Cycle Process
The Chair of Physical Therapy will confirm enrollment in the required courses and placement for the PT Solution internship.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Governors State University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If you need to contact the program/institution directly, please call David Diers, Ed.D., MHS, PT, ATC, Department Chair, PT at 708-235-2232 or email at ddiers@govst.edu.
DPT Program Overview, Student Goal and Objectives
The course of study will be long (119 hours) and challenging, but the rewards will make the journey one well worth taking. When you walk to the podium and receive your doctorate, you and your fellow healthcare professionals will know you have mastered each of the following skills.
The DPT program requires graduates to successfully complete 104 credit hours of coursework to complete the degree. Admission to the program is competitive, and only a limited number of applicants are accepted each year. All applicants must meet the program's prerequisite requirements prior to admission.
Students who are admitted to the program will begin courses in the Summer semester following admission. Applications must be received by October 15 to receive full consideration. Late applications may be considered on a space-available basis.
The program curriculum is at the doctoral level. Coursework is accordingly complex and the subject matter will require students to master difficult concepts. The program is primarily full-time, but students may be allowed a part-time option for completion.
The curriculum is built on a traditional model and uses a systems-based approach. The first year emphasizes foundational courses, especially the basic sciences of gross anatomy, human physiology, pathology, and kinesiology. Coursework builds from the foundational to more sophisticated concepts, with an applied emphasis.
All anatomy lab work is performed on actual cadavers.
One of the strongest features of the program is its clinical experiences. Students complete a total of 34 weeks of full-time clinical experiences. The first clinical experience occurs at the end of the first academic year of courses. Another follows at the end of the second academic year. The remaining clinical experiences occur during the last two terms of study.
Before their last two terms, which are full-time clinical experiences, students are evaluated with simulated patients. The Department requires each student to have clinical experiences in an outpatient setting, in an inpatient setting, in an orthopedic setting, and in a neurological setting.
Students are prepared for initial practice in physical therapy and life-long learning.
After completing the DPT program, the student will be able to:
- Provide quality patient-centered health care grounded in legal and professional standards and ethical principles.
- Incorporate sound clinical reasoning and problem solving to deliver safe, high-quality patient/client management consistent with current best practices to a diverse population across the lifespan in a variety of settings.
- Practice cultural humility and social responsibility consistent with the professional core values of the APTA.
- Maximize delivery of care through competent decision-making within inter and intra-professional collaboration, consultation, and referral to others to optimize patient outcomes.
- Pursue life-long learning for professional development.
In Illinois, Physical Therapists must be licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. For information about licensure in the State of Illinois, visit the Physicians Page on the IDFPR website. All Physical Therapists must be licensed in the state or territory they will practice in. For information about state or territory and its licensing requirements, visit the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website.
Is the DPT Right for You?
Improving Performance, Easing Pain, and a Speedy Recovery.
Physical therapists can make a tremendous difference in a person's life. Is the Doctor of Physical Therapy the right career choice for you? Read the Q&A below to find out more:
First and foremost, physical therapists are hands-on healthcare professionals. As a physical therapist, you will use your education, along with your knowledge of anatomy and the sciences, to help patients and clients recover from injuries and achieve improved function and movement. You will assess a patient’s biomechanical functioning and provide appropriate therapies; you'll develop specialized stretches and exercises to help your patients overcome pain and increase their range of motion.
Moreover, physical therapists are teachers; you will teach your clients how to take charge of their health to achieve a better quality of life. PTs are counselors, too, providing clients with the perspective and motivation they need to keep working toward improved health.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program attracts students who enjoy science, especially the study of movement, and working with people from all walks of life. Physical therapists (also known as PTs) might work with infants only days old or with older adults; they might spend their time working with professional athletes or with patients who have sustained permanent disabilities. One thing remains constant: no matter whom you're working with, PTs help people live better lives, whether it’s in reaching peak athletic performance or returning to a normal range of movement and ability.
Hear what physical therapists and new professionals say about their choice of a physical therapy career at the link below:
In Their Own Words — Why Our PTs Chose a Career in Physical Therapy
In today's healthcare, collaboration is essential for better patient outcomes, as siloed practices are no longer viable.
As a physical therapist, you will work closely with other healthcare professionals to improve your client’s health and functioning. You'll integrate your expertise and collaborate with occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, nurses, physicians, prosthetists, orthotists, and others. You'll also provide guidance and therapy in collaboration with school teachers, social workers, and family members.
For more information on the profession of physical therapy and accredited education programs, contact the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at 800.999.2728 (APTA), or visit online at https://www.apta.org/.
How to Apply
Thank you for your interest in the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program at Governors State University. You'll find the information and instructions you need to apply to the DPT program below.
The curriculum for the DPT degree program is designed for the entry-level student who has a bachelor’s degree in any major, with appropriate prerequisite coursework and a strong commitment to pursue a rigorous full-time course of study in physical therapy.
The PTCAS application cycle opens on June 15.
- Applications that are “verified” by PTCAS on or before August 1 will be reviewed for a possible interview in mid-August.
- At that point, you will have to commit to:
- A $1500 seat deposit due within 1 month of notification of acceptance in the DPT program
- Applications that are submitted by October 15 will be reviewed for a possible interview in early December. You will be notified of acceptance through an early decision letter by December 31.
- At that point, you will have to commit to:
- A $1500 seat deposit due in mid-January.
Notifications of admission status through PTCAS (i.e., admit, alternate list, or denied admission) are made in January.
Truly qualified applicants should recognize that the DPT admissions committee may have been faced with the difficult task of selecting a relatively small group of the most qualified candidates from among an applicant pool that was generally well qualified. Unsuccessful candidates often wish to know why they were not admitted and what they can do to improve their chances of admission in subsequent years. Because admission decisions are made based on many pieces of objective and subjective information, it is often difficult to pinpoint any particular weakness that led to a negative decision. Unsuccessful applicants may sometimes improve their chances for admission in a subsequent year by improving their prerequisite GPA by retaking key courses, improving GRE scores, or enhancing their understanding of the profession through work or volunteer services in appropriate healthcare facilities.
Applicants must recognize that following these suggestions does not in any way guarantee future admission. Inquiries by unsuccessful candidates cannot be acknowledged before May 1.
To be considered for admission, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0.
GovState's School of Extended Learning offers Graduate Record Exam Test Preparation, either in class or online through a partnership with the Princeton Review. Click here for more information. If applicable, you must also take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Applicants whose native or primary language is not English must provide official evidence of having attained a minimum score of 550 on the TOEFL. Official TOEFL scores are sent directly to Governors State University from the Educational Testing Service that administers these exams. Specific questions about the TOEFL exam should be directed to the Office of Admission & Student Recruitment.
What You'll Study
Our academic catalog has detailed information about what you'll study, including courses, hours needed for completion, and other requirements.
How to Apply
You'll need certain documents and need to meet certain requirements in order to apply. Read about them on our admissions pages.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Governors State’s mission is to offer accessible and exceptional education, which is why GovState offers the most affordable tuition rates in the Chicagoland area, all while maintaining our top accreditations.
As a student at Governors State University, you have many available ways to cover the cost of your tuition.
Contact Us
- David Diers, Ed.D., MHS, PT, ATC Department Chair
- Department of Physical Therapy
- 708.534.7290
- ddiers@govst.edu