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The Benefits of a Hybrid Education

Our program in physical therapy has been preparing students to be highly competent and compassionate professionals for 50 years. We take pride in bringing together the most advanced educational philosophies and the most current research together with the finest faculty to create an effective and supportive learning environment. Proof of our success is the fact that we have a 99% first-time pass rate on the national licensure examination.

The physical therapy program at the University of Utah has a long-standing tradition of excellence dating back to the admission of its first class in 1969. This makes the University of Utah program in physical therapy one of the oldest in the region. 

The University of Utah Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program offers three options to accommodate every type of learner:

  • In-person on the main campus in Salt Lake City
  • In-person in St. George, Utah
  • This innovative hybrid format

Admissions, prerequisites, and application requirements for each option are identical.

The Hybrid DPT program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). 

Learn more about our mission and values.


This is a full-time program. We do not recommend that students hold other employment during their studies.

The hybrid online/on-campus DPT option gives students from across the nation the opportunity to earn their DPT from a top-ranked school of physical therapy, without having to relocate. This program combines engaging online learning with in-person immersion experiences at the University of Utah and clinical experiences near students’ communities, which enables students to learn in an intimate and innovative atmosphere while staying close to home.

The curriculum utilizes an innovative layered approach to active student learning. The program includes the following online, live, and in-person elements:

  • Asynchronous Lessons: Didactic content and lab skills are introduced through recorded lessons that students complete online.
  • Live Sessions: Each class holds weekly synchronous online meetings between students and faculty.
  • Immersions: On-campus experiences consisting of physical learning and assessment. Immersions are roughly 6-7 days in length and occur at the following times:
    • During orientation at the beginning of the program (3-days)
    • Twice during each fall and spring semester, with one toward the middle and one at the end of the semester. Summer semesters include one immersion only.
  • Clinical Education: Students complete 15 weeks (45 hours) of part-time clinical education in spring semester of the first year and 42 weeks of full-time clinical education including three back-to-back placements in the final year. Students may also complete optional part-time clinical education during didactic semesters in the second and third year of the program.

Faculty and Culture

DPT Pathways

Commitment to EDI

Doctor of Physical Therapy

 

Applicants must complete all prerequisite requirements to be admitted. This information is subject to change without notice. Prerequisite requirements are identical for all pathways (residential and hybrid).

  • A completed Bachelor’s degree issued by either a regionally accredited, four-year U.S. institution or a comparable institution recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education in one’s home country.
  • A minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  • A minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0.
  • All prerequisite requirements must be completed prior to starting the DPT program. Note: The DPT program starts with a summer semester that begins mid-May.
  • All prerequisite coursework must earn a letter grade*. Any coursework with a grade below C will not fulfill a prerequisite; C-minus is NOT acceptable.
  • If a prerequisite course is repeated, the highest grade earned in that course will be used to calculate your Prerequisite GPA.
  • Advanced Placement (AP) courses will NOT fulfill a prerequisite.
  • For courses with a required lab, the lab must have an in-person component.
The following courses must be completed and graded prior to submitting your PTCAS application. These courses must be taken within 7 years from the date of application. No exceptions will be made:
  • Anatomy & Physiology with lab - one course in Anatomy with lab and one course in Physiology with lab OR A two-course sequence in Anatomy & Physiology, each with lab.
  • Physics series with associated labs- one year series of physics. For example, Principles of Physics I and Principles of Physics II or Elements of Physics I and Elements of Physics II.
  • Chemistry series with associated labs- requires a full series with labs (two semesters of the same). For example, General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II or Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II.
In addition to the previously mentioned prerequisites, the following courses must be completed. Only two of the following courses can be in progress or planned for completion by mid-May prior to starting the DPT program.
  • One course in Biological Sciences - one course taken in the past 7 years from date of application (not botany; Exercise Physiology can count as 1 biology; lab is optional).
  • One course in Psychology - one course within 10 years from date of application.
  • One course in Statistics - one course taken in the past 10 years from date of application. The statistics requirement is met by a course that includes both descriptive AND inferential statistics (e.g. hypothesis testing, t-test, Analysis of Variance, regression, confidence intervals).
All prerequisite coursework must be completed by the end of spring semester, prior to the start of the DPT program (Summer Semester; mid-May).
 
*Applicants will not be penalized for Pass/Fail or Credit/No-Credit marks on their transcripts in any classes taken Spring 2020 and Summer 2020.

The full cost for the program is $93,300*.

*Subject to change without notice.

See information on scholarship opportunities.

This program qualifies for the U of U employee reduced tuition benefit.

Current salary information can be obtained from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Outlook Handbook. Physical Therapy has been named as one of the nation's 150 best recession-proof jobs. Physical Therapist ranks in CNN Money's 2013 Top 100 Jobs in America, and PT is included in their 10 Booming Jobs, with the growth over the next 10 years at 30%. The Department of Workforce Services of Utah gives Physical Therapy a 5 Star Rating.

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Last Updated: 3/22/24