What is the educational background of a physical therapist?
In the United States, physical therapists hold doctorates or master degrees (DPT, MPT). Students first complete 4 years of undergraduate or baccalaureate education with a heavy science concentration (biology, chemistry, physics, and physiology) and then they enter a 3-year physical therapy program. The physical therapist curriculum consists of study in the basic sciences, applied sciences, and clinical sciences. Students learn procedural interventions, the examination process, critical inquiry, and clinical decision making. Each program features about 1 full year of clinical practice in multiple settings.
