In addition to admissions requirements, physical therapy doctoral students must complete several prerequisites, many of which are coursework requirements. Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis requires physical therapy students to have completed at least one year of anatomy, chemistry, biology and physics during their undergraduate education. Medical terminology, English and behavioral science courses are just a few of the other rigorous coursework prerequisites. Physical therapy programs also expect students to have first aid and CPR certification, and maintain certification throughout the duration of the program.
Neuroscience, musculoskeletal physical therapy and kinesiology are among the courses that are typically included in six-semester graduate physical therapy doctorate programs. Curricula occasionally feature a laboratory component. At Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, students work in small groups with a faculty mentor to explore case studies in Case Integration Lab.
As the practical application component of curriculum, physical therapy graduate schools require doctoral students to complete clinical internships. Students must complete full-time internship experiences throughout the course of the three-year doctoral program. Physical therapy doctoral students at the University of Delaware are required to complete four full-time internships at an outpatient center, acute care hospital setting or other post primary care setting within the program’s second and third years. At Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, doctor of physical therapy students are required to complete a series of part-time and full-time clinical experiences at sites in metropolitan St. Louis, in addition to patient exposure through laboratory work at the university.