Program Opportunities
- Major in Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences
- Pre-Physical Therapy (Pre-PT) concentration
- Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy (DPT)
Overview
Physical therapists assist people to live healthy and active lives while restoring, maintaining and promoting optimal physical functions and movement. The pre-PT concentration at Manchester University prepares students to apply for a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program.
Physical therapists are the movement experts that evaluate, diagnose and treat musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and neurological conditions through exercises, hands-on therapies and patient education. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapy is identified to be the fastest-growing health sciences occupation between 2019-2029, with an 18 percent increase in demand nationally!
Career Tracks for Physical Therapy Graduates
Majoring in clinical and rehabilitation sciences with a pre-PT concentration satisfies the requirements as an undergraduate major in physical therapy when applying for DPT programs and prepares students for DPT program applications.
The DPT is a three-year professional graduate degree program that equips students with entry-level physical therapy knowledge and skills to practice as a physical therapist. A typical DPT program curriculum includes anatomy, exercise physiology, pathology, therapeutic exercises, modalities, biomechanics, kinesiology, orthotics and prosthetics, neuroscience, cardiopulmonary system, pharmacology, research and more in detail.
After passing the state-administered national licensure exam, a DPT graduate can practice as a physical therapist in a broad range of career tracks:
- Clinical settings:
- Outpatient PT
- PT in Acute and Sub-Acute Care
- PT in Rehabilitation Hospitals
- PT in Skilled Nursing Facilities
- PT in Extended Care facilities
- PT in Senior Living Facilities
- PT in Schools & Pre-Schools Settings
- PT in Home Healthcare Services
- Telehealth Services
- Non-clinical settings:
- Academics
- Clinical Research
- Professional/Spectator Sports
- Fitness Centers
- Insurance Agencies
- Recruitment Agencies
- Television Broadcasts as PT Experts
- Government Services for Military and Defense