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Overview

Physical Therapists Allow Clients to Optimize Movement and Function.

As a physical therapist you will be trained and licensed to perform a broad range of activities including the evaluation and treatment of individuals recovering from injury or disease, and in programs for maintaining wellness and fitness for those without apparent disease or injury. Physical therapists provide patients and clients with services that restore function, enhance mobility, relieve pain, prevent or limit physical disability, and promote health and well-being. These may include, but are not limited to, examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, providing treatments or interventions based on their evaluation, and providing health and wellness interventions and education.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at ÃÛÑ¿ÊÓƵ will prepare graduates to pass the physical therapy licensure examination required to practice as a physical therapist in Illinois and across the nation. Through innovation and integration of education, scholarly activities, service, and clinical care, at ÃÛÑ¿ÊÓƵ you will learn to optimize movement and function across the lifespan in diverse populations, communities, and individuals. You will become a reflective, ethical, culturally informed, socially responsible, and innovative clinician who will lead and work collaboratively in the ever-evolving healthcare field. Faculty, graduates, and students at ÃÛÑ¿ÊÓƵ will use movement to improve the human condition.

Career Outlook

Employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 17 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations according to the . Demand for physical therapy is expected to come from aging baby boomers who are staying active later in life, and people who are susceptible to chronic health conditions.

DPT Curriculum

ÃÛÑ¿ÊÓƵ DPT students will be uniquely educated to be innovative human movement specialists. Graduates will be critical thinkers, who practice with integrity, autonomy, inter-professional skills, in contemporary evidence-based practice as innovators, health advocates, and global citizens.

• 112 semester credit hours
• 7.5 semesters
• Classroom experiences in foundational sciences, professional topics, clinical sciences, evidence-informed practice, and research/innovation experiences.
• 32 weeks of Clinical Education

Classroom Experiences: The curriculum offers a dynamic, in-person program that seamlessly integrates traditional lectures and hands-on laboratory experiences with the enriching elements of case studies, interprofessional collaborative education, and team-based learning. Our state-of-the-art facilities provide students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in the finest aspects of diverse curricular models.

Clinical Education: Students in the DPT program will have a variety of clinical experiences which are representative of those in which physical therapy is commonly practiced. Four 8-week clinical experiences will include the areas of orthopedics, neurorehabilitation, acute care, and niche areas of practice such as pediatrics, geriatrics, etc.

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Complaints

Program Outcomes

First data will be available in 2028-29.

ACCREDITATION

Key Dates:

1. CAPTE site visit scheduled for the penultimate term (Spring 2027) of the inaugural cohort.
2. Graduation of the inaugural cohort in August 2027.
3. First licensure examination available to graduates in October 2027.
4. CAPTE accreditation decision expected in Fall 2027.

Questions?

Contact the Office of Graduate Admission at grad@lewisu.edu or (815)836-5610.

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