Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

The UMass Lowell Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program prepares students to diagnose and treat movement dysfunction to help people live healthier lives. Supporting the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) core values as demonstrated throughout the curriculum, our program aligns with the vision of the APTA to transform society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience. 

The curriculum includes 95 credits of coursework that incorporate integrated clinical experiences and 34 weeks of full-time clinical education experience. It provides a comprehensive foundation in evidence-based physical therapy practice, with emphasis placed on the development of clinical decision-making and critical inquiry skills across the curriculum. Methods of instruction include classroom lecture and discussion, small group/problem-based learning, and skill development during laboratory and clinical experiences, including observed structured clinical examinations (OSCE). By being embedded in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, our DPT program also incorporates a variety of interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities throughout the curriculum.

1. View the DPT Degree Pathway (curriculum)
2. View the Program Outcomes
3. View the course descriptions in the Academic Catalog

Clinical education is embedded into a variety of experiences in the UMass Lowell Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program.

Integrated Clinical Experiences

Year 1 - Starting right away, students begin spending time in clinical settings via Integrated Clinical Experiences in our on-campus pro-bono Physical Therapy Clinic. 

Year 2 - Students take a leadership role in the pro-bono Physical Therapy Clinic peer-mentoring other year one students. Additional Integrated Clinical Experiences are also incorporated into year two coursework at local clinic sites.

Clinical Education Experiences

Students also complete three full-time immersive clinical education experiences, of 10, 12, and 12 weeks duration respectively, for a total of 34 weeks. In these clinical experiences, students gain experience with diverse patient populations across the lifespan in a variety of practice settings that span the continuum of care, including acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient neurological, orthopedic, and sports medicine, as well as other more specialized settings (e.g., pediatric, geriatric, women's health, and home care). All clinical sites have a history of high-quality training student physical therapists. While most clinical sites are based in the New England area, we have established clinical affiliations with more than 500 sites across the United States.

As a Carnegie Community Engagement Classified campus, community involvement is an integral component of the mission of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program of preparing clinicians to practice in today's complex healthcare environment. The program has community-based outreach relationships with many organizations in the region to facilitate rehabilitation, disease/injury prevention, wellness enhancement in the community. Additionally, the Department of Physical Therapy and Kinesiology is committed to providing community access to interprofessional educational programs that promote clinical expertise among practicing clinicians in the region and the nation.

Department-sponsored annual events include:

• National Physical Therapy Month (October)
• Annual Wheelchair Benefit Basketball Game

Service Learning

Service learning is a teaching and learning method that upholds a commitment to appreciating the assets of and serving the needs to a community partner while enhancing student learning and academic rigor through the practice of intentional reflective thinking and responsible civic action. Service Learning in Physical Therapy is a capstone course that facilitates these methods within the DPT Program. This course brings services to the community with special interest in working within underserved communities. Students use experiential learning to complement and enrich traditional didactic classroom activities and pedagogies, and will have opportunities to learn about particular populations and social issues within the community. The courses also provides students with an opportunity to design and implement educational and training programs in an effort to meet the needs of the populations in that community. As such, students work collaboratively with diverse populations to strengthen the listening and communication skills that are essential to a practicing physical therapist.

Organizations

The DPT Program has been, and/or is currently, involved with the following local organizations:

• Anne Sullivan Center
• Chelmsford Community Center
• Chelmsford Senior Center
• D'Youville Rehabilitation
• Elder Services of Merrimack Valley, Lawrence
• Emerson Hospital, Westford
• Hanscom Military and Airforce Base
• HEAD Start Program, Lowell
• Ironstone Farm
• Life Links
• Littleton Council on Aging
• Lowell Community Health Center
• Lowell Council on Aging
• Lowell Middlesex Charter School
• Northeast Rehab
• Newbury Court Parkinson's Rock Steady Program
• UMass Lowell Recreation Center
• UMass Lowell Club Sports Teams
• Winchester Hospital/Orthopaedics Plus, Woburn
• Women's Health Awareness with Pelvic Floor PTs
• YMCA of Lowell
• YMCA of Nashua

The Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program is also a member of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy.