The physical therapy program at SUNY Downstate is a long-standing accredited program which has been in existence since 1966. Today, we offer a BS/DPT curriculum, in which students can enter our program after completing three years of college. This program is also advantageous to those who enter with a bachelor's degree, as our students pay undergraduate-level tuition during the first year in the program.

Students in the Physical Therapy Program are educated in a multi-culturally diverse and challenging environment on a campus in the heart of Brooklyn, NY. We have a small class size of 24 students who are admitted each year, allowing more individual attention from faculty. The program has a high pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Examination each year and our retention rate is high. Our ultimate pass rate for the past three years is 98.6%. In the middle of the pandemic in NYC, our class of 2020 not only were able to graduate on time, they also had 100% first-time pass rate on the licensing exam. Our graduates also have 100% employment rate. Graduation rate over the past three years has been 97.2%.

 Downstate PT classes are now back to 100% in-person instruction for both lectures and labs. All students and faculty are mandated to have the COVID-19 vaccine and booster. If you would like to see our students in action in a lab classroom, please go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg_2a4aAYio&t=14s. 

The Physical Therapy Program faculty, a dedicated group of professionals with expertise in orthopedics, neurology, pediatrics, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, acute care, and vestibular rehabilitation. Each faculty member has a special area of interest that is actively enhanced through graduate studies, research, professional continuing education courses and active clinical practice. 

SUNY Downstate's PT program is affiliated with over 100 clinical education sites in the NY metropolitan area representing a variety of practice settings, including all major hospital centers in NYC. However, to accommodate the interests of students who would like to explore other settings and cultures, clinical affiliation sites are available in other states and overseas.

In addition to 39 weeks of full-time clinical affiliation, the students also have an opportunity to work in the Brooklyn Free Clinic. This is a student-run pro bono clinic at Downstate.

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the sixth largest provider of health care to an urban population in the United States and is the only academic medical center in Brooklyn. It is comprised of the largest Medical School in the state, and also includes the School of Graduate Studies, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Public Health, the University Hospital of Brooklyn, the Renal Dialysis Center of Brooklyn and a Biotechnology Park. The clinical facilities at Downstate serve the health care needs of the Brooklyn and Staten Island communities. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is recognized nationwide for its innovative research in the medical and biological sciences.

Our program offers a BS/DPT degree program. 

Interviews are being conducted online on Zoom until pandemic is over. However, we will still continue to offer Zoom interviews for out-of-town applicants even after pandemic is over. The interviews are one-on-one with a PT faculty member.

For students admitted into the PT program the pre-admission deposit is refundable if requested no later than April 1st.

If a student is notified of their acceptance after the date listed above, they may request a refund within 30 days of the date of their acceptance, but no later than the first day of class.

Program will accept qualified applicants with three years of college who have completed all prerequisites. Bachelor's degree is not required for admission.