The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program offered by the School of Physical Therapy at Marshall University is a full-time, three-year, nine-semester graduate program for students who wish to pursue a career as a physical therapist practitioner. Our inaugural class matriculated on May 21, 2012. 

The curricular model of Marshall University's DPT program is a modified case-based model, designed in a ???builds on, leads to??? manner which is delivered in a full time, in-house format utilizing lecture, labs, small group discussion, case seminars, and clinical visits and internships, starting with education in the basic foundational sciences that inform the content of the field. Faculty teaching the foundational sciences facilitates discussion drawing on research, clinical experiences, and personal/professional activities to model professional behaviors, elucidates psychosocial and ethical issues, and presents a broad application of course content to practice settings. Through clinical cases intermingled within basic science didactic content, students are challenged to apply basic science information to solve clinical problems. Instruction in these basic science areas builds the foundation for the clinical coursework.

Within any given semester, we utilize team-taught, integrated course classes to encourage synthesis of material presented. Case Application Seminars and Experiences (CASE) courses provide students the opportunity to learn collaboratively in faculty-facilitated small groups. Most semesters, students attend laboratory sessions in local physical therapy/rehab clinics for hands-on experiences interspersed within the didactic coursework.

Early in the curriculum, students are introduced to the basic tools of investigation in PT (Evidence Based Practice course series). Starting with the clinical decision making process, they learn to utilize literature review and scientific method to support evidence based practice, and the process for utilizing and creating evidence to improve upon the body of knowledge that informs the profession. Basic clinical skills coursework forms the foundation for more advanced clinical courses in diagnosis and management. 

Faculty emphasizes utilization of current, evidence-based practices that are built on the foundational sciences and are consistent with published research and clinical outcomes in the diagnosis and management process. Knowledge of the professional aspects of practice is integral to successful hands-on practice, and necessary to become a competent practitioner. Therefore, a series of professional practice courses inculcate a working knowledge of communications, educational methodology and process, culture, ethics, law, health care delivery systems, administration, and the political aspects that influence the field of physical therapy. 

Clinical education exposure/experiences are integrated into the first two years of the curriculum though case-based courses and seminars, and through clinic visits to local physical therapy facilities spread within the didactic course work, with the first full time clinical rotation/internship (8 weeks) occurring early in the second year of the program. These rotations continue in the 3rd year with two full-time clinical internships, for 24 weeks in the last two semesters of the program, totaling 32 weeks of long-term clinical rotations/internship in the entire DPT program. This series of clinical experiences assures that the graduate has the opportunity to develop skills in a variety of practice settings, working within a team approach to patient management, under the direct supervision of a clinical instructor who is a licensed physical therapist.

Our 22600 sq ft space includes three classrooms/laboratories and eight seminar rooms for teaching purposes, a research laboratory (about 2000 sq ft), faculty and administrative offices, student locker rooms, restrooms and kitchen/lounge areas and specialized equipment necessary to teach the content taught in a physical therapy professional program. There is sufficient free parking to accommodate students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors.

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Interviews are held during the first two weeks of January 2023.  Due to the large number of applicants, a limited numbers of qualified applicants are selected and invited to the interview.

The deposit is non-refundable.  Upon matriculation in the program, this money will be applied to the initial tuition installment.

Admission decisions are based on a variety of factors.  The primary factor in all admission decisions is prior academic achievement (overall, science, and/or prerequisite grade point average – GPA and GRE scores) and the potential for an applicant to be successful in a rigorous PT curriculum.  

An applicant’s volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, and interview performance are reviewed by members of the Admissions Committee.  

The Admission’s Committee will also consider additional factors in the final admissions review process (e.g., undergraduate attendance at Marshall University or West Virginia state residency, veteran of the US military, and certain economic, environmental, or geographic indicators contained in the PTCAS application.)