Utica College

What you'll study

The tDPT comprises seven core courses plus a practicum. Course topics and listed offerings include:

• PHT 701 - Foundations of Autonomous Practice
• PHT 712 - Prevention and Wellness
• PHT 721 - Diagnostic Imaging I
• PHT 722 - Diagnostic Imaging II
• PHT 723 - Pharmacology and Pathophysiology I
• PHT 724 - Pharmacology and Pathophysiology II
• PHT 716 - Global Health Care Issues
• PHT 816 - Practicum (range 1 to 6 credits)

Learning objectives highlighted by the curriculum include developing clinical hypotheses to guide decisions, critically appraising and locating literature, using telecommunications and computing to address clinical questions, integrating research evidence with patient values and ethics across the lifespan, and applying cultural competence and professional standards in practice.

Entry requirements

Applicants living in the US who are licensed or license-eligible as physical therapists must supply a transcript from a physical therapist degree program, a professional portfolio, a current US state professional license (or proof of eligibility to sit for licensure), two written recommendations, and a brief essay stating goals for ppDPT study.

Applicants who are not yet licensed or license-eligible (living in the US or abroad) must submit a comprehensive credential evaluation from FCCPT confirming their entry-level PT education is substantially equivalent to the first professional degree in the US, a professional portfolio, two recommendations, and a goals essay. International applicants must provide current license from their country of origin if living outside the US and demonstrate English proficiency (Utica requires TOEFL 550 written / 213 computer / 79 internet or IELTS 6.0) when English is not their first language.

Important note: the tDPT curriculum does not provide the education that offers a path to US licensure as a physical therapist or a visa to practice physical therapy in the US.

Career prospects

The program is designed to build on clinical experience so graduates can assume greater autonomy in clinical decision-making, incorporate diagnostic imaging and pharmacology knowledge into patient management, revise therapeutic strategies based on diagnostic or treatment response, and apply prevention and wellness principles. Typical outcomes are expanded clinical competence and leadership within practice settings rather than initial licensure pathways.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Funding options for post-professional graduate study commonly include employer tuition assistance, graduate loans, and university financial aid or scholarship programs; prospective students should contact Utica University’s Office of Graduate Admissions and the university financial aid office to explore specific assistance, employer reimbursement, and timing relative to program start dates.