A nationally recognized leader in physical therapy education, KU’s program offers a comprehensive three-year, full-time curriculum that blends academic rigor, clinical expertise and hands-on experiences to prepare graduates for a dynamic health care environment and lifelong professional development.

The program is intentionally designed to help students develop and translate foundational physical therapy knowledge and skills into clinical practice through a combination of integrated clinical experiences and clinical simulations. Students are well prepared for a final academic year consisting of 36 weeks of full-time clinical experiences offered at more than 250 clinical sites throughout the United States and abroad.

KU offers the traditional on-campus program as well as a new hybrid program option. Both pathways share the same eligibility requirements, PTCAS application, curriculum, clinical experiences and degree requirements. Following acceptance into the physical therapy program, you will have an opportunity to request the on-campus pathway or the hybrid pathway.

About the On-Campus Program

KU’s traditional, on-campus doctorate program in physical therapy has been continuously accredited since 1944 and is ranked in the Top 10 of all public physical therapy programs by U.S. News & World Report. The program boasts excellent student outcomes, faculty with national reputations as leaders in education and research and integration with a world-class health system.

Students in the on-campus program engage in live, in-person lectures and labs as well as clinical simulations in the state-of-the-art Health Education Building and Zamierowski Institute for Experiential Learning on the KU Medical Center campus. Students also take part in interprofessional activities, integrated clinical experiences and full-time clinical rotations as core elements of the curriculum.

A Note About Changing Pathways

Once you have accepted a position in our program, you are committed to the on-campus or hybrid option, and cannot switch to the other. Likewise, you cannot opt to change your program at any point in the curriculum once you have enrolled in the program. Learn more about the hybrid program.

Questions?

For a list of frequently asked questions about our program, please visit our FAQ. For additional information about this and other programs available through the Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, please explore our website or email us at ptrsat@kumc.edu.