Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Offered in partnership with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is one of the top medical schools in the nation, with the physical therapy program tied as No. 1 in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Students at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis benefit from having preferred admission into the program with three seats reserved each academic year for students at the University.

To see the program at a glance, download the Physical Therapy program profile.

About the Program

The School of Medicine’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program integrates outstanding education, interdisciplinary research and quality clinical care to carry out its mission of advancing human health through movement. The program has pioneered the development of movement-focused physical therapy education, research and treatment. The human movement system continues to be the School of Medicine’s foundation for treating patients, conducting research and training the next generation of leaders in physical therapy.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted into one of the University's three reserved seats, students must meet the current admissions requirements for the DPT program.

• Bachelor of Science from UHSP
• 3.5 GPA in math, science and prerequisite courses, majority being completed at the University.
• Minimum 155 Verbal Reasoning measure and 155 Quantitative Reasoning measure of the GRE
• 4.5 or higher on the Analytical Writing measure of the GRE
• Three letters of recommendation, one from a UHSP science or psychology faculty member
• Completed application by October 1 of the preceding desired year of admission

Prerequisite Courses

• Chemistry with lab (8 credits)
• Physics (8 credits)
• Biology for science majors (6 credits)
• Anatomy and Physiology (8 credits)
• Psychology (3 credits)
• Statistics (3 credits)

Clinical Experience

The clinical education program challenges students to think critically, integrate concepts and techniques into clinical care and to reflect on clinical experiences. The clinical education courses are an integral component of the curriculum where students develop their professional, communication, patient examination, diagnosis and intervention skills.

The full-time clinical experiences allow students to practice professional behaviors and examination and intervention skills. CE III and CE IV are considered to be the School of Medicine’s clinical internships.

• Clinical Experience I (8 weeks): May-July
• Clinical Experience II (8 weeks): January-February
• Clinical Experience III (10 weeks): July-September
• Clinical Experience IV (12 weeks): September-December

Research Opportunities

At both the University and the School of Medicine, students have opportunities to develop their research portfolios.

The School of Medicine offers physical therapy research training programs designed to prepare students at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels for careers in groundbreaking physical therapy research.

• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Movement Science
• Clinical Research Training Center
• Institute of Clinical Translational Sciences
• Comprehensive Opportunities in Rehabilitation Research Training (CORRT)

The University is actively working on research combating the opioid epidemic and improving patient care through the Center for Clinical Pharmacology and Center for Health Outcomes Research and Education. Faculty at the University are also conducting science- and humanities-based research.

Take the Next Step

To learn more about the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) or to schedule a visit, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@uhsp.edu or 314.446.8328.