Doctor of Physical Therapy

Vision
Transform physical therapy education, research, and clinical practice for a healthier and more equitable world

Program Mission 
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program educates its graduates to be part of patient/client-centered, interprofessional practice in a dynamic and diverse healthcare environment where they are prepared to be leaders in education, clinical practice, scholarship, professional service, and community engagement. 

At MGH Institute of Health Professions, we believe that physical therapists are an integral part of an interprofessional health care team and should be prepared to serve as the entry-point into the health care system with a concomitant responsibility to collaborate and consult with other health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and the community.

Physical therapists must interact with and value a complex and diverse society in a compassionate, humanistic, and professional way.

Physical therapists have a responsibility to understand how their clinical decision-making interacts with the ethical/fiscal management of the setting within which they work while advocating for health equity for all.  

A physical therapist’s goal is to optimize an individual’s ability to function within society by addressing prevention, wellness and rehabilitation across the lifespan and in a variety of settings.  

The Physical Therapy Program at the Institute prepares clinicians who recognize that physical therapist practice is centered on the human movement system.  

The faculty embraces the view that active adult learning is a process by which students employ an ongoing interpretive and reflective process that synthesizes prior and current experiences into new learning. This best happens within an inclusive learning community that continually strives for clinical excellence and professionalism among faculty, students and graduates.  

The program is structured to be fluid, proactive and responsive in meeting the present and future needs of its students and of health care, including the incorporation of modern technology and innovation into education and practice.  

Recognizing the responsibility to prepare members of a doctoring profession, the program prepares self-directed, life-long, collaborative learners who are able to use scientific and analytic approaches for clinical decision-making to achieve optimal patient care through evidenced-based practice.

Students/Graduates will:

1. Act as reflective practitioners that demonstrate the ability to think critically, challenge assumptions, offer alternative solutions and assess outcomes.  
2. Utilize common and cohesive framework for efficient clinical decision-making that reflects best available evidence, a concern for patient-centered care, and is grounded in current best practice.  
3. Act in a professional, ethical, and responsible manner in patient/client interactions, in peer collaborations, and in practice management.  
4. Function effectively in the multifaceted roles of a physical therapist including clinician, scholar, administrator, consultant, educator, and advocate.  
5. Demonstrate accountability for independent decision-making with responsibility for interprofessional collaboration, and referral to others to optimize patient outcomes.  
6. Respect and act with consideration for how differences, values, preferences, and expressed needs of a patient/client, family or group may influence or are influenced by the judgment, recommendations or decisions of the physical therapist.  
7. Apply principles of health, wellness and rehabilitation across the lifespan in a dynamic health care environment.  
8. Contribute to the community and the profession through service and by exercising leadership skills.  
9. Demonstrate the values of active and life-long learning to enhance professional development.  

Faculty will demonstrate a commitment to:

1. Reflective practice and advocacy for contemporary, evidence-based practice  
2. Learning-centeredness and dedication to producing competent and effective professionals  
3. Excellence as citizens of the Institute  
4. Leadership in the profession  
5. Leadership in scholarship, including the scholarship of teaching and learning  
6. Mentorship  
7. Demonstrating passion for the art and science of physical therapy, as well as commitment to curiosity and life-long learning 
8. Fostering a learning environment inclusive of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, socio-economic background, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and religious belief.  

Through its faculty and curriculum, the program will demonstrate a commitment to:

1. Innovation in both education and practice, embracing new ideas, and demonstrating a continuous drive for excellence that is not risk-aversive
2. Depth and breadth of expertise that includes faculty with clinical specialization across several practice areas  
3. Interprofessional education and collaboration  
4. Health promotion  
5. Team collaboration in a non-competitive environment that values diversity of contributions  
6. Embracing our clinical colleagues and their contribution to the education of our students  
7. The promotion of social justice and health equity 

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at MGH Institute of Health Professions is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation [at] apta.org (accreditation[at]apta[dot]org); website: www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 617-726-8099 or email pt [at] mghihp.edu (pt[at]mghihp[dot]edu).

Licensure

All states require physical therapists to pass a licensure exam before they can practice after graduating from an accredited physical therapist educational program.

Over the past two years, 100% of our graduates successfully passed the professional licensure exam, and 100% obtained professional positions within 6 months of successful completion of the physical therapist licensure examination.

Aspiring physical therapists must obtain a doctoral degree, and there are a variety of post-professional options. Licensed physical therapists are expected to continue their professional development by participating in continuing education courses and workshops and a number of states require continuing education as a condition of maintaining one’s licensure.

Licensure Pass Rates

In 32 months, the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program prepares you to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), which you must pass to become a licensed physical therapist. Licensing is done by state boards of physical therapy. Physical therapists are required to renew their licenses on a periodic basis.

Per the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) requirements, below are first-time and ultimate national licensure pass rates for the most recent two years:

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program has a two year average graduation rate of 98.53%. CAPTE requires at least 80% averaged over two years.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program has an employment rate of within six months of graduation of 100%. CAPTE requires at least 90% averaged over two years.

*In progress

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, the median annual earnings for physical therapists in 2024 was $101,020.

Comparing various factors including personal satisfaction, job security, salary, and growth opportunities for the profession, U.S. News & World Report ranked physical therapy as a top Health Care job.