Doctor of Physical Therapy

You Can Impact Patient Lives

Help people lead active, healthy, and fulfilling lives by earning your Doctor of Physical Therapy at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. Learning collaborative, patient-centered care from exceptional physical therapist faculty, you will develop the clinical reasoning and advocacy skills to convert your passion into a rewarding new career and join the next generation of physical therapist leaders.

“I am an athlete and a strength and conditioning coach. Working in the physical therapy profession would give me a deeper understanding of the human body as a whole and allow me to combine my strength and conditioning background with a rehabilitative approach to examining, treating, and improving human performance in all aspects of life.”

Learn more about Miguel Santiago

Miguel Santiago, DPT Class of '19

Ranked 9th

program in the country and 11th best health care career in U.S. News & World Report

1st Program

in the country to offer students paid, full-time, year-long internship opportunities

1 of 2 academic institutions

initially selected as exemplars of excellence and innovation in PT Education by PTE-21 Research Group funded by APTA.

The IHP Advantage

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A Team-Based IMPACT

You will learn and collaborate with students and practitioners from across the health professions. Interprofessional team-based experiences will strengthen your ability to provide patient-centered care in an increasingly complex health care environment.

Learn more about IMPACT Practice.

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On-Campus PT Center

The Physical Therapy Center for Clinical Education and Health Promotion offers students an opportunity to provide pro-bono care to clients who might not otherwise receive services, practicing professional skills under the supervision of area clinicians.

Learn more about the PT Center.

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A Vibrant City for Living and Learning

Boston is not only the center of higher education and health care, it is also a city with a rich history, amazing sports teams, wonderful neighborhoods, and vibrant performing arts. Your graduate experience will be one you will never forget.

Learn from the Best

Our faculty are leaders in the profession. A majority have clinical appointments, allowing them to bring real-life cases into the classroom and give you the knowledge employers are seeking.

Laura Plummer, PT, DPT, MS, NCS

“The connections I am able to make with my patients and their families during difficult times has always been the most gratifying part of Physical Therapy.”

Learn more about our Physical Therapy faculty.

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An Innovative Way to Learn

In contrast to traditional programs that have separate basic and clinical sciences, we use an integrated model, combining basic, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences in case-based and simulated learning experiences to model real-life clinical scenarios. Team-based learning approaches are used to foster active engagement with learning and strong collaborative interprofessional skills. Coupled with the Institute's IMPACT Practice model, our students develop strong uniprofessional (physical therapy) and interprofessional skills.

Exceptional Curriculum

2020-2021 Curriculum Plan

"Your First Day in Class"

Exceptional Clinical Experiences

As the only degree-granting affiliate of Mass General Brigham, we offer exceptional access to placements at Harvard Medical School affiliates such as Brigham and Women's, Massachusetts General, and Spaulding Rehabilitation hospitals. Our network of affiliated clinical PT sites also includes over 100 other health care and educational sites throughout New England and beyond. Learn more about the DPT Clinical Experience and Affiliations. You'll have a full-time, 10-week clinical experience in the summer after year one and in the winter during year two. Most students also complete a paid, full-time, year-long internship in their last year – which often leads to a permanent position after you graduate.

In addition, throughout the program you will be able to immediately put into practice what you are learning in the Physical Therapy Center for Clinical Education and Health Promotion. You will have simulated learning experiences with standardized patients and community dwelling adults to complement your coursework, honing your skills to prepare you for professional practice.

DPT student with patient at clinical placement in Spaulding Rehab

IMPACT Practice Center: PT

The MGH Institute’s Dr. Charles A. and Ann Sanders IMPACT Practice Center brings together students from nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, speech-language pathology/language and literacy, and genetic counseling to learn and practice in teams and to deliver essential free care to the community.

Students provide care to a variety of clients, under the direct supervision of Institute faculty. They tackle complex client problems, supported by the latest technology and state-of-the-art facilities. Client populations include those with chronic conditions across the lifespan.

The IMPACT Practice Center houses the Marjorie K. Ionta PT Center for Clinical Education and Health Promotion. See the virtual tour of our Adult Rehab Lab.

The center builds upon and enhances the community services currently provided by the Institute and houses these services in one integrated center. Learn more about the IMPACT Practice Center.

Institute Pledges to Combat Racial Injustice Head On

In late June 2020, the IHP announced the diversity office would become the Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, or JEDI. Its agenda includes a new anti-oppression statement; the expansion of the JEDI Fellowship program; programs to improve the diversity, retention, and support of faculty, staff, and students of color, especially Black faculty, staff, and students; and a review and streamlining of procedures for reporting bias. View an update on the progress in this January 2021 email from IHP President Paula Milone-Nuzzo and JEDI Executive Director Kim Truong.

DPT Costs & Funding

DPT Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid Information

Your Physical Therapy Career Starts Here

Request Information

Information Sessions

Application Requirements

My Application

For Program Starting: Summer 2022
The PTCAS Application Cycle Opened June 15, 2021
The Application Deadline is: October 1, 2021

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More Information

DPT Student Outcomes

View ultimate national licensure pass rates for the most recent two years.

DPT Program Policy Manuals

2018-2019

2019-2020

2020-2021

Featured DPT Alumni

Nine DPT grads are among the alumni profiled in the IHP's Forty for 40 section that celebrates our 40th anniversary.

Physical Therapy Club

The purpose of the Physical Therapy (PT) Club (founded 2005) is to increase awareness of the physical therapy profession to the general public, and to promote education and professional development of its members. In addition the club seeks to improve involvement of IHP students in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Learn more about the PT Club.

Student Support Services

Veterans Benefits

Academic Support

Career Development

DPT Program Philosophy and Goals

Learn more about the DPT Program Philosophy and Goals for students, faculty, and the program.

Department of Physical Therapy

Our programs provide students unparalleled opportunity to play an increasingly vital role in helping patients restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and limit permanent physical disabilities resulting from injury or disease, as well as in improving health and wellness.

Learn more about the Department of Physical Therapy at MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Campus Tour

Learn more about our campus by viewing a video campus tour.

Search for Housing

Explore housing listings in and around Boston; view photographs and floor plans; maps showing the housing location's proximity to the Institute campus, find a roommate and more. Search for housing on our off-campus housing site.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at MGH Institute of Health Professions is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 617-726-8099 or email pt@mghihp.edu.

Faculty Scholarship

Faculty members in the Department of Physical Therapy regularly publish in leading academic and professional journals, present at conferences, and secure grants – all with the goal of improving techniques and care practices to help improve the lives of patients.

Our faculty, a majority of whom are practicing clinicians in leading hospitals and health care centers, integrate their research into the classroom and clinical settings to provide students with the most up-to-date information that will help them become better physical therapists. View faculty scholarship from the Department of Physical Therapy.

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