Which Schools Offer Online Physical Therapist Courses?

You can increase your knowledge as a physical therapist from home with online college courses. Several schools offer courses for a doctoral physical therapy degree online, mostly aimed at current therapists who wish to improve their education.

Types of Online Physical Therapist Courses

Physical therapists help patients restore and strengthen body function and capability. Most online college courses on the subject are part of transitional Doctorate of Physical Therapy (t-DPT) degree programs. A Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) is designed for those beginning their physical therapist careers; some courses may be available online, but fully online programs are rare. A transitional doctorate is a post-professional degree intended for qualified physical therapists. With transitional doctorate programs, people who already have a bachelor's or master's degree in physical therapy can further their education online.

Important Information About Physical Therapist Courses

Prerequisites	Previous degree in the field, work experience and current license to practice
Possible Careers	Physical therapist, physical therapist assistant, occupational therapist
Degree Levels	Bachelor's, master's, doctoral degree and graduate certificate programs
Continuing Education	Written examination for recertification by ABPTS
Median Salary (2021)	$95,620 (for physical therapists)*
Job Outlook (2021-2031)	17% (for physical therapists)*

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Schools offering Physical Therapist Courses Online

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and offers a Doctorate of Physical Therapy with more than half of its courses delivered online. Based out of Florida, the school offers online classes such as:

Clinical neurosciences
Prosthetics
Differential diagnosis

Certain elements of the program are unavailable for distance learning. Practicum courses, in which students gain hands-on experience working with physical therapy patients, are required for a DPT degree. These can't be completed from home.

Temple University

The online transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy program offered by Temple University in Philadelphia requires that students complete 12-24 credits. There is no specific sequence or time frame to complete this program, though many students satisfy the 12 core credits in less than one year. Courses students could expect to take include:

Clinical pharmacology
Diagnostic imaging
Motor control and human movement

University of Michigan-Flint

The University of Michigan-Flint offers a transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Every course in this physical therapy program can be taken online. This makes scheduling more flexible for current therapists. Physical therapists entering the program with a previous bachelor's degree can earn their doctorate with 9-15 courses, and those who hold a master's degree can finish with 7-9 classes.

University of South Dakota

The first doctoral program offered online in the South Dakota Regental system was the transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of South Dakota. The program lasts 25 credit hours over five semesters. The curriculum was inspired by the standards of the American Physical Therapy Association's Preferred Curricular Model.

Other Schools Offering Online Physical Therapist Courses

The following institutions also provide online studies in a transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy program:

Northeastern University in Boston, MA
Arcadia University in Glenside, PA
The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN
University of New England in Biddeford and Portland, ME
Des Moines University in IA