Physical Therapy

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Clarkson University is a full-time graduate program. In order to be considered for admission, students must satisfy the following requirements:

• Complete a baccalaureate degree with an overall grade point average (GPA) greater than or equal to 3.2.
• Take all the necessary prerequisite courses (see below) with a GPA greater than or equal to 3.2 in all prerequisite courses and no grade lower than a C in these courses.
• Submit documentation of a minimum of 50 hours of observation, volunteer or work experience in physical therapy and/or another healthcare setting, of which a minimum of 30 hours must be completed under the supervision of a physical therapist.
• Submit three letters of recommendation. At least one must be from a physical therapist and one must be from a faculty member. None can be from family, friends or clergy.
• Meet the technical standards of the Doctorate in Physical Therapy program, with or without reasonable accommodations.

All applications must be submitted through the Physical Therapy Common Application Service.  The deadline for submission of applications is March 1st. The department uses a rolling admissions process; applications are reviewed and students offered admission on an on-going basis.

The department follows all applicable laws and guidelines to ensure that all prospective students' rights are protected.

The Clarkson University Department of Physical Therapy will review the application of any individual who wishes to transfer from other physical therapy programs.  However, we do not accept transfer credits.  All students who would like to apply for our physical therapy program, including those who have already taken graduate level physical therapy coursework, must apply through the Physical Therapy Central Application System (PTCAS).  Everyone who is accepted into our program, including those who have already taken and successfully passed graduate level physical therapy coursework, must begin at the start of the Clarkson Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum and successfully pass all coursework in order to graduate.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Clarkson University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The program was originally accredited on Nov. 16, 2001, reaffirmed on Oct. 28, 2009, and reaffirmed again on April 26, 2017. CAPTE is the sole accreditation agency for physical therapy programs in the nation. It is our policy to maintain accreditation, and our next site visit is scheduled for the fall of 2026. Licensure through the state is required for practice as a physical therapist. Licensure is gained through successful completion of the National Physical Therapy Examination offered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

CAPTE — 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. 

• Graduation Rate: 89.9 percent of admitted students to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program graduated (two year average from 2017-2018)
• Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy National Physical Therapy Licensure Exam Pass Rate: 95.5 percent (two year average from 2017-2018)
• Employment: Of those program graduates responding to surveys, 100 percent who sought jobs as physical therapists were employed as physical therapists within 12 months.
• The program and institution are also accredited by
  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education (July 1, 2008), and to grant a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (March 28, 2006)
  • The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York to offer a Doctor of  Physical Therapy degree program (May 18, 2005)
• Comments or complaints about the Clarkson University doctor of physical therapy program should be sent to the chair of the program or the dean of the School of Arts & Sciences:
  • Chair, Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Ave, Potsdam, NY 13699, lrussek@clarkson.edu, 315-268-4352
  • Dean, School of Arts & Sciences, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Ave, Potsdam, NY 13699, cthorpe@clarkson.edu, 315-268-6738
• Comments or complaints about the Clarkson University doctor of physical therapy program or Clarkson University  in relation to the CAPTE evaluative criteria can also be mailed to the Department of Accreditation, American Physical Therapy Association, 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488; Fax: 703-684-7343; or emailed to accreditation@apta.org.
  • For more information on the process of filing a complaint regarding the program with CAPTE, go to http://www.capteonline.org/Complaints/.