FAQS

“Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience” – The Vision Statement for the Physical Therapy Profession (www.apta.org)

Physical Therapists work with people of all ages aiming to optimize pain free movement and improve function in a variety of settings including, but not limited to: rehabilitation centers, out-patient clinics, acute care hospitals, school settings, sports clinics, burn units, home care.  A licensed physical therapist can work in a variety of roles as clinicians, teachers, consultants, or researchers.

The DPT degree is the graduate entry-level clinical degree for physical therapy. The DPT consists of a 3-year full time graduate program of study. An undergraduate Bachelor’s degree is required for admission into a DPT program. Successful completion of the DPT degree is a requirement for the National Physical Therapy licensing exam.

The GRE is required for admission. These scores, along with all application requirements, are considered carefully in the admission process. The program does not have a minimum score requirement or a cut off score.

Enrollment caps at 32 students per entering cohort.

How many hours of volunteer clinical experience do I need to have to be considered for admission?

Applicants are required to have completed a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer or paid clinical work in physical therapy, under the supervision of a physical therapist.  The hours must include at least TWO different physical therapy settings (ie: in-patient acute care; in-patient rehabilitation; out-patient rehabilitation; out-patient clinic; nursing home; school PT; etc).   At least 50 hours must be completed in an in-patient clinical setting.

The DPT has a lock-step curriculum meaning that the sequence and distribution of courses is set by the program. It is a full time program with classes scheduled 4-5 days/week across each semester.

Anyone working while attending the DPT program must recognize that the program is a full-time program with full day of classes and class schedules that change each semester. Any employment must allow for flexibility in schedule. While everyone is different in their ability to manage a large study load, students are advised to keep work hours to 10 hours/week or less so that they may attend to all in-class and out-of-class requirements of the program.

Yes! The curriculum is designed to teach students how to consume and how to produce clinical research. Under the guidance of faculty, students work on a capstone research project alongside research courses across the curriculum. Capstone projects are expected to be a publishable paper or professional presentation.

All graduates who have chosen to seek employment at this time are employed.

For information on our graduates’ performance on the Physical Therapy licensure examination, graduation rates and employment rates, please go to our cohort profiles.

Once you are accepted into The DPT Program at Hunter College, you may contact the financial aid office at Hunter College, where detailed information is available. Hunter College participates in all New York State and Federal financial aid programs. Applicants seeking financial aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the upcoming academic year as soon as possible after January 1st of the year you are seeking admission. Be sure to indicate the Hunter College ID code on your application. The PT Program does not offer scholarships at this time. NYS residents are eligible in-state tuition. Non-residents may become eligible for the NYS resident tuition rate after establishing residency within NYS.

While scholarships are not available through the Physical Therapy department, students can be hired through the Federal Work-Study program for part-time work within Hunter College.

The Financial Aid Office will not complete its verification of aid to incoming students until after registration for the first summer of the program has been processed.

Housing is available at Hunter College. DPT students tend to commute from home, many finding housing together after meeting at the new cohort orientation session or the first semester of classes.

Applicants who do not have a degree from an English-speaking country must obtain a passing grade on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).