PhD in Physical Therapy at East Carolina University

The Physical Therapy is a PhD degree offered by East Carolina University at its main campus in Greenville , United States of America. The program is delivered on campus as a Full Time course in English and requires approximately 4 years to complete. Students study at the university's main campus while gaining the knowledge and practical experience expected for this area of study. The next intake is available from August 21, 2027.

About PhD in Physical Therapy

Do you want to become an expert on the function and movement of the human body? Do you want to provide support to a wide variety of people?

ECU's Department of Physical Therapy offers a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree that is a three-year, 106-semester-hour program with 32 weeks of clinical education. It is a professional doctorate degree designed to prepare graduates for clinical practice in physical therapy.

Physical therapy involves extensive contact with people, both patients and other healthcare professionals. Employment of physical therapists is expected to grow much faster than average. Job opportunities continue to be good, especially in acute hospital, rehabilitation, and orthopedic settings.

A master's degree is not required to apply for the doctor of physical therapy program. However, you must have a baccalaureate degree to begin the program. We do not give preference to specific undergraduate majors. Many students apply for admission with undergraduate majors in exercise physiology, exercise science, sports medicine, athletic training, biology, physical education, health fitness specialist or rehabilitation studies. We advise students to choose a major in an area of their interest and one, which they will be academically successful.

Entry-level skills and knowledge needed in the general practice of physical therapy are obtained through working in a variety of settings and with patients of all ages and clinical conditions. The Department of Physical Therapy affiliates with approximately 300 hospitals, clinics, and facilities. Students are assigned to clinical affiliations for a total of 32 weeks of full time clinical experience.

Department Website
College Website
How Do I Apply
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Program Coordinator: Amy Gross McMillan (2410B Health Sciences Building; 252-744-6232; [email protected])

The Physical Therapy, DPT provides the scope, depth, breadth, and rigor of scholarly activity to prepare an entry-level physical therapy practitioner for current and future practice trends. The program includes 80 s.h. of didactic course work, 10 s.h. of clinical specialty and research experience, and 32 weeks of clinical education (16 s.h.).

Students begin the program in the first term of the summer and continue for nine continuous semesters. At the end of the final semester, the student will take a written comprehensive examination and provide both an oral defense and written documentation related to clinical specialty and research concentration. The departmental chairperson's verification of the completion of all degree requirements is necessary to meet physical therapy practice licensure statutes of the North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.

Admission guidelines to the Department of Physical Therapy are available at https://pt.ecu.edu/.

The program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: [email protected]; website: www.capteonline.org.

The degree requires a minimum of 106 s.h. as follows:

Core - 102 s.h.

PTHE 8007 - Functional Anatomy
PTHE 8008 - Gross Anatomy
PTHE 8009 - Psychosocial Aspects of Physical Therapy
PTHE 8100 - Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy I
PTHE 8101 - Neuroscience
PTHE 8102 - Physical Therapy Modalities and Instrumentation
PTHE 8103 - Introduction to Patient Care I
PTHE 8104 - Human Physiology and Pathophysiology
PTHE 8105 - Introduction to Patient Care II
PTHE 8200 - Clinical Biomechanics
PTHE 8201 - Electrotherapeutic Diagnosis and Treatment
PTHE 8203 - Clinical Education I *
PTHE 8300 - Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy II
PTHE 8301 - Motor Control and Movement Disorders
PTHE 8302 - Adult Therapeutic Intervention I
PTHE 8401 - Pediatric Therapeutic Intervention
PTHE 8402 - Adult Therapeutic Intervention II
PTHE 8403 - Clinical Education II *
PTHE 8500 - Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy III
PTHE 8501 - Prosthetics
PTHE 8502 - Muscle Physiology
PTHE 8603 - Clinical Education III *
PTHE 8700 - Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
PTHE 8701 - Administration of Physical Therapy Services
PTHE 8702 - Research Design
PTHE 8703 - Geriatric Physical Therapy
PTHE 8704 - Health Promotion for Physical Therapists
PTHE 8801 - Seminar in Physical Therapy (repeated 1 time)
PTHE 8803 - Clinical Education IV *
PTHE 8907 - Research Concentration (repeated 4 times)

Electives - 4 s.h.

Select courses from the list below:

PTHE 8900 - Advanced Concepts in Sports Physical Therapy
PTHE 8901 - Advances in Muscle Research
PTHE 8902 - Advances in Lower Extremity Evaluation
PTHE 8904 - Advances in Prosthetics and Orthotics
PTHE 8905 - Advanced Seminar in Evidenced Based Practice
PTHE 8906 - Clinical Specialty Concentration
PTHE 8908 - Advanced Topics in Pediatric Physical Therapy
PTHE 8909 - Geriatric Balance and Gait Disorders
PTHE 8910 - Muscle Plasticity
PTHE 8911 - Advanced Concepts in Spine and Manual Therapy
PTHE 8912 - Pain Mechanisms and Treatment
PTHE 8913 - Measurement and Analysis of Human Movement
PTHE 8914 - Advanced Vestibular Rehabilitation
PTHE 8915 - Pathomechanical Approach to Treatment of the Injured Runner
PTHE 8916 - Service-Learning Practicum in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
PTHE 8930 - Essential Concepts for the Sports Physical Therapist
PTHE 8990 - Current Topics in Neuroscience Research

* Note:

Only one clinical education course (PTHE 8203, PTHE 8403, PTHE 8603, PTHE 8803) may be repeated.

For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for PhD in Physical Therapy at East Carolina University

Entry Requirements

In order to be considered for admission, international graduate applicants follow the same steps as a U.S. applicant with a few exceptions as identified in Red font. Step by step instructions are identified below:

Complete the ECU Online Graduate School Application: One application fee and one set of supporting documents should be submitted for each program of study applying to.
Pay the Application Fee: Payment will be made through the self-service portal prior to submission of the application. The payment portal accepts debit or credit card only.
Provide Foreign Transcript Evaluation:

An official course by course credential evaluation of all foreign transcripts indicating that, at minimum, the US equivalent of a bachelor’s degree has been awarded by an accredited college or university is required.

Provide Official Transcript(s) & Diploma Copy: A copy of your transcript(s) and diplomas showing a full education history issued in your native language as well as a notarized or certified copy in English must be uploaded to your application.
Provide Evidence of English Proficiency: If English is not your native language and you have not completed at least one year of education (minimum of 18 credit hours) at a United States school, you are required to take a standardized English language exam or complete the ECU Language Academy (ECULA).
- Language Exam Options: The Graduate School accepts either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Duolingo English Test or Pearson Test of English (PTE) and scores must be forwarded to the Graduate School by the testing service. The paper- or computer-based TOEFL exam is accepted by request only.
ECU Language Academy: You may choose to attend the ECU Language Academy instead of taking the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. Also, if you do not obtain the required score on the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE, at least one session of the ECU Language Academy may be required prior to the start of your program. Successful completion of all levels of the ECU Language Academy is required for admission without TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. More information on the ECU Language Academy, including the ECULA application, is available on the Intensive English Program website. Individual programs may have higher minimum requirements.
Provide Official Standardized Admissions Test Results: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange for an official score report to be sent directly to the Graduate School by the testing service (GRE or GMAT). ECU’s institutional code is 5180. ECU does not have departmental codes.
Upload Statement of Purpose: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your personal statement (why you believe you would be a good candidate for the program) to your application. You may want to use resources to help you write a personal statement in English such as this webinar.
Provide Letters of recommendation: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange to have LOR’s submitted electronically with the online application. Review your program’s application requirements to determine the number of letters, if any, that they require.
Upload Resume: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your most recent resume to your online application.
Provide Financial information: If/when you are admitted to a graduate program at ECU you will be required to provide certified evidence of financial resources adequate to cover educational costs and living expenses. Documents only need submitted if/when an offer of admission is extended.

English Requirements

PTEMin 65
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 78

Career Opportunities after Completing PhD in Physical Therapy

Graduates with this degree are successful in many fields and careers, including the following:

Physical Therapy/Therapist
Health and Human Services
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
Physical Therapists

Career Opportunities

ECU has developed resources to help you learn more about career opportunities and job market outlook. In addition, the websites below provide specific information on careers in the various majors from which students may choose:

NC Tower

This website provides graphs and tables of in-depth information on employment rates, wages and ongoing higher education enrollment of graduates from the North Carolina Community College System and from the University of North Carolina system schools. NC Tower includes data on former UNC students who are working in roughly 90% of all jobs in North Carolina. This database excludes information for graduates who are:

Self-employed;
Work for the federal government, including the military: or
Work outside of North Carolina.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

This website also provides in-depth information regarding pay, projected new jobs, required education, growth rate and on-the-job training information on various occupations.

Degree-specific internships

For information on internship information for specific majors, go to the home page of the department in which the major is located and, as available, find the link to the information on internships in that major.

Tuition and Fee Information for PhD in Physical Therapy at East Carolina University

Application Fee 75

How to Apply for PhD in Physical Therapy at East Carolina University

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PhD in Physical Therapy at East Carolina University

East Carolina University

United States of America, Greenville