Why Study Physical Therapy
at Rutgers?

Our Doctor of Physical Therapy program is ranked #1 in NJ, #2 in the tri-state area, and #33 out of 245 programs in the U.S.

• 2.5 years to earn your DPT
• 98% three-year average pass rate on the licensure exam
• 95% of DPT graduates are employed within one year of graduation

Program Highlights

Our graduates develop into clinical specialists, educators, researchers, technology innovators, corporate leaders, and advocates for the profession.

• Many opportunities for teaching, research and service-learning experiences during the program.
• DPT-Ph.D. program and advanced research certification available.
• DPT students are eligible for a variety of scholarships including endowed scholarshipsavailable only to physical therapy students.
  • Alma and Richard Merians Scholarship: First-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students who demostrate an appreciation for the challenges that underrepresented populations may face in the field of physical therapy.
  • Kirsch Family Leadership Scholarship: A second- or third-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student in good academic standing who has demonstrated active participation and engagement in professional activities on the local, state or national level.

Beyond the Classroom

Community Participatory Physical Therapy Clinic

Rutgers DPT students improve movement and quality of life of underserved populations through a pro-bono clinic, held every Tuesday in Newark. The Community Participatory PT Clinic (CPPTC) addresses the campus and local community’s health concerns, serving the needs of individuals with chronic health conditions, and a wide array of movement related health conditions. Care is under the supervision of licensed physical therapists within the scope of physical therapy practice.

Program Director
Michael J. Majsak

Our DPT program offers extensive clinical placements. We promote strong relationships with clinical facilities across the United States.

Faculty are national and international leaders in the field of physical therapy. We offer students opportunities for scholarship, research, and professional leadership. Scholarly work by faculty and students is regularly accepted for dissemination at national and international conferences, and by top journals in our faculty members’ fields of expertise.

Inter-professional interaction is fostered with the Speech and Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy Programs.

For more information on the program please contact:

Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Rutgers SHP, SSB, Room 720
65 Bergen Street, PO Box 1709
Newark, NJ 07107-1709
973-972-9532
csj37@shp.rutgers.edu

Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, in the School of Health Professions, at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone 703-706-3245; email accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 973 972-2371 or email mm3451@shp.rutgers.edu.

The program has been continuously accredited since its inception. It was recently re-accredited with a commendation, through Dec. 31, 2030.

Contact information for CAPTE:
phone: 703-706-3245
accreditation@apta.org
http://www.capteonline.org

The process for an individual to file a complaint with CAPTE for any accredited physical therapy education program is available on the CAPTE website. CAPTE considers complaints about programs that are accredited, and complaints about CAPTE itself. http://www.capteonline.org/Complaints/

Our DPT program is a full-time, 2.5 year program. The program, based on the RBHS-Newark campus begins in late August.

The following are routes of entry into the program:

• Students with a bachelor’s degree in any major
• Completion of Rutgers University 4 +3 program

Applicants are selected using the following criteria:

• Competitive grade point average (A-B range). Grade of C or better in all pre requisite courses.
• Knowledge of the physical therapy profession demonstrated by employment or volunteer experience. There is a 50-hour minimum requirement in at least two different treatment settings.
• 3 recommendation letters are required. Two from a licensed PT (preferably in different treatment settings) and one from someone who can speak to the applicant’s leadership qualities, resilience and communication skills. Examples include college professor, religious leader, coach, etc.
• Evidence of community service and/or leadership.
• A personal interview (virtual) is required if applicant qualifies.
• GRE scores are not required and will not be considered in our admissions process.

Prerequisites for Admission

• Anatomy and Physiology I & II: 8 credits
• General Biology I & II: 8 credits
• General Chemistry I & II: 8 credits
• General Physics I & II: 8 credits
• Social Behavioral Sciences: 6 credits
• Statistics: 3 credits

Admission Forms

Applicants must apply through the Centralized Application Service for Admission (PTCAS).

Professional DPT Program

Tips for successful completion of the online application

• Deadline dates are very important. Complete applications early, review them carefully and submit early. This will allow Rutgers to review application for completeness.
• Have a hard copy of your academic transcript in front of you when filling out the academic page of the application.
• References must be transmitted electronically. Be sure to have the correct email address of the person providing the reference. Once you submit your application, an email and an electronic form will be sent immediately to the reference provider.

Once Accepted

After Student Immunization, Insurance, and Health Requirements.

Students are required to meet all University insurance, health, and immunization requirements prior to beginning the program and throughout the period of enrollment. Immunization requirements can be found here.

*The Rutgers SHP physical therapy program does not discriminate in admissions or access to its programs and activities on the basis of race/color, national origin, ethnicity, religion/creed, disability, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation or veteran’s status.

Our 109-credit DPT program provides the entry level student with the didactic and clinical knowledge to be a safe, highly effective practitioner. Students learn to be good consumers of literature, to support evidence -based practice and gain a comprehensive knowledge of health care policy.

Clinical Education

Clinical experiences are essential to physical therapy student development; providing them with the opportunity to integrate academic course work with practical experiences in the clinical setting.

• 3 full-time clinical experiences are scheduled throughout the curriculum.
• Students affiliate at all physical therapy practice settings which include acute-care hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient facilities, private practices, rehabilitation hospitals, home health care, and school-based practices.
• The program affiliates with over 400 clinical facilities throughout the country including opportunities within the Indian Health Services and application to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

 Program Curriculum

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Faculty Spotlight

A team from Rutgers SHP, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the Kessler Foundation just completed data collection for the study entitled: Optimizing Hand Rehabilitation Post-Stroke Using Interactive Virtual Environments.

This work was funded by the NIH/NICHD grant R01HD058301. This randomized controlled trial ran from September 2018 – August 2024 with 100 participants recruited from the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. The primary aim of the study was to investigate intensive upper limb virtual reality/robotic training in the subacute period post stroke. The study’s principal investigators were Alma Merians, PT, Ph.D. (Rutgers SHP) and Sergei Adamovich, Ph.D. (NJIT). Key team members included Jigna Patel, PT, MHS, Ph.D., Qinyin Qiu, Ph.D., and Gerard Fluet, PT, DPT, Ph.D. 

Scholarly Activity

Visit the profiles of our esteemed Faculty to view lists of recent publications and presentations.

Our Laboratories

Doctorate in Physical Therapy Policy and Procedures:

All students are responsible to adhere to the program policies and procedures and the SHP Handbook.

• Policy and Procedure Manual (for all three classes)
• SHP Handbook

Essential Functions
The essential functions describe the physical and intellectual skills necessary for the academic program and the clinic. If a student has difficulty with any aspect of the essential functions, they should speak to their PT program advisor, the Program Director or student services.

Professional Activities
All students are required to participate in one professional meeting per year.

Community Participatory Physical Therapy Clinic
Students in the program provide services through the pro-bono student run PT clinic

CPPTC: http://shp.rutgers.edu/rehabilitation-movement-sciences/free-community-physical-therapy-clinic/.

National and state professional and regulatory groups

APTA          www.apta.org
APTAnj      www.aptanj.org
FSBPT        www.fspbt.org
NJBPTE     http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/pt/