Doctor of Physical Therapy
- State-of-the-art facility
- Service-learning opportunities
- Interprofessional experiences
Whether you’re advancing your education after earning a bachelor’s degree or seeking an accelerated path, Alvernia University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program offers a comprehensive and compassionate learning experience tailored to your goals.
- Program Length:
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3 Years
- Course Length:
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14 Weeks
- Cost:
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$1090 Per Credit
Aron Javier Rodriguez DPT’22
I feel I’ve grown truly as an individual, as a therapist. I was closed off and reserved in the beginning. I came out of my shell. I stepped out of my comfort zone. I’m very grateful for that.
Avernia DPT grads' 2-year employment rate (2023-24 avg)
2-year aggregate NPTE pass rate (2023-24 average)
2-year graduation rate (2024-25 average)
Student-Teacher Ratio
Your Future Starts Here
Take the First Step Toward Your Degree
Alvernia's Pro-Bono Clinic
The Alvernia Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy departments provide therapy services to the Reading community through a Pro-bono Clinic offered on Alvernia's campus.
Success Stories
Aron Rodriguez DPT ’22 overcame his initial reluctance to leave New York City for Alvernia. But stepping out of his comfort zone and thriving as a Golden Wolf helped Rodriguez realize his dream of working as a physical therapist in his home state. Read his story and many more inspiring tales of perseverance and triumph.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How difficult is it to gain admission into Alvernia's DPT program?
Programs in the health sciences continue to be appealing and marketable because of the sustained need for graduates within the myriad of allied health professions. This need is due, in part, to the current population of aging Americans who are increasingly requiring healthcare resources. Alvernia provides two paths in which to gain admission into the DPT program, the accelerated 3+3 format and the 4+3 format.
Within the 3+3 format, students are provided with an opportunity to gain entrance in the program in their senior year. To ensure that students entering the program are prepared for the academic rigor of the program, the criteria to enter this program upon admission into the university are challenging. An 1170 on the SATs and a 3.5 high school GPA are required. In order to eventually enter the professional phase of the program in their senior year, students must achieve a 3.5 science and overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in their pre-requisite courses. This path is challenging and is intended for students who are academically strong.
The 4+3 path to admission into the DPT program is designed for students with an earned bachelor's degree from Alvernia or another university. Admissions criteria are also stringent for this path, which includes a science and pre-requisite GPA of 3.0, and an overall GPA of 3.25. This path also requires completion of the GRE with scores of 150 on Verbal and Quantitative and 3.5 on Analytical.
Both admission formats require references, observation experiences, written essays, and an interview with DPT faculty.
The primary intent of establishing high standards for admission into the program is to ensure that students entering the program are prepared for the academic rigors of the post-graduate curriculum that seeks to prepare the next generation of doctors of physical therapy.
- What type of clinical settings will I experience?
To prepare students for generalized and specialized areas of physical therapy practice, students will be placed in a variety of practice settings during their 4 full-time clinical education experiences. Each part-time clinical experience is designed to help students to connect the classroom to the clinic by engaging students in experiences that reflect current course instruction in content, breadth, and depth. The type of practice setting may include acute care hospitals, subacute rehabilitation hospitals, transitional care units, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, pediatric care facilities, hospital-based outpatient facilities, free-standing outpatient facilities, home health agencies, among others.
- Is on-campus housing available?
Yes, Alvernia is pleased to offer on-campus housing for DPT students. In addition to several choices on campus, a wide variety of housing is also available in close proximity to campus. For more details on student housing, prospective students are encouraged to contact the Residence Life Office at (610) 796-8320.|