Doctor of Physical Therapy

Think critically, act professionally, serve altruistically

More than 120,000 physical therapists are licensed in the U.S., treating nearly 1 million people every day. Alvernia University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program aspires to develop “ethical leaders with moral courage,” prepared to assume a leadership role in addressing the health-related concerns society faces. Alvernia’s DPT program utilizes a state-of-the-art facility, featuring Anatomage Virtual Dissection tables, a research lab with motion analysis system, a real-time ultrasound unit, a split-belt treadmill, surface electromyography and accelerometers.

The DPT program is offered in a 4+3 year curricular format. Prospective students with an earned bachelor’s degree from Alvernia or another four-year accredited institution are welcome to apply. A 3+3 year, accelerated format is also available that allows Alvernia students who are admitted as undergraduate freshmen into one of 4 majors (Biochemistry, Biology, Healthcare Science, or Psychology) to begin the professional phase of the curriculum in their senior year. Upon maintaining the required GPA and completion of all requirements, these students are eligible to compete with other accelerated students for entrance into the program, and may complete their undergraduate training and doctoral degree within 6 years.

Faculty have extensive clinical experience and continue to practice and conduct meaningful research within their varied areas of clinical specialization. Local clinical experts support the coursework by imparting their areas of specialized knowledge and skill to the students. The program’s NPTE passage rate, graduation rate and employment rate are high and meet accreditation standards.

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Getting Started

Application Instructions

Through a rolling admission process, prospective undergraduate students — including first-year, transfer, and international students — may apply via the Alvernia web portal or The Common Application. To learn more about how to complete your application, please visit our application page.

Admission Requirements

Learn more about the program's admission requirement and the admissions procedures.

Financing Your Education

There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our Student Financial Services page for a detailed overview of the process, and visit our FAFSA page to stay up to date on the latest from federal student aid. Alvernia’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.

Career Outlook

After earning your DPT degree, you can pursue a variety of careers, including:

  • Orthopedic outpatient clinics
  • Acute care hospital-based facilities
  • Acute and sub-acute rehabilitation hospitals
  • Sports medicine centers
  • Research institutions
  • Long-term care facilities
  • Pediatric facilities
  • Skilled nursing facilities
  • Transitional care units
  • School-based facilities
  • Home health care

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of physical therapists is projected to grow 14 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage in 2023 was $99,710.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Opportunities for interprofessional educational experiences with students from other programs — including occupational therapy, nursing, athletic training and medical imaging — provide students with an appreciation for the unique contribution of each discipline within the healthcare team. Active community engagement and service learning through various initiatives in the nearby city of Reading enables students to appreciate their role within the community and their responsibility to use their skills in the service of others.

DPT students are required to participate in 36 weeks of full-time clinical experiences (internships). These experiences provide context for learning and develop students who demonstrate evidence-based clinical performance.

Students participate in real-world learning experiences featured in the program’s “clinic without walls” model, providing physical therapy care under the direction of licensed physical therapists for community members in a variety of formats. Such experiences include:

• providing PT care during classroom laboratory experiences
• providing wellness-related services through collaboration between the DPT Program and other organizations such as Reading Housing Authority, Tower Health (Rise and Shine and Rock Steady Boxing), Walk with Ease and Matter of Balance
• providing PT care at the DPT student-managed Health & Wellness Center at Liggett Avenue, which is located at the Berks Community Health Center (BCHC) in the Oakbrook section of Reading
• community/university service and advocacy events like the BCHC Community Health Fair, Legislative Advocacy Day in Harrisburg, and Interprofessional education experiences with nursing and athletic Training.

Program Accreditation

• Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Alvernia University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy (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 610-568-1546 or email soo.sun@alvernia.edu.
• Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.