Physical Therapy Program Named to Top Graduate Programs in Country

UC’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy program is in the top eight programs nationally, according to a survey of American graduate students.

The program was listed on Graduateprograms.com’s list of Top Graduate Physical Therapy programs as rated by students. The rankings are drawn from responses of over 40,000 students at more than 1,300 graduate programs nationwide.

Responses to a 15-item questionnaire were posted to the site between September 2012 and September 2013. UC’s program earned seventh in the ranking.

"We’re very proud to have our DPT program recognized in this way,” says Thomas Herrmann, EdD, physical therapist and chair of the UC Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. "We’re a student-focused program, and it is truly meaningful for the faculty and staff to see that students recognize that.”

The UC DPT curriculum addresses the care and treatment of conditions that may affect any of the major body systems: musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, integumentary (skin) and cardiovascular/pulmonary.

The three-year graduate program combines classroom-based coursework, small group hands-on skills development sessions and a series of clinical rotations, designed to prepare a well-rounded entry level professional. The program offers regional and national professional development opportunities, along with local and international service activities to students. 

UC DPT graduates have a 100 percent ultimate pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam, and a first-time pass rate of 95 percent, well above the average national first-time pass rate of 88.2 percent.

"We work very hard to train effective entry-level physical therapists who can practice in a wide range of clinical settings,” says Herrmann. "Our informal reports indicate that our graduates are typically employed within one month of graduation, and all of them who sought employment in the field were working within six months, pending their licensure examination.

"As our number of graduates increases, we are excited to be able to say we have UC DPT alums working all across the country, from Florida to Hawaii to Oregon to Alaska.”

UC's physical therapy program is housed within the College of Allied Health Sciences. For more information email  rehabsci@ucmail.uc.edu