Six-Year Clinical Doctorate

Your first three years in the program will emphasize liberal arts to enhance intellectual flexibility and develop creative thinking skills. You will complete foundational coursework in the natural sciences - including biology, chemistry, and physics - as well as statistics. We will expect you to explore other disciplines through a required minor (of your choice) and fulfill the College's general education requirements. Study abroad is encouraged during the first three years. 

The curriculum requires study during some summers:

• 10 weeks of coursework (primarily a Human Anatomy dissection course in our Human Anatomy Lab) after the third year;
• 8 weeks of clinical education following the fifth year; and
• 12 weeks of clinical education preceding October graduation in the sixth year (third professional year).

A distinctive element of your studies in the Ithaca College Physical Therapy Program will be your participation in a number of our on-campus clinics and labs. These opportunities will allow you to practice the skills that you are learning in the classroom on real clients in actual practice settings under the guidance of knowledgeable faculty. This will prepare you for the off-campus clinical education requirements that you will complete during the latter stages of the professional phase of the program.

Our clinics and labs are also a source of support for your budding research skills. These cutting-edge workspaces provide a space where you can collaborate with other students and faculty to advance scientific knowledge in a topic of interest. You will have an opportunity to present your research at the Clinical Research Showcase that is hosted each year following the completion of the Advanced Clinical Reasoning course.  

Our program, along with many PT programs in the US, has agreed not to participate in rankings of PT education programs.

Applicants should be aware that all physical therapist professional education programs in the US are subject to accreditation "standards that assure quality and continuous improvement in the entry-level preparation of physical therapists, and reflect the evolving nature of education, research, and practice." While the Education Section of APTA recognizes that there are proprietary organizations that rank physical therapist education programs, the profession encourages prospective students to provide their own comparisons through careful examination of information on program and APTA websites, and visits to the campuses to talk with enrolled students and program faculty.