Doctor of Physical Therapy: Entry-Level
Courses
The content for the entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy is organized around 10 themes:
- Foundational Basic Science
- Introductory Patient Care Skills
- Foundational Clinical Science
- Applied Clinical Science
- Professional Engagement
- Critical Inquiry
- Multisystem Management across the Lifespan
- Patient Management
- Professional Practice
- Clinical Decision Making
Lectures take place online, and you will attend lab sessions every month on our campus in Louisville, Kentucky. This format is more flexible than traditional DPT programs that are mainly made up of in-person classes.
Onsite Lab Experiences
The lab experiences in the entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy program occur one week per month at our Louisville, Kentucky campus.
This modern, practice setting is fully equipped and designed with the physical therapy student in mind. The nearly 22,000 sq. ft. facility includes anatomy and skills labs as well as a student lounge and study space. There is plenty of space to collaborate with your peers and faculty. You’ll also have the opportunity for interprofessional collaboration with other graduate students in nursing, clinical psychology, occupational therapy, social work and athletic training.
Admissions Requirements
Discover how Spalding’s entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program can accelerate your career on your terms.
Tuition
The DPT at Spalding University is a 110 credit-hour program.
Please view our 2025-2026 Financial Fact Sheet to see an estimate of first year costs for the Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy. Our 2024-2025 Financial Fact Sheet is available for review as well.
Students are responsible for securing their own travel and lodging arrangements for lab immersion weeks and clinical education.
For more information about tuition, fees or other associated expenses, please visit our Cost of Attendance page.
Find Possibility in the Heart of the City
DISCOVER YOUR GROWTH POTENTIAL
Meet the needs of the times as a physical therapist. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an 11% job growth for physical therapists between 2024 and 2034, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
FAQs
Answers to common questions about Spalding University’s entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
A total of 110 credit hours make up the program.
- Online classes and lectures (68 credit hours)
- Onsite immersive labs one week per month (26 credit hours)
- Clinicals (16 credit hours, 32 weeks)
Doctor of physical therapy students in the entry-level program complete 32 weeks of full-time clinical practice (16 credit hours).
Clinical experiences, integrated across all three years of the program, are arranged with the help of our Director of Clinical Education.
48 students are admitted to the Spalding entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
The acceptance rate for the entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy program is 23.2%.
High-Impact Career Preparation
Spalding entry-level DPT graduates are prepared to meet the needs of their respective communities by serving as physical therapists in settings such as:
- Home health agencies
- Hospitals
- Inpatient rehabilitation units
- Outpatient clinics
- Sports medicine practices
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Wellness and sports performance
- Workplace health centers
Our DPT curriculum is rigorously designed to bridge the gap between foundational science and cutting-edge clinical practice. We are committed to developing physical therapists who are not only highly skilled practitioners but also critical thinkers and future leaders in healthcare.
Goutam Singh, Ph.D
Spalding’s Entry-Level Doctor of Physical Therapy program is led by
Kosair School of Physical Therapy faculty.
Accreditation
Effective October 25, 2022 the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Spalding University has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 502-873-4449 or email physicaltherapy@spalding.edu.
Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.
Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website.
Licensure Information for Charter Class
A decision about initial accreditation from CAPTE is expected prior to graduating from the charter class. Graduates from the DPT program will be eligible to apply for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) after the program receives initial accreditation. The dates for the NPTE are not yet scheduled for 2026.
