Doctor of Physical Therapy

The Department of Physical Therapy is dedicated to preparing students for contemporary physical therapy and advances the profession through its steadfast commitment to excellence in academics, clinical education, scholarship, and service. 

Core Values

The Department of Physical Therapy values excellence in student-focused teaching and learning, evidence-based practice, service to the community and profession, interprofessional education and collaboration, research and scholarship, and clinical practice.

Student-Focused

• Friendly, collegial atmosphere
• Low student-to-faculty ratios
• Supportive and engaged faculty and professional staff

Academic Excellence

• Expert academic and clinical faculty
• State-of-the-art equipment and technology
• Experiential learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving
• Quality clinical education experiences
• High standards and expectations for student admission and retention
• Continuous program improvement

Evidence-Based Practice

• Critical appraisal of evidence
• Integrate evidence, expertise, and patient values
• Best practice

Community and Belonging

• Professional and community service
• Academic-Community partnership

Professional Conduct

• Academic Integrity
• Respect for all individuals

​​Trustworthy and Truthful

• Confidentiality of patient-therapist relationship
• Sound judgment
• Competence and professional development
• Pro bono service
• Life-long learning

Collaboration

• Interprofessional education and collaboration
• Research and scholarship
• Teaching and learning

Scholarship

• Student participation and choice
• Collaborative, interprofessional, and individual intellectual pursuits

Health and Wellness

• Whole person wellness
• Injury and disease prevention
• Promotion of healthy environments

Program Goals

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program is designed to graduate physical therapy practitioners prepared to enter the profession in diverse healthcare settings. The curriculum is structured around a series of increasingly complex clinical cases integrated across courses and threaded with foundational knowledge of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, neuroscience, and pathophysiology. Key areas of emphasis include adaptive learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and evidence-based collaborative practice. 

The ninety-six (96)-credit curriculum spans seven (7) semesters. Beginning with the first semester, the curriculum lays the foundation for student success through online instruction in foundational concepts. Semesters two (2) through five (5) include on-campus didactic instruction interspersed with part-time (local) integrated clinical education experiences and six (6) weeks of full-time clinical education experience. Semester six (6) consists of eight (8) weeks of online didactic coursework followed by a ten (10) week full-time clinical education experience. The culminating semester is a full-time, twelve- (12) week clinical education experience. 

The first semester includes online instruction in human anatomy and an introduction to the physical therapy profession and graduate education. Didactic courses during semesters two (2) thru six (6) are structured with clinical cases to enhance critical thinking and clinical application. Courses are organized as five (5) curricular threads: 1) Science of Movement, 2) Patient/Client Management, 3) Health and Human Development, 4) Professional Roles and Responsibilities, and 5) Clinical Education. Students learn to employ an evidence-based approach to the physical therapy management of impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions related to movement, function, and health across the lifespan. Coursework also includes the study of human movement, the psychosocial impacts of health conditions, and relevant medical and surgical management. Students also learn various roles of the physical therapist in disease prevention, health promotion, education, consultation, legislation and policymaking, management, leadership, advocacy, and healthcare administration. 

Part-time integrated clinical education experiences are introduced early in the curriculum to support didactic learning. Full-time clinical education experiences, totaling thirty (30) weeks, begin at the end of the second semester. The DPT curriculum culminates with two (2) full-time, terminal clinical education experiences. Clinical sites are available within the United States and internationally to provide a breadth and depth of experiences to support learning in diverse healthcare settings. 

Beyond the classroom and the clinic, students have opportunities to further engage in scholarly inquiry, service-learning, community-based activities, global travel, and interprofessional education. Students may also explore topics beyond those required in the curriculum through elective courses and/or workshops.

The D.P.T. program at the University of New England is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., 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 (207) 221-4590 or email ptdepartment@une.edu.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program is seven (7) semesters in length and includes a combination of classroom coursework, laboratory coursework, and four (4) full-time clinical education experiences. In addition to the ninety-six (96) required credits, students are invited to take elective coursework offered by the department.

*Please note: Curriculum is subject to change.

Conferring the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree is contingent upon the successful completion of academic and clinical coursework, including a total of ninety-six (96) academic credits.

Academic Standards

The Department of Physical Therapy, the Westbrook College of Health Professions, and the University of New England are committed to offering a quality physical therapist education program that complies with the evaluative criteria of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. The program provides learning experiences to enable graduates to achieve the outcomes required for the practice of physical therapy. Please refer to the WCHP Graduate Program Progression Policies and Procedures (PDF) for a detailed description of academic standards.

Essential Technical Standards

The Essential Technical Standards support the admission, promotion, and graduation of students in the University of New England Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Physical therapy is an intellectually, physically, and psychologically demanding profession. It is during the prescribed curriculum that students begin to develop the qualities necessary for practice as a physical therapist. Students acquire the foundation of knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors needed for the physical therapists’ professional careers.  The abilities that physical therapists must possess to practice safely and competently are reflected in the technical standards that follow. The standards apply to all program activities, including those taking place in classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings. The obligation of the D.P.T. program is to produce effective and competent physical therapists who are able to serve the needs of society. Therefore, all students will be held to the same standards. 

Candidates for the Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree must be able to meet these minimum standards, with or without reasonable accommodations, for successful completion of degree requirements.  

Please review this document carefully to determine whether you possess the abilities and skills reflected in the technical standards below. 

Technical Standards: Abilities and Skills

Reflected in the standards that follow are those abilities and skills that students must possess to engage safely and competently in all program activities, including those taking place in classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings. The abilities and skills are described in five domains, including observation skills; communication skills; motor skills (fine and gross); intellectual-conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; and behavioral and social/emotional attributes.

Observation

Observation requires the functional use of vision, hearing, and somatic sensations. A student must be able to observe lectures, laboratory dissection of cadavers, and lecture and laboratory demonstrations in person. The student must be able to observe a patient accurately, observe digital and waveform readings, and other graphic images to determine a patient’s condition. Examples in which these observational skills are required include: palpation of peripheral pulses, bony prominences, and ligamentous structures; visual and tactile evaluation for areas of inflammation; and visual and tactile assessment of the presence and degree of edema or other changes in the skin and underlying tissues.

Communication

Communication includes: speech, language, reading, writing, and computer literacy. Students must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients to elicit information regarding affect and functional activities, as well as perceive non-verbal communications. Students must also be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in person and in writing with other members of the health care community to convey information essential for safe and effective care. 

Motor

Students must possess sufficient motor function and strength to elicit information from the patient examination, examples include palpation, auscultation, tapping, manual muscle testing, and other examination maneuvers. Students must be able to execute movements required to provide general and therapeutic care, examples include: safely lifting, transferring, and positioning large, heavy, and/or immobile patients and guard during gait training, using assistive devices and orthotics. Students must possess sufficient motor function and strength to be able to learn and then demonstrate the ability to position themselves and patients, perform manual mobilization techniques, perform non-surgical wound debridement, and place electrodes. Learning these skills and performing necessary physical therapy techniques on patients requires coordination of both gross and fine motor skills, sufficient strength, mobility, endurance, balance, proper body mechanics, and the integrated use of touch and vision, or the functional equivalent. 

During the curriculum, students are required to perform motor skills representative of licensed physical therapists working with patients in a variety of settings. 

Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities

To effectively solve problems, students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, receive information visually and through communication and examination, and process, integrate and synthesize that information quickly, sometimes immediately, and, at times, under stressful and chaotic conditions. For example, the student must be able to quickly and accurately synthesize knowledge and integrate the relevant aspects of a patient’s history and examination findings, accurately assess the patient and develop an effective treatment program. In addition, students must be able to comprehend three (3)-dimensional relationships and to understand spatial relationships of structures.

Behavioral and Social/Emotional Attributes

A student must possess the psychological ability required for the full utilization of their intellectual abilities, for the exercise of good judgment, for the prompt completion of all responsibilities inherent to patient care, and for the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, colleagues and other health care providers. Students must be able to tolerate physically and mentally taxing workloads and function effectively under stress. They must be able to adapt to a changing environment, display flexibility and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of patients. As a component of their education, students must act professionally and maturely and demonstrate ethical behavior commensurate with the profession of physical therapy.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

The University of New England Physical Therapy Program welcomes qualified learners with disabilities and encourages students to make requests for accommodations early in the program. The program is committed to providing equal access through the use of reasonable accommodations for students who are otherwise qualified and able to satisfy the technical standards listed above and the academic requirements of the program with or without accommodation. Candidates who, after review of the technical standards, determine that they require reasonable accommodation to fully engage in the program should contact the Student Access Center to schedule a confidential access consultation. Given the nature of our program, timely requests are essential and encouraged because time may be needed to create and implement approved accommodations. Because requests for retroactive accommodations are not reasonable and will not be granted, students should seek accommodations early in the program if they believe that they will need accommodations at some point in the program. 

Students are expected to abide by the academic policies and procedures and conduct code outlined in the University of New England (UNE) Student Handbook, the Department of Physical Therapy Student Handbook, and the WCHP Graduate Program Progression Policies and Procedures (PDF). Failure to abide by these policies, procedures, or codes may result in disciplinary action.

The Department of Physical Therapy, the Westbrook College of Health Professions, and the University of New England are committed to offering a quality physical therapist education program that complies with the 2024 standards of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

After completing the D.P.T. curriculum, students will:

• Integrate concepts from the biological, physical, behavioral, and clinical sciences into physical therapy services.
• Exhibit professional conduct and behaviors that are consistent with the legal and ethical practice of physical therapy.
• Demonstrate compassion, caring, integrity, and respect for differences, values, and preferences in all interactions with patients/clients, family members, healthcare providers, students, other consumers, and payers.
• Demonstrate culturally sensitive verbal, nonverbal, and written communications that are effective, accurate, and timely.
• Collect and critically evaluate data and published literature to apply in the delivery of care, practice management, and to examine the theoretical and scientific basis for physical therapy.
• Screen patients/clients to determine if they are candidates for physical therapy services or if a referral to, or consultation with, another health care professional or agency is warranted.
• Complete a patient/client examination/reexamination and evaluate and interpret the examination data to determine a physical therapy diagnosis and prognosis.
• Employ critical thinking, self-reflection, and evidence-based practice to make clinical decisions about physical therapy services.
• Collaborate with patients/clients, caregivers, and other healthcare providers to develop and implement an evidence-based plan of care that coordinates human and financial resources.
• Provide services and information related to health promotion, fitness, wellness, health risks, and disease prevention within the scope of physical therapy practice.
• Advocate for patient/client and profession.
• Provide consultative services and education to patients/clients, caregivers, health care workers, and the public using culturally sensitive methods that are adapted to the learning needs, content, and context.
• Employ effective leadership skills in the context of supervising, delegating, and mentoring within the profession.

Transfer credit

• Transfer credits are rarely awarded to students who transfer from another Physical Therapy program.
• The program director and admissions committee will review and award transfer credits on a case-by-case basis.

Advanced Standing

• No advanced standing placement available.

Experiential Learning

• No credit is awarded for experiential learning.

Admissions Requirements

Application

2025-2026 Application Cycle

The University of New England Department of Physical Therapy participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). All applicants are required to apply online through this service.

Degree Requirement

Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution, or international equivalent, before matriculation.

• All applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Official transcripts should be sent directly to PTCAS. Please refer to the PTCAS application for additional information and instructions.

GPA Requirement

UNE has a preferred minimum GPA of 3.0 for both overall and prerequisite coursework. Applications are reviewed holistically, and applicants are invited to interview on a rolling basis.

Prerequisite Coursework Requirements

Other Important Prerequisite Coursework Considerations

• All prerequisite courses must be successfully completed with a grade of C or better (C- grades are not acceptable).
• There is a strong preference that all science and statistics prerequisites be completed no more than ten (10) years prior to the PTCAS application deadline.
• Science course requirements – Alternative higher-level biology and chemistry courses with a lab component may be acceptable (with program approval).
• Advanced Placement (AP) test credits can be accepted towards prerequisite requirements. To apply eligible AP test credits toward prerequisite requirements, the credits must be broken down by subject on the undergraduate transcript. An official letter from the University Registrar, including subject breakdown, is also acceptable.
• Official transcripts for coursework and/or degrees completed in the summer/fall term should be submitted to PTCAS and verified during the fall Academic Update period.
• All planned or in-progress prerequisite coursework should be listed on the PTCAS application at the time of application submission.
• All prerequisite courses must be successfully completed with official transcripts submitted to UNE prior to the start of the program.
• Online courses offered through UNE’s Online Science Prerequisites as well as online courses from other regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities are acceptable.

Standardized Tests

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required.

Letters of Reference

Two (2) letters of reference are required – submitted via PTCAS

• One (1) academic reference from a professor, research advisor, or academic advisor.
• One (1) letter from a licensed physical therapist from whom you have completed observation hours.
• Letters from friends or family members are not acceptable.

Observation Hours

• UNE requires that all applicants complete at least forty (40) hours of observation with a licensed physical therapist (PT).
• Observation hours with a licensed physical therapist assistant (PTA) may also be considered upon request.
• All hours should be documented, submitted, and verified via PTCAS.
• Although not required, it is recommended that applicants complete observation hours in a variety of practice settings and patient populations.

Personal Statement

Please refer to the PTCAS application for specific writing prompts and additional information.

Interviews

Qualified applicants will be invited to interview via email. All interviews are completed through the Kira Talent virtual assessment platform.

International Applicants

International applicants and those with foreign degrees and coursework are required to satisfy the following additional requirements:

• Official credential evaluation by World Education Service (WES), confirming degree and grade equivalency to that of a U.S. bachelor’s degree. The completed credential evaluation should be sent directly to PTCAS. Please refer to the International Admissions section of the UNE website for more information on the type of credential evaluation required for admission review.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate written and spoken fluency through the successful completion of a UNE-approved English language proficiency test.
• Applicants should refer to the English Language Proficiency page on the UNE website for specific information, minimum score requirements, and test score submission instructions.

Other Requirements

Prior to matriculation, accepted and deposited students will be required to complete the following compliance requirements:

• Admitted and deposited students must arrange for the submission of all outstanding documents, including transcripts and baccalaureate degree conferral via an official transcript submitted to the UNE Office of Graduate Admissions & Recruitment prior to the start of the program.
• Completion of physical examination with proof of up-to-date immunization status. Please refer to UNE’s Student Health Center for detailed information.
• Completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen prior to matriculation, as well as periodically throughout the program (as required by clinical affiliations). Additional details and questions should be addressed to D.P.T. program staff.
• All students must have the ability to meet the Academic and Technical Standards of the Physical Therapy profession.

All materials submitted as part of the application become the property of UNE and will not be returned or released to anyone, including the applicant. This policy includes letters of reference, primary and secondary applications, personal statements, transcripts, and other supporting materials.

Policy Exceptions

All criteria presented in this summary are subject to change per professional accreditation requirements, changes in curriculum or other institutional standards, and clinical affiliation requirements.

Exceptions to existing admission policies are rare and made on a case-by-case basis, only when it is deemed necessary and appropriate to maintain fair and consistent practice for all candidates, not individual candidates.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Other Expenses

Other expenses will include textbooks and lab fees in some courses. Students should also anticipate transportation, housing, and living expenses during clinical education experiences.

Equipment

All students are required to have access to high-speed internet service and a laptop computer with the capability of utilizing Brightspace or a similar online education format, and ExamSoft.

Financial Aid

Detailed information and applications are available on request from the Financial Aid Office Call (207) 602-2342 or visit the Financial Aid website.