Curriculum

Department of Physical Therapy Curriculum

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is a 3-year program (8 semesters) designed to provide students with a didactic and clinical education experiences to gain the current knowledge and skills necessary to practice evidence-based physical therapy in a variety of clinical settings.

Our curriculum integrates active, in-class learning activities that emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, and evidence-based practice. Our service-learning experiences foster meaningful engagement and reinforce the program’s commitment to community impact. Interprofessional education is seamlessly woven throughout the curriculum, allowing students to learn with, from, and about other health professions so that they excel in collaborative, team-based care environments during their clinical experiences and throughout their career.

We are committed to developing confident, practice-ready clinicians through meaningful real-world experiences. Our hands-on Practical Applications Lab (PALs) series provides opportunities for students to work directly with community volunteers under the direct supervision of a DPT-Oregon program faculty member. This is a win-win situation where students are provided authentic learning opportunities throughout the curriculum and volunteer patients from underserved and under-resourced environments are provided with physical therapy evaluations and interventions.

Our well-balanced curriculum develops skilled movement specialists who are equipped to meet the diverse needs of patients across the lifespan and thrive in communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The courses included in this curriculum are consistent with contemporary practice and reflect the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) movement system approach and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health recommendations. The curriculum plan has been developed using the APTA’s Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, APTA Code of Ethics, clinical practice guidelines, American Council of Academic Physical Therapy curricular development documents, and current research.