Please take a moment to review our Admissions Website, click here.

Duke DPT Summer Discovery Program: If you are interested in coming to Duke DPT for a week long experience to learn more about the profession of physical therapy, click here for more information.

To register for a Duke DPT Information Session, click here.

Housed in the Duke School of Medicine's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is ranked as the #10 DPT program in the nation by US World News and Report. Each year, nearly 225 students work with faculty who are actively engaged in exploring clinically relevant research. Students learn from faculty who are working in both basic science research and clinical studies within each of the major movement sciences. Duke's DPT program emphasizes a team-based approach to teaching and learning both in the classroom and in various clinical settings.

DPT's integrated curriculum requires a three-year, full-time commitment resulting in a comprehensive foundation in the science and art of physical therapy. Aligned with the medical school's goals, the DPT program is focused on personalized treatments that help clinicians understand and promote the health of individual patients, not generalized, formula-driven diagnoses and treatments. Classes are taught by the program's diverse faculty and through US-based and global clinical internships. Learn more about the DPT curriculum.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Duke University has an average graduation rate of 100% for the past 3 years (2017-2019), including both voluntary withdrawals and academic withdrawals. Our students have a 100-percent ultimate pass rate (2017-2019) on the national licensing examination for physical therapists, and the employment rate for our recent graduates is 100 percent (2016-2018).

Through excellence in teaching, evidence-based clinical practice and cutting-edge research, the DPT program is committed to producing the next generation of leaders in the field of physical therapy.

Admissions Overview

The Duke University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program includes a full-time, three-year curriculum. Only full-time students are accepted and credits from external physical therapy programs cannot be transferred. State residence does not influence acceptance or tuition costs.  The Doctor of Physical Therapy program receives over 900 applications each year.  All applications must be submitted via the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service, PTCAS.

Important Dates

• PTCAS application opens on July 1
  
• Standard Deadline: October 15
  

~ Duke DPT operates under a rolling admissions process, therefore, it is in the applicants best interest to APPLY EARLY!
~ Please remember that PTCAS can take up to 4-5 weeks to process an application after it has been submitted by the applicant, APPLY EARLY! 

Admissions Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college/university at the time of matriculation.
• Application must be submitted via PTCAS.
• Once an application has been verified by PTCAS, applicants will be emailed a link to pay the Duke application fee of $50.  (The fee paid to PTCAS is a separate fee that pays for PTCAS' services. This is an admission application for Duke.) Applicants can apply for a PTCAS fee waiver following the instructions found here. If PTCAS grants a fee waiver, the applicant should submit proof under the documents section of their PTCAS application, and Duke will waive the $50 application fee, too.
• Official GRE scores - submitted to PTCAS (the Duke GRE Code=5473 - All official GRE scores must be submitted to this code; otherwise, the Duke DPT Program will not receive your official GRE scores).
• Completion of all prerequisites prior to matriculation.
• 3 letters of recommendation:
  • 1 letter from a professor who has taught the applicant in a collegiate academic setting and can attest to the applicants academic abilities (letters from teaching assistants, lab instructors, academic advisors, etc. will not fulfill this requirement).
  • 1 letter from a licensed physical therapist, preferably a physical therapists the applicant has observed/worked with.
  • 1 letter from someone of the applicant’s choice. This can be a recommendation from a professor, physical therapist, academic advisor, teaching assistants, lab instructor, mentor, etc. Reference letters from family members will NOT be accepted.
• *For this application cycle, we are waiving the required 100 observation hours, but candidates are expected to have some observation hours. Candidates should report any verified completed hours at the time of application. If observation hours are completed once the application is submitted, candidates should update the PT Observation Hours in PTCAS.
  

~ All academic records (transcripts) must be verified by PTCAS. For more information on PTCAS transcript requirements please click here.

Prerequisites

Please take a moment to review the Duke DPT Prerequisite Overview that gives a detailed description of the prerequisite requirements, click here.

• Biological Science - 6 semester hours (general or specialized biology)
• Human/Vertebrate Anatomy - 3 semester hours
• must be taken within 5 years of matriculation
• comparative anatomy courses will not be accepted
• Human/Vertebrate Physiology - 3 semester hours
• must be taken within 5 years of matriculation
• comparative physiology courses will not be accepted
• Chemistry - 6 semester hours
  
• Physics - 6 semester hours
• Statistics - 3 semester hours
• Psychology - 6 semester hours
  

~ Labs are not required, but they are recommended.

Please contact the Duke DPT Admissions Office with questions: dptadmis@dm.duke.edu

Questions

If you have questions regarding admissions or your application, contact the Admissions Office via email, dptadmis@dm.duke.edu or by calling 919.668.5206.