About the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

A Legacy of Excellence

Since 1973, MUSC has been a leader in physical therapy education, known for excellence in education, research, leadership, and service. Our state-of-the-art teaching facilities and world-class teaching hospital provide an unmatched learning environment. Students engage in interprofessional groups that mirror real-world health care, gaining practical skills and teamwork experience. Learn from distinguished faculty, participate in groundbreaking research, and thrive in a dynamic, collaborative setting. Join MUSC’s vibrant community and shape the future of physical therapy with a legacy of excellence

About the Educational Experience

Our eight-semester Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, available in both residential and hybrid formats, is designed to deliver a comprehensive, evidence-based education. The curriculum focuses on human movement dysfunction, health promotion, disease prevention, and cutting-edge research in physical therapy. Regardless of the format you choose, you’ll begin with foundational courses and advance to clinical coursework, all while engaging in community-based service and interprofessional learning. This integrated approach ensures you develop the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the field of physical therapy.

Clinical Education

Our students complete three clinical practicums across the United States and Puerto Rico, progressively enhancing their clinical competence. These practicums cover diverse settings such as acute care, subacute care, rehabilitation hospitals, home health, outpatient clinics, school settings, and specialized practice centers, providing a comprehensive clinical education experience. We offer many clinical sites to foster learning opportunities in rural and metropolitan areas.

Learn more about the clinical education experience.

Research Opportunities

At MUSC, you’ll have the chance to work at the Center for Rehabilitation Research in Neurological Conditions, focusing on neuro-rehabilitation and the prevention of adverse health outcomes. Engage in faculty-led projects, guided by experts at the forefront of their fields, and contribute to pioneering studies shaping physical therapy's future. This is more than just research—it's your opportunity to innovate, lead, and make a lasting impact in health care.

Learn more about physical therapy research at MUSC.

Leadership

Our core and associated faculty are celebrated leaders in academia, the community, and in their professions. As a MUSC student, you’re not just a student—you’re an emerging leader in the field of physical therapy, ready to make a significant impact. Our graduates have made waves, with two serving as presidents of the American Physical Therapy Association Student Assembly and several being selected annually as MUSC Presidential Scholars.

Service

At MUSC, our students and faculty are dedicated to making a difference both locally and globally. The nationally-recognized MUSC CARES Therapy Clinic, a student-led, pro bono clinic, offers occupational, physical, and speech therapy to underinsured and uninsured members of the Charleston community. Under the supervision of faculty and licensed providers, student develop treatment plans for patients with both neurological and orthopedic conditions. This vital service operates two nights a week throughout the academic year, providing invaluable real-world experience.

You'll also have the opportunity to get involved with fundraisers, mission trips, adaptive sports, or even build adaptive cars for children with mobility impairments. At MUSC, you’ll have the chance to enrich lives, contribute to the community, and grow as a compassionate health care professional.

Two Program Formats

Residential DPT

Physical therapy student works with patient.

Our Residential DPT program offers a more traditional experience with in-person classes taken on our campus in Charleston, SC.

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Hybrid DPT

Physical therapy students practice exercises

Our Hybrid DPT program offers a flexible learning experience with classes taken online - both synchronously and asynchronously. Students visit our hybrid campus in Charleston, SC several times each semester for immersive lab experiences.

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Our Mission

The mission of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is to prepare evidence-based, ethical, inclusive, and compassionate entry-level physical therapists with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. The program seeks to improve the human experience for the citizens of South Carolina and beyond by emphasizing health promotion, disease prevention, and movement optimization.

The mission statements for the University, College, and Program aim to improve lives beyond those we physically touch [in clinical care] and human life in and beyond South Carolina by being agents of change for the next generation of healthcare professionals. The DPT Program strongly feels that “promotion of health, prevention of disease and injury, and the optimization of movement” are critical to the improvements in population health desperately needed in the current healthcare environment and that physical therapists are uniquely positioned to lead these initiatives.

The MUSC DPT Program revised its Program, Student, and Faculty Goals and Objectives in 2023 to align with the University, College, and Program mission statements. The core faculty wrote the goals to reflect PT education, translation of evidence, and contemporary practice.

Program Goals

The goals of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program are to:

Recruit, educate, and graduate a student population of diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Prepare evidence-based, ethical, inclusive, and compassionate graduates.
Provide a curriculum to emphasize promotion of health, prevention of disease and injury, and the optimization of movement.
Prepare students to work interprofessionally to improve the health outcomes and human experience of individuals in SC and beyond.

Student & Graduate Goals

The goals are that each student/graduate will:

Perform effective patient/client management through the determination of physical therapy needs of any individual, designing a plan of care that synthesizes best available evidence and individual preferences, implementing safe and effective interventions, and determining efficacy of outcomes.
Demonstrate professional behavior that is ethical, inclusive, compassionate and interprofessional in the communication and delivery of services.
Conduct independent practice with respect to established institutional, state, federal, and professional standards.
Become life-long learners and leaders in the use of research and clinical evidence to expand knowledge and become influential change agents for health care delivery.

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