Doctor of Physical Therapy - Hybrid 

Faculty Coaching

We are dedicated to your success from day one. Our innovative coaching model is designed to foster a supportive and collaborative community, ensuring that you feel connected and valued from the start. When you secure your spot, you will be paired with a dedicated faculty coach who will support you throughout your educational journey.

Your faculty coach is there to celebrate your achievements and help you navigate academic and personal challenges. Our intentional matching process ensures you form a meaningful, personal connection with your faculty coach and fellow students within the same coaching group. This close-knit community becomes your support system helping cultivate a strong sense of belonging and empowering you to thrive. Your faculty coach meets with you both formally and informally, individually and in groups, to provide you continuous encouragement and guidance throughout your time in the program.

Learning Online

Using our cutting-edge MUSC learning platform, our passionate professors engage students in lively discussions through interactive presentations, videos and real-world case studies, fostering a collaborative learning environment despite the physical distance. With real-time interaction and small group activities, students will feel connected to their faculty and classmates, making the most of every learning opportunity.

Beyond the classroom, we encourage students to engage in extracurricular and community outreach initiatives within their local communities. Whether students volunteer at local clinics, participate in faculty-led research projects, or participate in advocacy efforts, they'll have ample opportunities to enrich their educational experience and make a meaningful impact.

The Hybrid Campus

Twice each semester, you’ll visit our vibrant Charleston, SC, campus for several days of immersive, hands-on clinical lab experiences. Under the guidance of our expert faculty and skilled lab instructors, you will engage in dynamic activities that include developing clinical reasoning skills, practicing examination and assessment techniques, prescribing and adapting therapeutic exercises and solving complex problems through simulated cases and patient encounters. Our expansive 21,000-square-foot clinical hybrid lab space is designed to provide a spacious, beautiful and conducive learning environment explicitly tailored for hybrid students.

Our state-of-the-art clinical lab spaces enhance lab activities. Access to three modern buildings, equipped with classrooms, clinical skill laboratories, an anatomy lab and a simulation center within the library, enriches the educational experience at MUSC. The college’s research facilities include biomechanics/motion analysis labs, an exercise physiology lab, a neuromuscular performance lab and a transcranial stimulation lab.

The hybrid-lab campus is located in downtown Charleston, close to The Citadel and College of Charleston campuses. MUSC provides an ideal setting for academic medical education and personal growth. Charleston, a rapidly growing port city on the Atlantic coast, consistently ranks among the best small cities in America. The location's favorable climate and numerous cultural, sporting and entertainment events make it attractive for people of all ages and backgrounds, offering a perfect blend of historical charm, architecture, arts, beautiful beaches and fine dining when traveling to lab immersions. 

Curriculum

Curriculum Threads

The Doctor of Physical Therapy – Hybrid (DPT) program curriculum has been intentionally designed around structured educational threads within the broader curriculum that guide students through a specific area of study or professional development. These threads provide a clear content sequence where courses build on one another, ensuring students develop foundational knowledge before advancing to more complex concepts. This structured progression helps students systematically acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.

Curricular Focus

The DPT – Hybrid program has strong educational experiences in foundational sciences. During early learning, key curricular focuses are identified. These focuses represent knowledge and skills essential in physical therapy practice. Examples of curricular focuses in the program are the functional application of anatomy, the use of evidence in practice, and interprofessional collaboration. They are intentionally woven into subsequent curricula, supporting students in becoming master adaptive learners. Additionally, the program offers a variety of electives, allowing students to explore and specialize in areas of personal and professional interest. This flexibility enables students to tailor their education to their career goals and develop expertise in specific areas of concentration.

Clinical Education

Students will gain experience in various settings throughout the program based on their interests. Before the clinical practicum experience, students will engage in immersive clinical experiences and observations as volunteers in community activities like the CARES Therapy Clinic, medical mission trips and more. During clinical practicums, students engage in direct patient care supervised by a licensed physical therapist.

Our students complete three clinical practicums across the United States and Puerto Rico, progressively enhancing their clinical competence. The practicums begin in the fall of year three with two 10-week practicums and a full-time 12-week clinical placement in the last semester of the program.

These practicums cover many 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. 

Where do students go?

Our DPT – Hybrid program has a significant number of clinical placement contracts throughout the country. Students should be prepared to complete clinical practicums in locations other than where they live and anticipate traveling to other locations across the U.S., including South Carolina. Like other programs, students must secure their housing for clinical education placements and this should be accounted for in the cost of living during these final two semesters of the program.

Become a Clinical Instructor

You can help prepare future physical therapists and make an impact on our profession. The Division of Physical Therapy at MUSC is always looking for new opportunities to provide clinical instruction for our students. We are currently seeking clinical instructors for all inpatient settings and outpatient neurorehabilitation, as well as specialty areas such as women’s health, vestibular, wound care, pediatrics, etc.

Benefits of Being a Clinical Instructor

• Access to the MUSC medical library.
• Ability to attend scheduled classes in our entry-level program
• Consultation with faculty on complex patient problems or research interests
• Early access to CEU courses offered by the college
• Earn up to six contact hours (.6 CEUs) every two years.*

*Clinical instructors shall receive one (1) contact hour for everyone hundred sixty (160) hours of clinical internship, limited to a maximum of six (6) contact hours per instructor per biennium. Students must be enrolled in CAPTE accredited or eligible DPT or PTA programs. Clinical instructors must be credentialed by APTA to receive clinical continuing education credits. Verification of the clinical supervision agreement with the student’s educational program and a log reporting supervision hours is required as evidence of compliance. A certificate of completion from the educational program may also be used as evidence of compliance.

If you are interested in becoming a clinical instructor, please contact either Brigid Lucas, kelleybr@musc.edu | 843-876-6272 or Caitlin Keller kellerca@musc.edu. You may also contact us by completing the Clinical Instructor Interest Form.

Clinical Instructor of the Year

• Williams Berkes, PT, DPT | Medical University Hospital Authority (Charleston, SC)
• Benjamin Cuenin, PT, DPT, COMPT, FDN level 1; ASTYM | CORA Physical Therapy (Powdersville, SC)

To offer an experience for an upcoming clinical practicum, complete an online reservation form to let us know.

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 on health care.

Prerequisites

* Indicates basic science coursework and must be courses for science majors.

** Anatomy and Physiology may be taken separately or may be combined and taken as two, four-hour courses. However, if you start a two-part course sequence, you must complete both parts (Anatomy and Physiology I & II). If only a 3-semester credit hour course in anatomy is offered, a comparative anatomy or kinesiology course is recommended in addition to the human anatomy course. Also, Vertebrate Anatomy is accepted if Human Anatomy is not offered. Exercise physiology will not meet the Human Physiology requirement.

Additional Notes

• Dual enrollment courses are accepted for prerequisite coursework so long as the course appears on your college transcripts.
• Advanced Placement credits are accepted for prerequisite courses. Submit your official scores report demonstrating a score of 3 or higher. No more than 4 credit hours can be used to fulfill prerequisite requirements from a single AP exam, regardless of score.
• We do not accept transfer of credit or credit for experiential learning. Applicants do not receive credit for previous coursework and/or experience.

Frequently Approved Prerequisites

Before applying, it's essential to ensure that any prior coursework meets the admissions requirements. MUSC provides a helpful reference list of frequently approved prerequisite courses to guide you in understanding which classes may satisfy your program's requirements. To explore the list, visit our Frequently Approved Prerequisites page.

Application Process

The following process outlines how and when your materials will be reviewed.

1. Submit the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) PTCAS application as early as possible. After fee payment and official transcripts are received, it usually takes four to six weeks to process and verify the application. The application must be verified by the application deadline to be eligible for review.
2. Complete the MUSC application.
3. Once both applications are complete and the PTCAS application has been verified, your application will be reviewed.
4. Selected applicants will be contacted for an interview.
5. Admissions offers are made on a rolling basis.

Application Requirements

1. PTCAS Application: The following materials must be submitted through the PTCAS application, which may be accessed by clicking here. You do not need to send any of the following information directly to MUSC.
   
   1. Completed application
   2. GRE Score: Our PTCAS GRE school code is 7338.
   3. Letters of recommendation: One from a physical therapist who supervised you in the clinic and a second from a professor or advisor familiar with your academic ability and accomplishments or from an employer if you have been out of school for several years. No personal references will be accepted.
   4. Log of Physical Therapy Experience
   5. Official transcripts from all institutions attended
   6. Personal statement
2. MUSC Application: All applicants must submit an MUSC application.

All information above must be received by the deadline to be considered for admission to the program. Without all materials, applications will be incomplete. It is the applicant's responsibility to review the progress of their application to ensure that all application materials have been submitted. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the progress of their PTCAS application on the PTCAS website.

International Applicants

The DPT – Hybrid program is unable to admit international students requiring an F-1 visa. Applications will only be accepted from U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or those holding other valid nonimmigrant visa classifications that allow participation in lawful study while in the United States.

Cost of Attendance 

For additional information, view the DPT – Hybrid Program Financial Fact Sheet 2025.

Scholarships

MUSC offers scholarships for which you may be eligible. Some are awarded based on academic achievement; others are awarded based on community service, for example. However, the majority of scholarships awarded at MUSC are based on financial need. This means that these scholarships are only awarded to students who need some financial assistance to cover the cost of tuition and fees. If you would like to be considered for a financial need-based scholarship, you must have an up-to-date Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file. Make sure you list the Medical University of South Carolina on your FAFSA form, along with MUSC's code: 003438. We encourage you to submit your FAFSA as early as possible. It is recommended to submit your FAFSA in January if you plan to enroll in the fall.

Click here to visit our scholarship application system to view a complete listing of MUSC scholarships.

NPTE Pass Rates

The Doctor of Physical Therapy – Hybrid (DPT) program welcomed its first cohort in Fall 2025. National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) pass rate data will be available for the first cohort after they graduate in May 2028.

Employment Rates

The Doctor of Physical Therapy – Hybrid (DPT) program welcomed its first cohort in Fall 2025. Employment rate data will be available for the first cohort after they graduate in May 2028.

Competencies

Upon completion of the DPT – Hybrid program, graduates should be able to:

• Apply advanced knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and pathophysiology to assess patient needs and design evidence-based interventions
• Conduct and critically evaluate research, including the formulation of research questions, implementation of appropriate methodologies and dissemination of findings, to inform practice and advance the profession
• Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior, including adherence to regulatory standards, cultural sensitivity and patient advocacy in all clinical and scholarly activities
• Exercise effective clinical reasoning and decision-making, incorporating patient values, scientific evidence and outcome measures to deliver safe and effective interventions
• Collaborate effectively in interprofessional teams, communicating clearly with health care professionals, patients and communities to coordinate care and improve health outcomes
• Engage in self-directed lifelong learning, reflecting on personal and professional strengths and limitations and integrating new knowledge into ongoing practice and scholarship

Vision

To advance the future of physical therapy through integration of research-based inquiry, ethical practice and interprofessional leadership that enhances human movement and well-being across communities and beyond.

Mission

The mission of the Doctor of Physical Therapy – Hybrid program is to prepare evidence-based, ethical, comprehensive and compassionate entry-level physical therapists with a variety 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 health care professionals. The DPT – Hybrid 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 health care environment and that physical therapists are uniquely positioned to lead these initiatives.

The DPT – Hybrid 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.

Values

At the core of our program, we are guided by a commitment to the following values that drive our mission:

• Compassion: We act with kindness, empathy and dignity.
• Collaboration: We achieve common goals through teamwork and partnerships.
• Innovation: We drive transformation by embracing new ideas, discoveries and practices.
• Integrity: We do the right thing and commit to accountability in words, actions and use of resources.
• Respect: We value everyone and their many perspectives to build trust and a sense of belonging.