FAQs
What is physical therapy?
What is the pre-physical therapy program?
What are some popular majors of pre-physical therapy students?
What major is best for me?
What prerequisites are required to get into many PT programs?
What kind of degree do I actually need to become a physical therapist?
What other requirements are there to get into a PT program?
What exactly does a physical therapist do?
What about PT assistants and PT aides?
Or, if you have a question that has not been answered below, submit your question to the PPTA using the form below. A reply will be sent to you by email and the question will be posted online.
What is physical therapy?
Physical therapists (PTs) provide services that help restore function, improve mobility, relieve pain, and prevent or limit permanent physical disabilities of patients suffering from injuries or disease.
They restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and health.
Their patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as low-back pain, arthritis, heart disease, fractures, head injuries, and cerebral palsy.
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What is the pre-physical therapy program?
The Pre-Physical Therapy program is designed to prepare students for entrance into a professional curriculum for Physical Therapy at institutions that offer professional advanced degrees, such as master’s or doctoral degrees.
Pre-Physical Therapy is not a degree-granting program at the University of Maryland, College Park.
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What are some popular majors of pre-physical therapy students?
Popular majors for students interested in physical therapy include, but are not limited to:
- biology
- kinesiology
- physiology and neurobiology
- psychology
However, any major is suitable as long as all prerequisite courses are completed.
The Health Professions advisor will assist students in making an appropriate major selection.
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What major is best for me?
There are several educational pathways for students who wish to enter the physical therapy field.
Due to the many pathways in the required health care experience, students are encouraged to thoroughly research this profession and determine which educational pathway is the best route to reach their particular career goals.
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What prerequisites are required to get into many PT programs?
Some prerequisite courses usually required by most professional phase Physical Therapy programs include, but are not limited to:
- General Biology
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Exercise Physiology
- Pre-Calculus or Calculus
- Statistics
- Psychology
- Human Growth and Development
- Ethics of Philosophy
- English Composition
- Public Speaking
- Humanities Courses
Prerequisites for professional schools are subject to change; therefore, students are strongly encouraged to contact professional programs for the most current requirements.
Contact the American Physical Therapy Association for specific information about individual program prerequisites.
Students may also visit the Health Professions Resource library in 0110 Hornbake Library for professional school information.
Admission to professional schools is competitive and is not guaranteed by the University of Maryland, College Park.
Note: The University of Maryland at Baltimore offers a professional-level physical therapy program.
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What kind of degree do I actually need to become a physical therapist?
Currently, the accepted, entry-level clinical degree to practice as a Physical Therapist is the DPT.
The track a student follows in order to obtain a Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy (DPT) varies depending on the professional schools to which the student intends on applying and, more importantly, the expected year of matriculation into the professional phase of Physical Therapy.
Students currently can enter Doctoral-level professional programs by completing a Baccalaureate degree at the University of Maryland, College Park, in addition to the prerequisites required by individual professional schools.
Another route is by obtaining a Master's-level degree in Physical Therapy (MPT) by completing sixty to ninety credits of prerequisites and then applying to the MPT programs for which the student has completed the requirements.
The length of time to complete the DPT coursework is three (3) years and two (2) years for MPT coursework.
In both the first and second routes, the end result would be receiving a DPT or MPT, respectively, from the professional school the student attends.
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What other requirements are there to get into a PT program?
Most physical therapy schools are now conferring a doctoral degree on students.
For these schools, University of Maryland students need to complete a four-year degree in their selected major (in addition to completing the physical therapy prerequisite classes).
All physical therapy schools also require all or some of the following:
- health care experience in the physical therapy field (under the supervision of a licensed, practicing physical therapist)
- CPR / First Aid certification
- community service
- competitive GRE scores
- recommendations from a physical therapist and an academic mentor
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What exactly does a physical therapist do?
PTs plan and administer medically prescribed physical therapy treatment programs for patients suffering from injuries and disabilities of muscle, nerve, joint, and bone to restore function, relieve pain, and prevent disability following disease, injury, or loss of body part.
They administer manual therapeutic exercises to improve or maintain muscle function, applying precise amounts of manual force and guiding patient's body parts through selective patterns and degrees of movement.
They administer treatments involving application of physical agents, such as light, heat, water and electricity using equipment such as hydrotherapy tanks and whirlpool baths, ultraviolet and infrared lamps and ultra sound machines.
They examine patients’ medical histories and then test and measure the patients’ strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function.
They also determine patients’ ability to be independent and reintegrate into the community or workplace after injury or illness. Using this, they develop treatment plans describing a treatment strategy, its purpose, and its anticipated outcome.
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What about PT assistants and PT aides?
Physical therapist assistants, under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist, may be involved in implementing treatment plans with patients.
To be an assistant requires a special certification.
Physical therapist aides perform routine support tasks, as directed by the therapist.
An aide does not require certification.
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