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Physical therapist education requirements vary from one program to the next but typically, not a great deal.  This particular career requires that individuals undergo very specific training and obtain certain degrees and credentials before they are able to practice. Most employers will require that the physical therapists they hire have a post baccalaureate degree. This degree has to come from an accredited physical therapy program. Practicing physical therapists also have to pass state and national examinations.

Quality physical therapists programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). This is the accrediting body of the American Physical Therapy Association. The commission is responsible for the accreditation of entry-level physical therapy programs.

There are hundreds of physical therapy programs in the United States. Not every one of them is accredited. Of those that are, a dozen offer master degree programs and 200, doctoral-level degrees. A person that wants to pursue their master’s degree will need to be prepared to spend between two and two and a half years in school. Those interesting in obtaining their doctorate degree will need to spend an additional three years in school.

A person who seeks to obtain a physical therapy degree will take a variety of courses, amongst them but necessarily limited to, anatomy, neuroscience, biology, pathology, cellular histology, biomechanics, physiology, exercise physiology, radiology/imaging, pharmacology, behavioral science, clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice.

Additional physical therapist education requirements will also likely include laboratory and classroom instruction, therapeutic interventions, practice management, diagnostic process, examination measures, test and medical screening. Gaining clinical experience, via supervised practice, is a major part of most programs.

Physical therapist educational requirements are not limited to the classes a person must take while in a physical therapy program. There are requirements which must be met prior to being accepted into a program. A person should take the following courses to give themselves the best possible chance of being accepted into a physical therapy program, social science, biology, statistics, anatomy, mathematics, physical and chemistry.

Though many school’s physical therapist educational requirements will be similar (because most programs will be designed so that students are able to easily pass their state and national exams), the requirements for a particular program may differ from another. The requirements for a particular medical assistant certification program should be posted online. If they are not, a simple call to the school should be sufficient to get all the information a person needs regarding a program’s educational requirements.