Academics

Since you’ll be hands-on as a physical therapist, we designed our physical therapist education to be hands-on too.

Our Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) curriculum is a bit different than the physical therapist education you may find at other schools. Our students take courses for three years, nine straight semesters, summers included. This makes it easier for you to learn and retain vital practice concepts. And you earn your doctoral degree that much sooner.

Plus, you complement the valuable hands-on learning you receive in our Human Anatomy Lab with 38 weeks of clinical experience. That’s three more weeks than the national average. During this time, you familiarize yourself with a number of specializations by working in four different settings:

In-patient setting
Out-patient setting
Two Elective Settings

Students will also participate in five integrated clinical experience (ICE) courses, so you will start treating patients in your first semester.

Details of our program

Curriculum

We’ve designed our academic schedule in a way that makes sense. You learn critical concepts in your courses and build on those concepts in the labs. The result is a curriculum that prepares you to succeed. This is your course of study for the next three years:

Year One

Human Gross Anatomy
Human Physiology
Clinical Practice 1: Screening and Examination
Research 1: Search and Appraisal of Literature
Physical Therapist as a Professional 1
Principles of Pharmacology
ICE I (Integrated Clinical Experience)
Applied Kinesiology
Neuroscience
ICE II (Integrated Clinical Experience)
Research 2: Design and Stats
Pathophysiology
Clinical Practice 2: Evaluation, Diagnosis and Introduction to Intervention
ICE III (Integrated Clinical Experience)
Diagnosis and Management of Musculoskeletal Conditions 1
Prosthetics and Amputation

Year Two

Diagnosis and Management of Integumentary Conditions
Clinical Practice 3: Prognosis and Intervention Across Systems
Motor Development and Motor Behavior
Research 3: Outcomes Assessment and Capstone
Diagnosis and Management of Neurological Conditions 1
Clinical Internship 1
Diagnosis and Management of Musculoskeletal Conditions 2
Diagnosis and Management of Neurological Conditions 2
ICE IV (Clinical Integration Experience)
Psychosocial Implications in Rehab
Diagnosis and Management of Cardiopulmonary Conditions
Clinical Integration 3: Synthesis
Research 4: Capstone
Physical Therapist as a Professional 2
Diagnosis and Management of Special Populations
Differential Diagnosis for the Physical Therapist
ICE V (Clinical Integration Experience)

Year Three

Demographics

Cohort Demographics

	Class of 2019	Class of 2020	Class of 2021
Matriculated Cohort size	44	44	44
Overall GPA	3.5	3.5	3.5
Science GPA	3.5	3.5	3.5
Combined GRE score	305	303	304
Number of states represented	14	10	13

Student Handbook

Questions?

If you still have general questions about the program, or want to see how our compares to other doctor of physical therapy programs, please reach out to us by email or call us at 704-233-8358. Have questions about admissions? Call Ms. Natalie Clark at 704-233-8674.

Request More Information

DPT Information Sessions

Meet professors, learn more about our program and the application process.

Read More about Information Sessions

My experience ...

"Since starting DPT at Wingate, I have established relationships with my professors that not only have been beneficial during my time in the program, but are lifelong partnerships that I know I can always count on. Director of Clinical Education, Karen Woodrow PT, DPT has ensured that my clinical rotations have run smoothly, and any questions or concerns were quickly addressed. She helped me build confidence in my knowledge and skills after COVID-19 left my cohort out of the clinic for four months. My advisor, Brett MacLennan PT, DPT, MS, OCS, has given academic, professional and orthopedic clinical pearls throughout my three years in the program in order to help me realize my potential as a future physical therapist. The community nature of Wingate has given me a home away from home that I know I can count on throughout my professional career."

ANNE THROCKMORTON, CLASS OF 2020

In this Section