Physical Therapy
Mission
Preston Ellington, DPT Class of 2025
What You'll Learn
The DPT program is a 112–semester hour, 33-month, full-time, entry-level program (including summers) accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).* The curriculum includes basic sciences, physical therapy sciences, scientific inquiry, clinical reasoning, and 30-weeks of full-time clinical internship experiences. Students are expected to meet all academic, technical, and professional standards. The curriculum is delivered in a lockstep format; however, students have up to six years to complete the degree should circumstances arise. See details of the DPT curriculum.
Each August, a cohort of 48 students begins the program, with 32 students in Cullowhee and 16 at the Biltmore Park Instructional Site in Asheville. The curriculum emphasizes interprofessional collaboration, evidence-based practice, scholarship, and service, and is delivered by faculty committed to developing exceptional clinicians. A high-fidelity audiovisual bridge supports synchronous learning across both sites, with faculty rotating instructional locations to ensure equitable educational experiences. Students at both locations receive direct, in-person faculty guidance for all laboratory experiences.
Where You'll Go
Physical Therapists have a variety of career options available. You could work with individuals with orthopedic, neurologic, cardiopulmonary, pelvic health, and integumentary conditions to name a few. You can work in environments from major trauma centers to a rehab facility in your hometown including owning your own practice. Highly qualified and caring Physical Therapists are in high demand; the average salary is about $101,000/year and the average starting salary is $70-$80,000/year.
Why WCU
- Affordability: WCU is among the most affordable programs in the country.
- Program Outcomes: Year after year, our outcomes meet and exceed all national standards.
- Location: We have 2 sites to choose from, one in a picuresque rural mountain setting (Cullowhee) and one in a thriving, vibrant urban mounting city (Asheville).
- Learning Environment: Faculty and peers are here to help you succeed...come to an open house or visit and feel the sense of community.
- Curriculum: Learn from faculty that have thoughtfully designed the curriculum and have dedicated their career to your learning.
- Community: We believe that as physical therapists and as humans, it is our duty to serve those in need. Our student run pro bono clinic, MAPHealth, gives students an excellent opportunity to give back and learn from faculty in a clinic setting.
More About Our Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
People from all walks of life need physical rehabilitation for different reasons. A career in physical therapy gives you a chance to work in environments like hospitals, nursing homes, schools, home care and private practice, helping people restore motor function that allow them to return to work, participate in recreational activities and regain functionality of daily motor skills.
Western Carolina University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy is a program that prepares students to become physical therapist clinician generalists capable of practicing in a wide variety of settings. For additional details about the academic environment that supports this program, visit the College of Health and Human Sciences
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Western Carolina University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). CAPTE accreditation ensures the program meets national standards for physical therapy education and allows graduates to pursue licensure eligibility throughout the United States.
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22305-3085
Phone: 703-706-3245
Email: accreditation@apta.org
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