Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree Program

In UNE’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, you’ll be empowered to become a compassionate PT leader in only seven semesters. The first and last two semesters are entirely remote, reducing your residency requirements. Additionally, our case-based instruction method offers more clinical and hands-on context to best prepare you for clinical practice.

Earn Your Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree at Maine’s Leading Health University

In just seven semesters, UNE’s innovative Doctor of Physical Therapy program will equip you for success in a rewarding, ever-evolving profession. Online and on our Portland, Maine campus, we use a unique curriculum to connect your knowledge to real clinical scenarios, hone your problem-solving skills, and enhance your critical thinking.

The cased-based curriculum combines classroom education and practical experience, preparing you to guide patients through injury rehabilitation, chronic condition management, surgery prevention, and healthy habit development.

Expert faculty immerse students in cutting-edge research and best practices while mentoring you in all aspects of physical therapy. Students develop skills alongside peers who share their passion for improving lives.

By starting your PT career with UNE, Maine’s premier healthcare university, you’ll graduate as a well-rounded professional who is ready to make a difference in patient care.

Request info about the UNE Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree

A physical therapy student practices checking a patient's leg mobility
Title
Best Physical Therapy Programs
Source
U.S. News & World Report
Year
2024

Why UNE for Your Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree

  • You’ll be supported to succeed in your PT career. One hundred percent of UNE D.P.T. graduates are employed within one year of graduation (2021 survey).
  • Earn your D.P.T. in less time — only seven semesters.
  • Reduced residency requirements: Your first and last two semesters are delivered through online learning and at clinical rotations across the country.
  • Learn in a unique case-based format for a stronger understanding of clinical applications and enhanced critical thinking skills.
  • Experience all areas of physical therapy practice to prepare you for diverse career options.
  • Gain a global perspective of PT through learning experiences in Iceland, Guatemala, Italy, Morocco, and beyond.
  • Earn honors recognition interprofessional collaboration, participate in a rural health scholars program or our Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program.
  • Learn in a culture that fosters a professional, collegial, and collaborative environment in which all people can thrive.
  • UNE’s expert faculty are established PT leaders who take the time to engage with and mentor each student.
  • Learn how to collaborate in today’s team-based healthcare by training alongside UNE students who are future Physicians, Nurses, and other health professionals.
100%

of UNE D.P.T. graduates passed the national licensing exam

2022–2023
82%

of UNE D.P.T. graduates passed the national licensing exam on their first attempt

2022–2023
100%

of UNE D.P.T. graduates surveyed were employed within one year of graduation

2022–2023
95%

of enrolled students graduated from the Doctor of Physical Therapy program

2022–2023
A group of physical therapy students in the simulation lab
A doctor of physical therapy student presents their research poster at a symposium
A UNE student pushes a man on a hockey sled as part of a demonstration
A P T student practices measuring a crutch for a patient
A previous D P T student assists a patient to walk on an anti-gravity treadmill at Maine Medical Center

What will you study? PT Program Curriculum Overview

Located on the coast of Maine, UNE’s unique Doctor of Physical Therapy program combines coursework and lab work in a case-based format, enabling early hands-on application of clinical concepts. The curriculum starts with foundational sciences, focusing on human structure and function, before progressing to evidence-based physical therapy management of impairments, functional limitations and disabilities. This comprehensive approach aims to prepare you for real-world clinical practice by integrating theoretical knowledge with practical skills.

The required courses will be organized by horizontal threads and total 96 credits.

Upon finishing the program and earning your degree, you may sit for the National Physical Therapy Exam and then enter the profession.

To learn more about the program visit the Academic Catalog or download the D.P.T. Student Handbook (PDF).

Career Paths for Physical Therapy Grads

Physical therapy is a dynamic and rewarding profession that enables you to make a difference in people’s lives. You provide services to those with impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function due to injury, disease, or other causes. Drawing upon your theoretical and clinical knowledge, you help them preserve, develop, and restore optimal physical function.

As a graduate of our program, you are highly regarded in the physical therapy marketplace. Our graduates enjoy a record of virtually 100 percent employment within the first six months after receiving their degree and passing the National Physical Therapy Exam.

Two D P T students practice hand therapy in class
A class of physical therapy students listening to a lecture

Doctor of Physical Therapy Facilities

Our classrooms and labs are furnished with equipment to enable instruction in adult and pediatric neuromuscular, integumentary, cardiovascular pulmonary, and musculoskeletal systems. 

Labs take place in “skill labs,” which are modeled after clinical environments, enhancing a student’s ability to practice in any healthcare setting. The classrooms are equipped with computer and video technology, allowing you to use multimedia presentations to meet varying learning needs. Additional learning spaces include the Motion Analysis Lab and Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center. 

Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences

The Harold Alfond Center for Health Sciences is a state-of-the-art laboratory and educational facility. This three-story building houses labs and lecture halls for our College of Osteopathic Medicine and other health professions. It places UNE at the national forefront of health and life sciences education. You use the center's Anatomy Lab during both years one and two.

Human Sensory and Motor Performance Laboratory

The Human Sensory and Motor Performance Laboratory is a three-room shared research space in Blewett Hall on UNE’s Portland Campus.

The lab is dedicated to the measurement of pain and neuromuscular performance. Each room is approximately 200 sq ft., contain treatment tables, and are situated to allow investigators to perform blinded evaluations.

Equipment available for research testing includes a Medoc TSAII Neurosensory Analyzer and pain testing algometers; a GE Logiq E diagnostic ultrasound; hand-held dynamometry; and a transcranial magnetic and direct current stimulation units.

Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center

As a D.P.T. student, you utilize our Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center (ISIC) to apply the knowledge you gain in the classroom to realistic clinical situations without putting actual patients at risk.

Motion Analysis Lab

The Motion Analysis Lab allows you to observe and measure human motion that cannot be observed with the naked eye, and to quantify the forces in the joints and neuromuscular and muscle systems.

The research you do in this technologically-advanced, 1500-square-foot learning space allows you to apply the theoretical knowledge you learn in the classroom to projects investigating such crucial matters to your field as better understanding the laws of sports biomechanics or the most effective approaches to ACL rehabilitation.

Tour Our Physical Therapy Facilities

Physical Therapy: Team-Based Learning

Our Portland Campus surrounds you with faculty and students in several other health disciplines. You will participate in interprofessional learning activities with them, and come to better understand how the work you’ll do will depend on collaboration. You will learn how to collaborate in today’s team-based healthcare environment as a member of our vibrant health sciences community.

Maine is an ideal location for living and learning. If you are seeking a physical therapy school in Maine, the UNE program is unsurpassed for student outcomes and experience.

My journey in IPE has been transformative. It has taught me the immense power of collaboration and the importance of diverse perspectives in addressing complex healthcare challenges. IPE has not only enriched my educational experience but also equipped me with the skills and mindset needed to thrive in a multidisciplinary healthcare environment.” 

Alexandra Kennie, Physical Therapy ’24

Hear what our alumni have to say about interprofessional education at UNE

A Health Care Education Campus in Portland, Maine

UNE D.P.T. students study on the Portland Campus for the Health Sciences, a quintessential New England quad that has been welcoming students for more than a century. Lined with lush trees and brick buildings, the campus sits in a quiet neighborhood just a short drive from the downtown waterfront. Portland, named “America’s Most Livable City” by Forbes and “Foodiest Small Town in America” by Bon Appetit, is about 100 miles from downtown Boston.

Global Opportunities for Physical Therapy Students

UNE strives to empower students to become global citizens, and in our Physical Therapy program, you’ll have unique, fascinating opportunities to travel internationally and gain a wider perspective of PT. This might be on UNE’s Morocco campus or on short-term, faculty-led experiences in Guatemala, Iceland, and more.

Who Can apply to our physical therapy degree program?

To apply to our PT degree program, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution, or international equivalent.

The University of New England Department of Physical Therapy participates in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). All applicants are required to apply online through this service.

Attend a Physical Therapy Admissions Event

Financial Aid at UNE

Finance your education through loans, grants, and scholarships. We are committed to making our phyiscal therapy degree program as affordable as possible.

D.P.T. tuition and financial aid

Accreditation

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of New England is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22305-3085; telephone: (703) 706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website:
http://www.capteonline.org; If needing to contact the UNE PT program directly, please call (207) 221-4590 or email ptdepartment@annccb.com

Complaints to CAPTE

Other concerns outside the realm of due process should be directed to the D.P.T. program director or to the dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions.

Apply Today

Ready to begin your future in UNE’s accredited PT program?

A student sits in a machine that measures muscle strength as their professor shows them the results on a monitor

PT Degree Frequently Asked Questions