The Duke University Doctor of Physical Therapy program receives over 1000 applications each year, and in 2018, we accepted 82 students to our program. Our curriculum is rigorous and rewarding; as a result, our students have a 100 percent licensure exam pass rate and a 100 percent employment rate after graduation.
Only full-time students are accepted and credits from other programs cannot be transferred. North Carolina residence does not influence acceptance or tuition.
Currently, Duke DPT students represent 34 states in the United States and 7 countries.
Applications must be submitted through the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). Learn more about the application process.
Important dates
August 15: Early decision application deadline
October 15: Application deadline
A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university at the time of matriculation (the college or university must be accredited by one of the accrediting agencies found here). A bachelor's degree in natural sciences is not required, however a strong background in natural science coursework is recommended.
Completion of all prerequisites prior to matriculation. See our prerequisites. All prerequisite courses must be completed at a college or university accredited by at least one of the accrediting agencies found here.
Three letters of recommendation, one each from:
A professor who has taught the applicant in a collegiate setting and can attest to the applicant’s academic abilities. Letters from teaching assistants, lab instructors, academic advisors, and similar positions will NOT fulfill this requirement
A licensed physical therapist, preferably one the applicant has observed or worked with.
A person of the applicant’s choice. This can be a professor, physical therapist, academic advisor, teaching assistant, lab instructor, mentor, and similar positions. Letters from family members will not be accepted.
In addition to the requirements listed above, all international applicants (Canadian institutions included) must have their foreign transcripts evaluated by the World Education Service and have that evaluation submitted directly to the Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (study abroad courses do not apply if they are listed on the USA-transcript). Please note that the PTCAS transcript verification process can take 4-5 weeks.
If you have questions regarding admissions after thoroughly reviewing our website, contact the Admissions Office via email, or by calling 919-668-5206.
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If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please email: dptadmins@dm.duke.edu or call: 919-681-4380. The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Duke University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org website: http://www.capteonline.org