97%
ULTIMATE LICENSING EXAM PASS RATE OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS
Physical Therapy/Health Sciences or Exercise Science (DPT + BS)
Doctor of Physical Therapy (6-year DPT)
Physical therapists help injured or sick patients improve their quality of life through movement, exercise and pain management. As a career field, physical therapy is quickly growing and is considered by U.S. News and World Report to be one of the top healthcare jobs. While many doctoral-level health care degrees can take seven or more years to complete, you can earn your DPT through Husson University’s School of Physical Therapy in just six years.
Program Overview
Through Husson’s Physical Therapy program, you can earn either a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences or Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science in addition to a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) in just six years.
Husson's 6-year DPT program offers several advantages:
Direct Entry Into DPT Program: Our early assurance six-year doctoral program allows students to directly enter the professional phase of the program without reapplying if they meet all progression requirements in the preprofessional phase.- Earn Your Degree Faster: Through Husson's 6-year DPT program, you can save both time and money on your education while pursuing a fulfilling and engaging career in physical therapy.
- State-of-the-Art Facilities: You'll train and study in cutting-edge educational environments such as the Kenduskeag Institute's Human Performance Lab and high-tech simulation labs.
- Student-Centered Approach: Husson prioritizes the student's experience every step of the way, which means you'll receive guidance and assistance throughout your time in this program.
- Hands-On Learning: Through clinicals, internships and engaging classroom instruction, you'll graduate from Husson with the confidence and hands-on experience needed to succeed and thrive early in your career.
Each DPT pathway consists of three years of preprofessional coursework, followed by a three-year professional phase, which includes three clinical affiliations and preparation for professional licensure. Whichever path you choose, you will have the potential to progress into the graduate phase of the DPT program at Husson as long as progression criteria are met.
Exercise Science pathway
The B.S. in Exercise Science/DPT pathway provides students with in-depth knowledge on the scientific study of exercise and its impact on health, wellness and performance. This bachelor’s degree focuses on the study of human movement, assessment of fitness and health data, and creation and implementation of exercise plans that are based on research. This pathway will provide you with a solid foundation in areas such as human anatomy and physiology, disease and injury prevention, rehabilitation, and more - each of which is important to know about as you pursue your DPT. Upon completing your fourth year and undergraduate requirements in this program, you will earn a B.S. in Exercise Science. You will then complete an additional two years of study before receiving your DPT.
Health Sciences Pathway
The B.S. in Health Science/DPT pathway is a versatile option that allows aspiring health professionals to receive a bachelor’s degree that will prepare them for a rewarding career in healthcare. This tract focuses on biology, chemistry, physiology and other health-related subjects. Upon completing the fourth year of this pathway in addition to the undergraduate requirements, you'll receive a B.S. in Health Science. You’ll follow this up with two more years of study before earning your DPT.
Admission Requirements
Regardless of the undergraduate degree a student chooses (Health Sciences or Exercise Science), there are two paths of admission into the DPT program as a first-year undergraduate:
Admissions Requirements
Regardless of the undergraduate degree a student chooses (Health Sciences or Exercise Science), there are two paths of admission into the DPT program as a first-year undergraduate:
- Undergraduate "early assurance" option (3 + 3)
Students may be accepted into the early assurance option directly from high school. 40 seats are reserved for early assurance applicants. Requirements for early assurance include:
- a high school GPA of 3.5 or greater
- completion of the following courses in high school: 4 years of science (including biology and chemistry, physics is recommended); 4 years of math, reaching at least the level of pre-calculus; 4 years of English
To progress to the professional phase of the program (year 4) without reapplication, early assurance students must have an overall GPA of 3.5 by the end of the spring semester of their third year, and must complete all core science prerequisite courses with a grade of B- or better. The GPA for all core science prerequisite courses must be at least a 3.0, with only one course being retaken (once) to improve the grade.
Core science prerequisite courses include:
- Introductory Statistics (3 credits)
- Precalculus with Trigonometry (4 credits)
- General Psychology (3 credits)
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II (6 credits)
- Chemistry I and II (6 credits)
- Physics I (4 credits)
- General Biology (3 credits)
- Cell Biology (3 credits)
Students who start in the early assurance option, but do not meet the progression requirements, may apply for entry into the professional phase of the program using the standard option procedure and requirements.
If a student is not admitted into the professional phase of the DPT program, they may continue to finish their undergraduate degree (Health Sciences or Exercise Science).
Students may be accepted into the standard option directly from high school. 30 seats are reserved for standard option applicants. Requirements for the standard option include:
- at least a 3.2 high school GPA
- completion of three years of science and English classes in high school
Students admitted to the standard option must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 by the end of the Spring semester of their junior year and also complete all core science prerequisites with a grade of C or better. The GPA for all core science prerequisite courses must be at least a 3.0 with only one course being retaken (once) to improve the grade. After completion of the third year of school, standard students must apply to progress to the professional phase of the program.
Core Science prerequisite courses for all undergraduate pathways include:
- Introductory Statistics (3 credits)
- Precalculus with Trigonometry (4 credits)
- General Psychology (3 credits)
- Anatomy and Physiology I and II (6 credits)
- Chemistry I and II (6 credits)
- Physics I (4 credits)
- General Biology (3 credits)
- Cell Biology (3 credits)
Standard students will compete for a seat with other qualified applicants. Standard students must complete the following to apply to the professional phase of the program:
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 by the end of the spring semester of the third year.
- Complete all core science prerequisites with a grade of C or better. The GPA for all core science prerequisite courses (listed above) must be at least a 3.0, with only one course being retaken (once) to improve the grade.
- Complete an interview with the DPT Admissions Committee
- Submit a letter of recommendation from their academic advisor.
Students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to 3.199 and have met the following requirements may apply for entry into the professional phase of the DPT program, but will be competing with other qualified graduate applicants for available seats. Requirements for application include:
- Attain a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0 by the end of the Spring semester of the 3rd year.
- Maintain an overall core GPA (courses listed above) of 3.0 to 3.199 with a minimum of C or better in all core prerequisite courses. Only one of these courses may be repeated one time. Additional repeats of the core courses aren't allowed.
- Submit in hard copy the following material by April 15. This information will allow students to compete with the applicants who already hold a bachelor’s degree. Send to: PT Admissions Committee, School of Physical Therapy, Husson University, 1 College Circle, Bangor ME 04401-2999.
- A letter of intent stating their wish for admission into the DPT program. In this letter, the student should advocate for themself, persuading the committee of their potential for success as a DPT student.
- A resume. Be sure to include those activities or jobs that support the future success as a DPT student or as a PT.
- One letter of recommendation from an academic source, not a PT faculty member at Husson.
- A written essay addressing one of several essay prompts listed below.
- What does success mean to you? How do you feel when you fail at something?
- Give an example of feedback you received and how did you use that feedback to make changes?
Students who have not met any of the above requirements and academic criteria by the close of the spring semester of the third year, or who have met the criteria but were not accepted into the DPT program, may not progress into the professional phase, thereby losing their reserved seat in the class they were admitted into. Such a student will be dismissed from the program, and advised to complete a bachelor's degree in another program. After attaining a bachelor's degree, the student may reapply for entry into the professional phase of the DPT program.
Transfer Students
Transfer students are accepted into the pre-professional phase of the program if they meet the requirements listed above for first-year student admission.
- A transfer student must have an overall GPA of 3.5 on college transcripts and there must also be seats available to be admitted to the early assurance option.
- A transfer student with a college GPA between 3.2 and 3.49 may be admitted to the standard option if their are seats available.
All other requirements for early assurance and standard option students apply to transfer students.
THE CURRICULUM
During your first three years in the six-year DPT program, you'll take liberal arts courses in addition to coursework that focuses on your chosen undergraduate tract. During the next three years, you'll participate in clinical experiences and coursework that prepare you for professional PT licensure and a career in physical therapy.
Outcomes
100%
EMPLOYMENT RATE AS PTS WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF PASSING LICENSING EXAM
91%
FIRST-TIME LICENSING EXAM PASS RATE OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS
Three Things You Need to Know
- You’ll learn from expert faculty in small class sizes. The DPT program features a 1:10 faculty-to-student ratio.
- Physical therapy students have access to high-quality facilities such as the Therapeutic Skills Lab, Dahl Gross Anatomy Laboratory and Kenduskeag Research Institute, which houses the Human Performance Labs.
- According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS),in 2023 the median annual salary for physical therapists was $97,700. The BLS also projects employment for physical therapists to grow by 17 percent from 2021 to 2031, which is considered much faster than average.
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