The transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree (tDPT) is a post-professional degree designed to provide educational opportunity to physical therapy professionals seeking to be doctorally prepared. The transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree will augment your existing physical therapist preparation. It is intended to provide physical therapists with bachelor or master degrees sufficient knowledge to gain parity with the entry level Doctor of Physical Therapist degree requirements. In keeping with the mission of Chapman University to provide personalized education, we emphasize self-assessment of current accomplishments and professional competencies which will be utilized to develop a curricular plan to address your individual needs.
The program is an online hybrid program, to allow flexibility for practicing physical therapists while retaining that personal attention. The program strives to be consistent with APTA’s plan to meet the practice and professional needs of practitioners, offer flexible and accessible curricula appropriate for a doctoring profession and build upon the knowledge and experience of the practitioner to examine and intervene in problems affecting the movement system.
Admission requirements
- Current license to practice physical therapy in the United States.
- Application form, curriculum vitae including indication of highest clinical degree and application fee.
- Computer resources and skills sufficient for participation in online courses.
Program costs
Tuition and fees are set by University policy. Current tuition and fees may be found in the online Chapman University graduate catalog. Please contact the department for additional information or visit www.chapman.edu. The program is designed to be flexible to allow students to enroll in one to two courses at a time. Rates are subject to change.
Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum (post-professional/transitional tract)
The program may be completed by students with prior baccalaureate degree or a certificate or a master’s degree. Students with a baccalaureate degree or a certificate complete 26 credits. Students with a master’s degree complete 24 credits. A minimum of 12 semester credit hours of graduate coursework must be completed for the transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Chapman University.
Students may be qualified to place out of one or more courses in the program. In order to place out of a course, students should examine the curriculum and provide evidence to demonstrate prior completion of course content. Submission will be reviewed to determine an individual plan of completion of the transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.