Physical Therapy student working on strengthening skills using an exercise band skills with another PT student.

There’s nothing more rewarding than helping people improve movement and feel better, whether you’re working with a toddler who has a motor delay or an elderly client recovering from surgery.

In the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, our vision is to be recognized as a national leader in physical therapy education, graduating physical therapists who strive for excellence as clinician-scholars and leaders practicing in diverse, collaborative and innovative settings to promote healthy communities.

Program Type

Doctoral

Program Format

On Campus

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Physical Therapists…

Your work as a physical therapist will take you to a wide variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home care, schools, industry, sports, military and performing arts.

Your clients will come from all walks of life and from all age groups.

Kamari’s journey to becoming a physical therapy student at UWM began with an unexpected challenge — a sports injury in high school. Instead of letting it sideline him, Kamari found a new purpose: helping others overcome injuries. Fueled by grit and determination, he embraced every step, from his undergraduate studies to pursuing a doctorate. “The physical therapist I had at the time really helped me physically and mentally get through that process in a way that made me fall in love with the profession,” Kamari said. Through his coursework in UWM’s College of Health Professions & Sciences, Kamari is ready to make an impact by supporting others on their own paths to recovery.
Kamari’s journey to becoming a physical therapy student at UWM began with an unexpected challenge — a sports injury in high school.
CAPTE Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
  • As the only public Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the greater Milwaukee area, we offer an urban, research-intensive experience at a fraction of the cost of private schools.
  • Our class size is one of the smallest in the state, guaranteeing you personalized attention from our award-winning faculty.
  • You’ll be gaining experience in the community by your second week of class — much earlier than you find with other physical therapy programs.
  • One hundred percent of our students are employed within six months of passing the licensing exam. See our graduation rates, licensure exam pass rates and employment rates (PDF).
  • UWM is a research-intensive university, and as such, you will have the opportunity to participate in leading-edge, faculty-mentored research as a part of the curriculum with additional opportunities for those interested. 
  • The Doctor of Physical Therapy program has partnered with the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Hospital to offer a post graduate orthopedic residency program allowing you the opportunities to develop specialized clinical skills with board-certified orthopedic master clinicians and to provide unique teaching experiences. Successful completion of the one-year residency allows you to sit for American Physical Therapy Association board specialist certification.

Successful Alumni

The School of Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology has many successful alumni. These alumni have taken their Athletic Training, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Occupational Therapy, Sciences & Technology and Physical Therapy educations and have excelled in their careers.

Visit our Alumni page and be inspired by where a health sciences degree can take you.

Application Process

Applications through PTCAS are due by:

  • Early Priority Admission phase: applications are due by August 15th of each year. Competitive applicants who have weighed their options for physical therapy education and have decided UWM is their top choice are encouraged to apply by the early priority deadline.
  • Rolling Admission phase: applications are due by November 1st of each year. Applications in the rolling admission phase will be reviewed and decisions made throughout this phase until the class is full. The program will retain a waitlist for strong applicants who do not receive an offer, which will be active until May 1st.

Applicants should review the exact deadline dates on PTCAS at the start of each admission year.

Once recommended for admission by the program, you must apply to the UWM Graduate School and pay the required admission fees.

Physical therapists work with people of diverse backgrounds. UWM values diversity in its student body. No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility of the UW System or its institutions or centers because of the student’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status.

Admission Requirements

You must first meet the admission requirements of the UWM Graduate School. In addition to UWM Graduate School requirements, you must be prepared to meet the following departmental requirements:

  1. Completion of an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution with an overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
  2. Completion of nine prerequisite courses with a minimum prerequisite grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and a minimum grade of a C in each course. See the full list of prerequisite courses below.
  3. Submission of Graduate Record Examination scores (up to five years old). Minimum required scores are 144 Verbal, 144 Quantitative, 3.5 Writing.
  4. Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be an academic reference.
  5. Responses to narrative essay questions.

The program enrolls 36 students each academic year. We review applications in two phases and give preference to candidates with prerequisite requirements completed at the time of application to the program.

Required prerequisite courses

PREREQUISITE COURSEUWM COURSE NUMBER
General Biology (4 cr. with lab)Biological Sciences 150
Human Anatomy (4 cr. with lab)*Biological Sciences 202
Human Physiology (4 cr. with lab)*Biological Sciences 203
Chemistry I (4 cr. with lab)Chemistry 102
Chemistry II (4 cr. with lab)Chemistry 104
Physics I (4 cr. with lab)Physics 120 (lecture) and 121 (lab)
Physics II (4 cr. with lab)Physics 122 (lecture) and 123 (lab)
Psychology (3 cr.)Any Psychology course
Introductory Statistics (3 cr.)Kinesiology 270

*You must complete a two-semester sequence of anatomy/physiology with lab. This can be a stand-alone anatomy course and a stand-alone physiology course or a two-semester combined anatomy/physiology course.

If you are applying from within the University of Wisconsin System, you should refer to Transfer Wisconsin to evaluate courses for a fit with UWM prerequisites.

If you are taking prerequisite courses outside of the UW System, you should first meet with an academic advisor in your institution.

If you have additional questions, make an advising appointment at pt-program@uwm.edu. No pre-application approvals of course substitutions will be made during the advising process.

There will be no substitution of coursework that is not an equivalent course (i.e., a microbiology course will not be substituted for an anatomy course).

Observation Hour Requirement: UWM does not require observation hours as part of the application process. Observation, volunteer, and work experiences in different physical therapy settings with different patient populations is not required, though they may provide applicants with a better understanding of the physical therapy profession. Such experiences may provide context for the profession they are choosing to pursue.

Admission Rates: PTCAS Cycle 2021-2022

CLASS OFTOTAL APPLICANTSNUMBER OF PLACEMENTSACCEPTANCE RATE
2026B207 completed applications
104 met all qualifications
36 matriculated35%*

*Approximately 50 applicants are placed on an active wait list.

Transfers to the UWM DPT Program

We will consider student transfers from another CAPTE accredited DPT program through a special admission process. You must meet or exceed the admission scores of the cohort you intend to join. You must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the professional DPT program you are transferring from, must submit a letter of recommendation from your current DPT program director, and submit a letter of recommendation from someone who has observed you in clinical practice. Transfer consideration is dependent on space availability. Transfer students are admitted on probation. Consistent with graduate school policies, you cannot transfer more than 20% of the credits from your prior program. If you are considering a request to transfer, please contact pt-program@uwm.edu

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is a sequenced, competency-based curriculum of 106 credits, including 30 weeks of full time clinical experiences. You will enroll as a full-time student for eight terms and start in the summer of the first year. There is no part-time option, nor can courses be taken out of sequence. With faculty approval, students may take a leave from the program for up to a year and then re-enter the tracked curriculum.

Year 1

Summer 1

COURSECREDITS
PT 720: Human Anatomy6
PT 700: Introduction to Physical Therapy Practice Examination Technique3
PT 721: Medical Physiology I3
PT 731: Professional Development 11
TOTAL CREDITS:13

Fall 1

COURSECREDITS
PT 740: Biomechanics/Kinesiology of Human Movement4
PT 701: Clinical Foundations of the Physical Therapy Examination5
PT 723: Physiological Regulation of Exertion and Exercise3
PT 732: Professional Development 22
TOTAL CREDITS:14

Winterim 1

COURSECREDITS
PT 704: Physical Agents2
TOTAL CREDITS:2

Spring 1

COURSECREDITS
PT 750: Neuroanatomy3
PT 702: Scientific Principles of Interventions5
PT 716: Clinical Radiology1
PT 722: Medical Physiology II3
PT 733: Professional Development 32
TOTAL CREDITS:14

Year 2

Summer 2

COURSECREDITS
PT 821: Integument System2
PT 844: Musculoskeletal – Upper Quarter4
PT 751: Motor Behavior3
PT 707: Innovation and Inquiry2
PT 734: Professional Development 41
TOTAL CREDITS:12

Fall 2

COURSECREDITS
PT 820: Cardiopulmonary Evaluation and Treatment3
PT 845: Musculoskeletal – Lower Quarter4
PT 850: Neuromuscular – Adult4
PRPP 553: Psychological Considerations for Optimizing Health and Performance3
PT 709: Research Practicum2
TOTAL CREDITS:16

Winterim 2

COURSECREDITS
PT 881: Clinical Practice I3
TOTAL CREDITS:3

Spring 2*
*Spring semester starts in week 4 due to winter clinical.

COURSECREDITS
PT 711: Health/Wellness in PT2
PT 852: Neuromuscular – Pediatric4
PT 709: Research Practicum2
PT 735: Advanced Clinical Reasoning4
TOTAL CREDITS:12

Year 3

Summer 3

COURSECREDITS
PT 980: Clinical Practice 210
TOTAL CREDITS:10

Fall 3

COURSECREDITS
PT 981: Clinical Practice 310
TOTAL CREDITS:10

Spring 3 (*Optional)

COURSECREDITS
PT 982  Clinical Practice Elective  10
TOTAL CREDITS10
*NOTE Spring 3 is completely optional for students who want to complete a clinical internship in a specialty area. Completing a third terminal clinical internship would delay graduation by one semester and the student would pay tuition for this internship. Students may also incur travel and living expenses, depending on the location of the clinical. These credits are in addition to the 106 credit minimum for degree, increasing the total program credits to 116. 
 

Total Credits (Program) 106

Prospective Students

If you have questions about pursuing physical therapy, you are encouraged to seek advising from Torry Rufer, the pre-physical therapy advisor in the College of Health Professions and Sciences. We encourage you to carefully review this website and information packet (PDF) prior to scheduling an advising appointment.

If you have already completed a bachelor’s degree and are interested in taking courses at UWM to satisfy DPT program prerequisites, you should apply for admission to UWM. On the application, identify your reason for applying as “Undergraduate courses as a visitor/guest student” and your “applying as” status as “Undergraduate non-degree student with a bachelor’s degree.” You should apply as a second degree student only if you plan to complete a second bachelor’s degree. Questions regarding financial aid for non-degree students should be directed to the UWM Department of Financial Aid website at https://uwm.edu/finances/contact/financial-aid/ or contact the department via email at finances@uwm.edu.

Previously unsuccessful applicants who intend to apply to the next admissions cycle can meet with a faculty member in the program to generally discuss their situation by emailing pt-program@uwm.edu.

Admitted Students

Welcome! In the first semester of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, you will be assigned to a program faculty advisor. We will work with you to maximize your academic success and help you achieve your professional goals.

Portrait of Carlynn Alt
  • Clinical Professor, Physical Therapy
Alyssa Betances, PT, DPT
  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy Program
Portrait of Ann Dietrich
  • Clinical Associate Professor Emerita, Physical Therapy
Melissa Dygulski
  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy Program
Portrait of Kyle Ebersole
  • Professor, Athletic Training, Physical Therapy
Lauren Hogan, PT, DPT, ATC Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy (OCS), Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT)
  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy
Wendy Huddleston 2021 Headshot
  • Associate Professor, Physical Therapy
  • Director, Physical Therapy
Portrait of Renee Mazurek
  • Clinical Associate Professor, Physical Therapy
  • Assistant Director of Clinical Education,, Physical Therapy
  • Director of Admissions, Physical Therapy
Portrait of Victoria Moerchen
  • Associate Professor, Physical Therapy
  • Associate Dean, Graduate School
Summer Ostrowski, PhD - headshot
  • Clinical Associate Professor, Physical Therapy
  • Anatomy Laboratory Director
Lauren Sara, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS Headshot
  • Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy
  • Orthopaedic Certified Specialist
Stephanie Schrader Portrait
  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy
  • Director of Clinical Education, Physical Therapy
Portrait of Lori Woodburn
  • Administrative Assistant II, Physical Therapy

Adjunct Faculty

  • Megan Berezowitz, PT, DPT, OCS, Clinical Laboratory Instructor
  • Blair Bundy, PT, Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Kaitie Hughes, PT, DPT, Clinical Laboratory Instructor
  • Ashley Larson, PT, DPT, Clinical Laboratory Instructor
  • Caitlin Loduha, PT, DPT, Clinical Laboratory Instructor
  • Mark Lydecker, PT, MPT, ATC, OCS, Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Connie Kittleson, PT, DPT, Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Chris Kowalski, PT, Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Sarah Meuller, PT, DPT, Clinical Laboratory Instructor
  • Renee Moldenhauer, PT, DPT, CHT, Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Abby Nowakowski, PT, DPT, Orthopedic Resident 2024-2025
  • Sam Park, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, CMTPT, Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Cydney Reilly, PT, DPT, CCS, Clinical Laboratory Instructor
  • Sam Tyriver, PT, DPT, Clinical Laboratory Instructor
  • Michael Waller, PT, DPT, OCS, Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor
Important Dates
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program
In-Person Info Session

Next Session Date – To Be Determined


All students interested in Physical Therapy are encouraged to attend. Dr. Wendy Huddleston (UWM Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Director) and Torry Rufer (Senior Academic Advisor) will give a brief presentation on applying to the program and lead a question and answer session.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please email: pt-program@uwm.edu.
Contact

Phone: 414-229-3360
Fax: 414-229-3366

For admissions questions, email 
pt-program@uwm.edu

Wendy E. Huddleston, PT, PhD
Program Director
huddlest@uwm.edu
414-251-9336