Why Choose the U

High Quality Education

Our faculty includes clinical specialists and PhD trained faculty teaching in their areas of expertise.  Our curriculum and course content are continually updated to incorporate the latest developments in the profession.  Our graduation rates and first-time board-licensing pass rates are consistently well above the national average, and we have a strong national reputation as an academic physical therapy program, ranked in the top 15 percent of all physical therapy (PT) schools nationwide by US News and World Report.

Environment

The Program in Physical Therapy is located on the east bank of the Minneapolis campus in the Children’s Rehabilitation Center.  Students enjoy the academic, cultural, social, and recreational opportunities of a large university and major metropolitan area.  The Twin Cities are an unusual combination of the small-town and the cosmopolitan.

Cultural life is a mixture of world-renowned institutions and a rich array of locally cherished theater, music, and arts organizations.  The Twin Cities also feature the state capital and the headquarters of major corporations in electronics, medical devices, transportation, and forestry.  Minneapolis and St. Paul consistently rank near the top of quality-of-life and residential satisfaction ratings.

Job Placement

Our recent graduates have consistently had 100 percent job placement in PT clinical positions.  Many graduates have accepted offers prior to graduation and graduates have been fully employed soon after graduation.  Graduation from the University of Minnesota places one among an alumni network of nearly 1500 physical therapists across the state of Minnesota and the nation.

Big Ten Resources

Our PT program class size is 50 students.  Faculty will get to know you individually and you will often have opportunities to work in small group settings.  At the same time, the University is a major research institution with extensive resources including large medical library holdings, valuable anatomy facilities, web-integrated course materials, and access to nationally prominent faculty.

Clinical Experience

Our curriculum incorporates supervised clinical experiences throughout the education program, beginning the first fall semester.  These clinical experiences are integrated with concurrent classroom training to allow immediate hands on reinforcement of lecture content and increase the student's experience, confidence and skills prior to full-time clinical internships.  Full-time internships in the third year include contracts with over 350 clinical sites in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, statewide, and nationwide.

Global Clinical Internships

In response to an increased interest in international opportunities for Doctor of Physical Therapy students and the University of Minnesota's commitment to better prepare individuals to participate in global health initiatives, the Program in Physical Therapy has developed a system of internships that allow for diverse experiences in global health care and physical therapy.

Research Opportunities

The physical therapy profession has recognized the need for scientific research to refine and develop the most effective diagnosis and treatment practices in rehabilitation and health promotion and wellness.  Students work directly with faculty, performing state of the art research that is routinely published in national and international scientific journals.

If you have questions about our program, or your possible admission, please contact us!

For More Information, Contact

Liz Goebel
Program in Physical Therapy
MMC 388
420 Church Street SE
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-624-2662
Email: ptquest@umn.edu