Program Overview

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at St. Catherine University enables students to become highly competent, ethical, evidence-based clinicians prepared to lead and influence within the profession of physical therapy, the healthcare environment, and the broader global community.

Program Details

• Format: On-campus
• Start: Fall
• Time to completion: 33 months (8 semesters)
• Credits required: 118
• Tuition per semester: $13,880 (rate)
• Total tuition: $111,040

Program at a Glance

• Accreditation: Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
• Leadership skills: Develop leadership skills and network with faculty to open new doors
• Holistic approach: Holistic PT program approach with contextual learning from a liberal arts foundation and 40 weeks of full-time clinical experience
• Service learning opportunities: Choose between local, national, and international service learning opportunities working with underserved populations
• Interprofessional skills: Develop interprofessional skills for contemporary practice, including information management, agility, patient education, and leadership

Why Choose St. Kate's DPT Program?

• Innovative curriculum: Student-centered, holistic approach to physical therapist practice
• Integrated clinical education: Hands-on patient care experience starting in the second week of the DPT curriculum
• DPT class size: Small class size of 34 students per cohort for an intimate educational experience
• Reputation in the physical therapy community: St. Kate's DPT graduates are regarded as highly competent, ethical, and culturally fluent clinicians
• Vibrant medical and urban environment: Located in the heart of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, with opportunities to take advantage of numerous clinical and community resources

DPT Faculty

• Teaching and clinical experience: Faculty with teaching and clinical experience, professional service, and scholarly pursuits in all areas of physical therapy practice
• Primary role: Faculty members are primarily in the classroom, directly teaching students, contributing to an excellent student to faculty ratio
• Academic advisors: Faculty members serve as academic advisors, guiding students through professional behavior development

Peer-to-Peer Mentorship

• Buddy system: Incoming students are assigned a current 2nd-year student as their "buddy" to help them get acquainted with their classmates and new learning environment
• Learning partners: Students sit with a different classmate as their "learning partner" for lab practice skills and discussions
• Group work: Students are placed in different groups for anatomy lab, self-directed tutorial learning experiences, class presentations, and research projects

Leadership

• Marilyn S Woods Leadership Symposium: Students participate in a symposium to identify their leadership strengths and passions
• Personal leadership plan: Students develop a personal leadership plan that is supported by their faculty advisor
• Ethics and Leadership Summit: Students participate in a summit to synthesize prior coursework in physical therapy practice, ethics, clinical education, and service learning experiences

Interprofessional and Intraprofessional Education

• Interprofessional education: Students learn with, about, and from other health professions programs to develop knowledge and skills necessary for contemporary practice
• Simulation activities: Students participate in simulation activities in St. Kate's simulation center to learn in context with other health care students
• Physical therapist assistant program: Students interact with physical therapist assistant students to learn from and with physical therapist assistants

Clinical Education

• Four full-time clinical experiences: Students participate in four full-time clinical experiences spread across all three years of the program, totaling 40 weeks
• Clinical settings: Students choose from a variety of clinical settings both regionally and nationally

Student Activities

• Physical Therapy Club: Students participate in the Physical Therapy Club to promote physical therapy and engage in social networking opportunities
• Volunteer pro-bono clinics: Students engage in volunteer activities at various pro-bono clinics

Plan of Study

• Year 1: Students take courses in introductory physical therapist practice, outpatient physical therapy, acute care, and rehabilitation
• Year 2: Students take courses in rehabilitation, transitional care, and research project
• Year 3: Students take courses in advanced clinical practice, clinical education, and research project

Career Outcomes

• Employment rate: 100% of students who pass their licensure exam are employed within six months of graduation

Financial Aid

• Tuition rates: Review costs and payment processes
• Financial aid: Learn how to finance your education

Information Session

• Ask questions: Meet faculty and ask questions about the program
• Learn more: Learn more about the program and its opportunities

Related Programs

• Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy (MAOT): Explore the MAOT program
• Doctor of Occupational Therapy Entry Level (OTD-EL): Explore the OTD-EL program
• Master of Science in Nursing: Entry Level: Explore the MSN program

News from the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Sciences

• Faculty promotions and tenure: Read about faculty promotions and tenure
• Physical therapy students: Read about physical therapy students tackling chronic health issues of women in incarceration
• Professor Laura Gilchrist: Read about Professor Laura Gilchrist being named GHR Endowed Chair for Health Education and Research

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Contact Us

• Address: 2004 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, MN 55105
• Phone: (651) 690-6000
• Email: info@stkate.edu