CKQ Examines College Majors: Physical Therapy

Each newsletter will provide readers with insight into a specific major that might pique your interest. This segment is all about introducing students to majors (and possibly careers) they may have never considered before. This time around, we will provide information on the Physical Therapy major (special thank you to Collegeboard.org for information provided in this column).

Considered one of the top three majors for the future according to bestcollegereviews.org, Physical Therapy has a lot going for it, with jobs available after completing as little as a BS degree, though most will achieve either a MPT or DPT degree for the highest paying career options. PT’s are licensed health care professionals who work to prevent, diagnose, and treat conditions that affect a person’s movement and functional independence. In a nutshell, they keep us moving when we start to age out, rehabilitate us from injury, and strengthen our bodies as they do their best to betray us.

You might like this major if you also like: helping people; sports and exercise; dance; gymnastics; science and technology; learning and discovery; problem solving; understanding other people’s perspectives; seeking and using feedback.

Consider this major if you are good at: active listening; caring/nurturing; creativity; critical reading/thinking; organizing; persuading/influencing… or have… initiative; patience; physical stamina; verbal skills.

There are a number of career paths for a physical therapist. They can serve as clinicians, teachers, researchers, administrators, or in some combination of these roles. Also, both full-time and part-time opportunities exist in the physical therapy workspace, so you can pursue other personal or professional goals if you wish.

Typical courses in this major include: Biology; Human Development; Anatomy; Physiology; Physics; General Chemistry; Mathematics; Statistics; Psychology; Sociology; Ethics; Neuroanatomy; Orthopedics; Health Policy; Physical Therapy Exercise; Kinesiology.

Pro tip: be sure to ask prospective colleges about the availability of a combined pre-PT/Graduate level program, which can save you both time and money. Typically, this will be offered as a 3+3 MPT program or a 3+4 DPT program, saving you a full year off of the normal completion time. This, of course, is only for those students who are sure of their career path into this growing field.

According to the Collegeboard, only 17 colleges/universities nationwide offer this degree at the Bachelor’s degree level. The most notable schools include: Ball State University, Bowling Green State University, Drexel University, Ithaca University, Loyola – Chicago, NYU, and the University of Cincinnati.

For more information on this field, please visit the following website:

http://www.apta.org