The Physical Therapy program at Marquette University offers a combined Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and PhD in Exercise and Rehabilitation Science for students with a strong academic record and an interest in a career in research. The DPT is the clinical degree needed to practice physical therapy, whereas the PhD is a research degree delivering training to become an independent scientific investigator. The combined degree program offers students both clinical training and the tools required to answer research questions in the field of rehabilitation science and physical therapy. The goal of this program is to train the next generation of clinician-scientists to address the growing need for clinical knowledge to support evidence-based practice in the field of physical therapy.

Students interested in this program will begin with the DPT phase of education as a traditional physical therapy student and will have the opportunity to apply to the PhD program at the start of their second year of study. Once accepted into the combined PT/PhD program, the student will begin their initial research training including mentorship by one of the Exercise and Rehabilitation Science research faculty. Some of the coursework and research done during the DPT program will be applied to the PhD coursework reducing the student’s time in the PhD program by approximately one year. You can find an outline of the PT/PhD curriculum here. At the end of the DPT curriculum, the DPT/PhD student will be eligible to sit for the national licensure exam.

Students interested in this opportunity should contact the director of the Exercise and Rehabilitation Science (EXRS) graduate program, Dr. Marie Hoeger Bement, for additional information. Apply for this program now.