Undergraduate Programs
The exercise physiology major provides an academic program of basic and applied sciences for students interested in exercise physiology, human performance, and health professions. The sequenced curriculum seeks to develop a graduate with the skills and academic background to pursue a career in the rapidly growing health and wellness industry, or to pursue graduate work or professional education in a variety of areas including physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac rehab, medical school, etc. Incoming freshman admitted to the direct admit Master of Athletic Training or Doctor of Physical Therapy program, as well as students accepted to these programs or the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program in the junior year, follow a course sequence that allows them to begin their respective program in the senior year.
Graduate Programs
Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT)
Marquette's Doctor of Physical Therapy program is the highest ranked program at the University. Our program is ranked as one of the top 20 PT programs in the nation according to US News and World Report. The Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum is designed to develop the student completely as a person and as a professional. A foundation of courses in the humanities and sciences challenge the students personally by focusing not only on the intellect, but also upon the character of the student. Students have the opportunity to engage a variety of hands-on experiences to enhance their learning and increase their sense of belonging in the program. Some of these opportunities include involvement in research labs, volunteering or working in one of three campus PT clinics, assisting with the Adaptive Abilities Club and providing valuable health services to community members through the Marquette pro bono ComMUnity Clinic.
The Exercise and Rehabilitation Science Master’s and PhD program are clinical research programs based in the College of Health Sciences' Department of Physical Therapy. It is also part of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeastern Wisconsin (CTSI), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. The Exercise and Rehabilitation Science program is one of only a few CTSI programs in the country specifically geared toward clinical research training in physical therapy and rehabilitation science.
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 research career. 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.
The Master of Athletic Training degree is housed in the Program in Exercise Science, which is a part of the Department of Physical Therapy in the College of Health Sciences. The close associations with the Exercise Physiology major, the Physical Therapy graduate program and the College of Health Sciences give our students access to vast resources within our facilities and allow interdisciplinary healthcare provider interactions not found many places. However, our athletic training faculty-to-student ratio remains one of the strongest aspects of the program, and individual attention to each student’s development is the norm rather than the exception. A strong component of our program is the clinical experiences provided throughout the curriculum. Our students work with Division 1 athletes from the very first semester on campus. Additionally, we have many long-standing relationships with community sites for experiences with athletic training in high school, Division 3 college, professional, clinical and industrial sites throughout the area, state, and nation.
Data analytics is transforming the world of sports and exercise. The Master of Science in Sports and Exercise Analytics at Marquette University integrates physiology and biomechanics with data science to address specific questions regarding elite athletic, sport, exercise and human performance. Graduates will have the analytic skills to develop new applications and interfaces for large and complex sport and human performance data sets combined with the foundational knowledge in exercise and sport physiology to aid in the accurate interpretation and translation of results.
