KU School of Health Professions to launch new hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy degree pathway
Students accepted into KU’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program will now have the option of taking online courses combined with periodic on-campus lab experiences
Students who wish to pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree at the University of Kansas School of Health Professions but find it difficult to relocate to Kansas City now have the option of living elsewhere while completing the program. KU’s new hybrid DPT learning pathway was approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) at the end of November, offering students greater flexibility to pursue their degree. The pathway also will expand the number of students enrolled the DPT program.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projected the demand for physical therapists to grow by 14% from 2023 to 2033, which is significantly faster than the average for all occupations. The new hybrid option helps meet that demand by increasing the number of students accepted into the DPT program.
Students who choose the hybrid pathway will combine online instruction with up to two intensive, on-campus lab immersions at KU Medical Center in Kansas City during each of the first seven semesters of the three-year program. These students will have access to the same facilities as students enrolled in the on-campus DPT pathway.
Current applicants that meet the admissions criteria will be offered the opportunity to enroll in the hybrid pathway as well as in the traditional on-campus pathway, which already has a class size of 60. The first hybrid class will comprise 30 students and begin in the summer of 2025. After the first year, the department will enroll 60 students in the hybrid pathway, doubling the total number of physical therapy students at KU to 120 in each class.
“I am incredibly proud of our departmental faculty and staff who helped develop this pathway, and I am thrilled to see it come to life,” said Patricia Kluding, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science and Athletic Training at KU School of Health Professions. “Because students can stay connected to their home while they complete this program, it will support the need for more physical therapists in rural and underserved communities.”
In 2024, the DPT program at KU School of Health Professions was ranked fifth in the country among public schools by U.S. News & World Report. It was ranked 11th in the nation overall.