Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

DPT candidate consults with community member under faculty supervision at clinic sponsored by DPT program.

Program Highlights

Find all of these program distinctions at an institution recognized for its Health Sciences programs, giving you lots of interaction with other health care fields, which you will ultimately engage with as a professional who make a difference in your community.

More affordable: Our DPT program tuition is one of the most affordable in New York state.
Career-focused: We provide a careful sequence of clinical placements based on employer feedback, so you’re prepared to shine during your graduate studies and when it’s time to secure a job. And we take a generalist approach to the curriculum to give graduates the most flexibility in their careers.
Support through the licensing exam: There is real camaraderie among faculty and students, beginning your first day and extending through the extra support available as you prepare for the national licensing exam.
Longevity: The Physical Therapy program at Russell Sage recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, so we have a long list of graduates for networking. Russell Sage’s strength in the health professions means you’ll interact as a student with the same fields you’ll encounter as a professional, giving you valuable experience.
Expert Faculty: Our faculty members are practicing clinicians, and several have certifications in areas including strength and conditioning, orthopedics, functional movement, wound care, and pediatric disabilities.

Course Requirements

Credits and Completion

Our doctorate in physical therapy program requires 117.5 credits and can be completed full time in approximately three years. View the course sequence details in our program catalog.

View Program Catalog

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Russell Sage College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) · 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100 · Alexandria, VA 22305-3085 · phone: 703-706-3245 · email: [email protected] · website: www.capteonline.org

The program is also registered with the New York State Education Department · Education Building · Albany NY 12234 · 518-474-3852

If you need to contact the program/institution directly, please call 518-244-2449 or email [email protected].

Accreditation Information

The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Russell Sage College is a post-baccalaureate program where students enter the program in a summer semester. Students enrolled in the 3-year program complete 9 semesters of consecutive course work with integration of three full-time clinical experiences in the second and third summer semesters and from November–February of the third year. Part-time clinical experiences are also integrated to correspond with course work being completed in patient/client management courses.

View Curricular Model

Russell Sage College’s doctoral program in Physical Therapy prepares graduates for the National Physical Therapy Examination and entry into the physical therapy profession. Graduates will be competent to practice physical therapy at an entry-level consistent with the best practices in education and training recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Guide to Physical Therapy Practice: A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education and the APTA Vision Statement for Physical Therapy 2020.

Program Outcomes, Classes of 2021 and 2022

Average graduation rate for 2021 and 2022: 94.1%
Average licensure pass rate for 2021 and 2022: 95%
Employment rate for those seeking employment, classes of 2021 and 2022: 100%
Average First-Time Pass Rate for 2021 and 2022: 65.1%

Professional Exam Results	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE)	100%	96.6%	100%	97.1%	96.4%
National Rates	98.3%	95.1%	98.2%	97.9%	97.1%

Easily Apply

Apply after the PTCAS opens on June 15, and start in the summer.

DPT Application Instructions

Students with a bachelor’s degree, who meet the admission requirements for a DPT program, should apply through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service. The application portal opens June 15.

Application Requirements:

Thorough completion of the PTCAS application, including your biographical information, work history, and extracurricular activities
Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
Two letters of recommendation (one must be an academic reference)
A one- to two-page career goals essay
Documentation of at least 40 hours of clinical observation under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist
Program Prerequisite Form

DPT Preferred Admissions

We have agreements with several undergraduate colleges, to offer preferred acceptance to qualified students who wish to pursue a DPT at Sage. Please review our DPT articulation agreements with partner colleges to learn more about DPT-preferred admissions.

Apply Now

Accelerated Bachelor’s and DPT: Sage has 3+3 and 4 +3 programs for students to complete a bachelor’s degree and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Students in the accelerated DPT program can earn a bachelor’s and DPT in six years — that’s less time than it would take to pursue the degrees separately.
Undergrad Majors for DPT: Our undergraduate Biology, Health Sciences and Psychology programs are an excellent foundation for our DPT program. Students who wish to earn a bachelor’s and DPT should apply for undergraduate admission.

Personal advising, experienced faculty

Our doctorate program comes with a deep, Russell Sage-level of support from an assigned faculty advisor who works with you to ensure your success.

Andrew
Gaetano, DPT

Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy

Learn more about Andrew

Janet
Hakey-Brusgul, DPT

Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy

Learn more about Janet

Laurie
Hepler, DPT

Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy

Learn more about Laurie

Katrin L.
Ramsey, PT DSc CLT CAPP-OB

Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy

Learn more about Katrin

Erin
Elkins, PT, DPT, Ed.D.

Associate Professor of Physical Therapy & Chair

Learn more about Erin

Jennifer
Aiossa, DPT

Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy & Director of Clinical Education

Learn more about Jennifer

Karen P.
Balter

Associate Professor

Learn more about Karen

James R
Brennan, PhD, PT, MA

Associate Professor of Physical Therapy

Learn more about James

Rupali
Singh, PhD, PT

Associate Professor of Physical Therapy

Learn more about Rupali

Sarah
Salvatore, DPT

Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy

Learn more about Sarah

“Our DPT program has a multi-decade track record of turning out really, really good practitioners.”

James Brennan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Physical Therapy

Your Future Career with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy

Our graduates work in private practices, schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and fitness facilities, and they have been accepted to neuro-orthopaedic, sports medicine, and cardiopulmonary clinical residency programs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook for Physical Therapists,

95%

pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Examination was 96.4% for 2021 and 2022, the most recent statistics available

100%

of our 2021 and 2022 graduates who sought employment secured a position within one year after graduation.

365

The number of sites that host our Physical Therapy students for clinical experiences.

17%

increase in employment opportunities predicted through 2031. (The average growth rate for all occupations is 5%, according to the Bureau.)

DPT Clinical Experiences

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Russell Sage College, you’ll learn in well-equipped physical therapy labs and a traditional anatomy lab — and work with real people with real medical issues in the community.

You will work with patients under the supervision of licensed physical therapists in three different settings, which may include hospitals, schools, skilled nursing facilities and private practices. Your responsibilities will progress over the course of one eight-week and two 12-week clinical experiences; by your third clinical experience, you will have responsibilities identical to those of an entry-level physical therapist. More than 365 sites host our Physical Therapy students for clinical experiences.

Research

Doctorate in Physical Therapy candidates have the opportunity to conduct research under a faculty mentor and may be eligible for research funding from Russell Sage College’s Broughton Graduate Fellowship. Our students have presented their research at the American Physical Therapy Association’s national meetings and at Russell Sage College’s Graduate Research symposium.

Professional Development & Service

Russell Sage College’s School of Health Sciences stresses inter-professional education and creates opportunities for future physical and occupational therapists, nurses, dietitians, mental health professionals and others to learn together, in preparation for roles on inter-professional health care teams.

Students and faculty represent the DPT program and physical therapy profession at three inter-professional conferences each year and at dozens of community events like 5K walks and runs, information sessions at senior-citizen centers and health-and-wellness expos.