Educational Requirements for a Physical Therapist

Allied health careers are in demand, and the right training can provide with the right skills for rewarding career opportunities. One such career is physical therapy. What is the education needed to become a physical therapist?

A degree in physical therapy is not an undergraduate degree but rather it requires two to three years of graduate school. In order to get into grad school, you must have good grades in biology, math, anatomy and physiology as an undergrad.

Meanwhile, there are two ways you can begin working in the field sooner: (1) As a physical therapy aid, or (2) as a physical therapy assistant. Since the physical aid does not perform clinical tasks, the job requires a high school diploma. Physical therapy assistant training, on the other hand, typically takes about two years, and graduates of a physical therapy assistant program are either awarded a diploma or certificate depending on school.

In addition to the necessary education, physical therapists in all states and physical therapy assistants in most states must take an pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). This test is administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.

Typical Courses

If you want to know the type of courses or topics you may study, these are listed in more detail below.

Physical Therapy

As a student in physical therapy training, you may study such topics as:

• Kinesiology - how human movement works


• Neuroscience - functions of the nervous and muscular systems.


• Orthopedic – bone, muscle and joint diseases or malfunctions.


• Physical Therapy for Pediatrics – physical therapy specifically for younger patients.


• Musculoskeletal - how to evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries and disease (intro level) with concentration on specific body parts (higher level).


• Pulmonary and Cardiovascular Physical Therapy - assessing patients with cardiovascular (heart) or respiratory (breathing) disorders.

However, depending on school, topics or programs can vary.

Physical Therapy Assistant

As a student in physical therapy assistant training, you may study such topics as:

• PTA pathophysiology course - diseases and disorders commonly seen in physical therapy practice


• Basic health skills course - wheelchair management, body mechanics, transfers, gait training, first aid skills


• Kinesiology course – discussion of anatomy and movement


• Therapeutic treatment and exercise course – treatment techniques that include massage as well as manipulation, stretches, joint range of motion, and more.

Of course again, depending on school, topics or programs can vary.

If you are good at science, want to help people, and are interested in movement or even such things as sports, exercise, and/or dance, this may be the career for you.