Program Overview
The Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) bridge program is designed to allow licensed physical therapist assistants (PTAs) to expand on their academic and clinical experience to promote health, wellness, and function in diverse populations. The program bridges licensed PTAs to become contemporary Doctors of Physical Therapists (DPT), equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and professionalism to be independent practitioners who optimize movement, improve health, and transform society. Students will build on their existing professional knowledge through an experiential technology infused curriculum of a combination of didactic and clinical experiences to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills to be doctors of physical therapy and have opportunities for focused study in areas of clinical interest.
Graduates will emerge as highly skilled Physical Therapists, demonstrating expertise, leadership, professionalism, cultural humility, and critical thinking in their pursuit to deliver exemplary care to patients/clients in diverse physical therapy practice settings. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be clinicians, educators, scholars, and leaders who have developed the knowledge and skills for contemporary, autonomous and collaborative practice, as well as a commitment towards service and lifelong learning.
Applications for the DPT program are anticipated to open in June of 2025
First student cohort for the DPT program is anticipated to begin Spring Term of 2026 (March 2026)
No matter where you are on your journey to a Physical Therapy career, New England Tech provides several options for you!
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If you do not have a PTA license… |
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If you have an active PTA license, but no bachelor’s degree… |
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If you have an active PTA license, AND a bachelor’s degree… |
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Accreditation Statement:
Please Note: The PTA to DPT Bridge Program is in development. Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; [email protected] is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT;www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website. [Name of Institution] is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist [assistant] education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on May 1 2025. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the [professional/technical] phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in [professional/technical] courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.