Studies & Degrees in Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy Study Programs
Physical therapy and physiotherapy are two names for the same profession. World Physiotherapy, the international body of the profession, notes that physiotherapists are called physical therapists in many countries and that some countries use their own word, such as kinesiologist. Whatever the title, they provide services that develop, maintain and restore people's maximum movement and functional ability, at any stage of life.
In practice a physical therapist examines each patient and develops a treatment plan to improve movement, reduce or manage pain, restore function and prevent disability, as the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) describes it. Patients include people recovering from injuries or surgery, people with disabilities or chronic conditions, and all ages from newborns to people at the end of life.
What students learn
Programmes combine basic science, clinical science and long periods of supervised practice. APTA lists biology, anatomy, physiology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, neuroscience, pharmacology and pathology among the main content areas of a US programme, together with behavioural sciences, communication, ethics and clinical reasoning. About 77% of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) curriculum is classroom and laboratory study and the remaining 23% is clinical education; students spend on average 22 weeks in their final clinical experience.
Qualifications and levels
The qualification that gives access to the profession depends on the country, so the first question is where the graduate wants to work.
- United States: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). Physical therapists entering the occupation need a DPT from a programme accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Professional DPT programmes typically last three years. Most require a bachelor's degree for admission; others use a 3+3 format, with three years of pre-professional courses followed by the three-year DPT, and a few admit students directly from high school.
- United States: physical therapist assistant (PTA). Assistants work under the direction of a physical therapist. They need an associate degree from a CAPTE-accredited programme, which typically takes two years (five semesters), with about 75% classroom and laboratory study and 25% clinical education.
- Spain: Grado en Fisioterapia. Physiotherapist (fisioterapeuta) is a regulated profession that requires the official bachelor's degree (grado), with a study plan of 240 European credits under Orden CIN/2135/2008.
- Philippines. The College of Allied Medical Professions of the University of the Philippines Manila offers a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and a Master of Physical Therapy.
After a first qualification, therapists can specialise through master's degrees, clinical residencies and research doctorates.
Licensing in the United States
All US states require physical therapists to be licensed, which includes passing a qualifying exam; other requirements vary by state. The exam is the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), developed and administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy, in separate versions for physical therapists and assistants. It assesses basic entry-level competence after graduation from an accredited programme or from an equivalent non-accredited programme, and the federation publishes separate requirements for candidates educated outside the United States. Students who plan to return home after their studies should check with their own country's regulator how a foreign degree is recognised.
Where to study physical therapy
SpainExchange lists 48 schools for this subject: 43 in the United States and one each in Ukraine, Russia, Argentina, the Philippines and Spain. The US schools include universities with DPT programmes and community colleges that train physical therapist assistants. Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania, offers its CAPTE-accredited DPT in two formats, residential and hybrid, both with 32 weeks of full-time clinical education. Northeastern University in Boston teaches a DPT that is also accredited by CAPTE. The University of the Philippines Manila is the example in Asia.
Teaching is normally in the language of the country, because clinical placements involve local patients. APTA does not rank programmes; it suggests comparing cost and financial aid, programme length, and the setting and student body.
Careers
Physical therapists held about 283,700 jobs in the United States in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The largest employers were offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists and audiologists (36%), hospitals (26%) and home healthcare services (11%). The BLS projects employment to grow 12 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings a year, largely because of the growing older population. Physical therapist assistants and aides held 163,200 jobs in 2025, with projected growth of 17 percent over the same period.
Frequently asked questions
Is physical therapy the same as physiotherapy?
Yes. World Physiotherapy states that the titles differ between countries, including physical therapist and kinesiologist, but that they are all part of the same profession.
How long does it take to become a physical therapist in the United States?
A professional DPT programme typically lasts three years and most programmes require a bachelor's degree first. Programmes with a 3+3 format combine three pre-professional years and the three-year DPT.
What is the difference between a physical therapist and a physical therapist assistant?
The physical therapist examines the patient and sets the treatment plan, and needs a DPT. The assistant carries out treatment under the therapist's direction and needs a two-year associate degree.
How long is the physiotherapy degree in Spain?
The official Grado en Fisioterapia has 240 European credits, which corresponds to four academic years.