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Physical Therapy

  • Doctor of Physical Therapy
  • Erie, Pennsylvania
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  • Program Overview

    Physical Therapy is a health care profession that primarily focuses on the preservation, development, and restoration of optimal human movement and function. Physical therapists provide evaluative, rehabilitative, and preventive health care services designed to alleviate pain; prevent the onset and progression of impairment, functional limitation, disability resulting from injury, disease, or other causes; and restore, maintain and promote overall fitness, health and optimal quality of life. Physical therapists work with individuals of all ages who demonstrate movement dysfunction, or the potential for such dysfunction, of the neurological, musculoskeletal, integumentary, and cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.

    Physical therapists practice in a hospital setting, or provide services in out-of-hospital settings through home health agencies, in nursing homes, in industrial settings, through public health agencies, in private physical therapy clinics, in public schools and in a variety of other nontraditional settings.

    The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Gannon University in Erie, PA is accredited through June 2029 by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program directly, please call 814-871-5639 or email legters001@gannon.edu. To verify accreditation status, click on the link below:

    Application Procedure

    Gannon University and the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Department receives and reviews applications for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and all applicant credentials through The Centralized Application for Physical Therapy Programs (PTCAS).

    This includes information from all previously attended university or college transcripts, letters of recommendation, and supplemental materials. Full application instructions can be found on the Gannon University page by visiting www.ptcas.org.

    PTCAS

    Financial Aid Awards

    All applicants to the DPT program at the Erie, Pennsylvania campus for the Fall 2024 semester will be automatically considered for financial aid awards.  Admitted students will qualify for awards up to $13,000 per year (renewable for three years). 

    Program Options

    • Doctor of Physical Therapy

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Our graduate/students will be competent in patient/client centered care management for body functions, activity and participation related to movement, function and health.
  2. Our graduates/students will demonstrate professionalism and ethical behavior in all aspects of the educational, community and clinical setting.
  3. Our graduates/students will incorporate evidence based practice in clinical decision making.
  4. Our graduates/students will be skilled in educating, collaborating, and communicating with patients/clients, caregivers, colleagues, payers and policy makers.