Program Information

Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Information

Vision

To empower students and physical therapists to drive the future of our profession

Mission

Prepare entry-level physical therapists who optimize human movement and function by providing educational opportunities in practice, service, and research

Core Competencies

The ISU DPT Program aims to:

Educate and instruct students in foundational knowledge and skills to assume roles as competent entry-level physical therapists.
Prepare students in diverse practice settings or with a variety of patient populations.
Educate and train students with skills in patient education.
Develop habits of critical reflection and self-directed learning.
Provide and promote opportunities for professional advocacy and interprofessional collaboration.

Program Highlights

The ISU DPT Program has been producing effective and caring physical therapists for over 30 years. Our faculty is clinically engaged and directly supervise and instruct students in the clinic with direct patient care beginning in the first year of the program. We emphasize critical reflection and evidence-based practice to challenge the student to be lifelong learners to drive the future of the profession.

Graduate Statistics

Our graduates are self-assured and benefit from the small class size and direct interaction with faculty. Our graduation rate for 2022 & 2023 is 100% and pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Licensure Exam (NPTE) over the past two years (2022 & 2023) is currently 97.8% (first time pass rate is 84.5%). 100% of our licensed graduates (2022 & 2023) seeking employment found employment within 6 months.

More About Us

Faculty

The DPT faculty are clinically engaged and directly supervise and instruct students in the clinic with direct patient care beginning in the first year of the program. The faculty are dedicated to teaching and take the time to provide comprehensive instruction and one-on-one attention when needed. The faculty has a blend of qualifications from grant-funded researchers to clinical specialists. The Program emphasizes critical reflection and evidence-informed practice to challenge students to be lifelong learners and to move the profession forward through their careers. We work to empower students and physical therapists to drive the future of our profession through innovation and advocacy.

Curriculum

Our curriculum uses a series of blended courses with lecture and lab components using synchronous videoconferencing and face-to-face instruction. Courses are delivered to two campus locations through traditional face-to-face instruction with learners and instructors interacting in the same physical space and over synchronous distance-learning video teleconference instructional technology (VTIT). All courses are supplemented with online delivery of learning and assessment materials using the institutional Learning Management System (LMS) such as Moodle or Canvas. Applicants to our program must be comfortable with technology and be proactive, self-directed learners.

Locations

We deliver our program over two campus locations. The main campus is in Pocatello, Idaho and the second campus is in Meridian, Idaho at the Sam and Aline Skaggs Health Science Center. Students apply to the ISU DPT Program, not to a specific campus. Accepted students are assigned a campus upon enrollment in the program. Campus preference and applicant situations are taken into consideration but campus preference is not guaranteed. The Pocatello campus is located on the main ISU campus which provides students with all the amenities of a traditional university atmosphere in a small Western town. Students on the Pocatello campus enjoy close proximity to world-renowned destinations like Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. The Meridian campus is located minutes away from downtown Boise which is the urban and legislative center of Idaho. The Boise area is home to many excellent outdoor recreation areas, provides students with a wide range of metropolitan activities and cultural offerings, and serves as Idaho's gateway to the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest. Both campuses provide students with a library, health care, and student services. Both locations have spectacular outdoor recreation opportunities, safe, family-friendly communities, and fun social amenities.