Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences has a rural-focused curriculum. Students study movement and behavioral sciences, professional and interprofessional practice, evidence-informed practice, clinical reasoning, and patient management, including for special populations. The program also includes community-based research with faculty in the Center for Applied Movement Sciences (CAMS) laboratory on campus. It is organized around didactics, labs, simulated experiential learning, community-based service-learning projects, and a culminating capstone project.

Learning includes full-time clinical experiences in various health settings. The curriculum applies evidence-informed principles and clinical decision-making skills in professional practice courses and integrates clinical experiences across health settings. Students participate in community-based research and complete required projects alongside faculty support in the CAMS laboratory and course experiences. The program also links clinical experiences with community partners in the five-state Northwest region.