How to Become a Physical Therapist: A Step-by-Step Guide
Physical therapists use exercise to improve patients' quality of life. Their patients have medical conditions or injuries that affect function and movement and are referred to a physical therapist who helps manage and prevent these conditions through stretching, exercise, hands-on therapy, equipment, and more. Physical therapists are trained to observe patients, understand their needs, and evaluate the effectiveness of their treatment plans so they can help their patients as best they can.
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Earn your DPT from a hybrid program. Experience on-campus immersions and apply skills learned online to patients in person. Complete the program in 25 months. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree but do not need to submit GRE test scores for admission.
- Complete in 25 months
- 32 weeks of in-person experience
- Eight on-campus immersions
- Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
- Students are taught by the same world-renowned faculty as the on-campus program
- Bachelor’s required. GRE scores are optional.
Steps to Becoming a Physical Therapist
- Prepare to apply for a doctor of physical therapy program
- Earn your doctor of physical therapy degree
- Get approval to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and pass
- Pass the Exam and Get Licensed
- Specialization (if desired)
Step 1: Prepare to Apply for a Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Doctor of Physical Therapy Application Requirements
Most schools require you to submit your application through the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (PTCAS). Although exact requirements will vary, common application requirements are as follows:
- Application Fee
- Bachelor’s degree unless program is a 3 and 3 format (combines bachelor and doctorate education)
- Transcripts, which are used to calculate a standardized GPA
- PT-supervised observation hours
- References- reference requirements will vary by school
- Supplemental materials
- Check to see if you need to take the GRE
Additionally, many programs require prerequisite coursework, which can vary significantly by program and may include courses in anatomy and physiology, bio, chem, physics, social sciences, stats, math, exercise physiology, medical terminology, and writing. Check to see what each school requires.
You must apply to a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited DPT program (or foreign equivalent) to become certified. Graduates of non-accredited US programs cannot be certified, and master’s degrees are no longer accepted as a means to become a certified physical therapist.
Check out available physical therapy scholarships.
Step 2: Earn Your Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree
Once you are admitted into an accepted doctor of physical therapy program, you can begin completing your degree. According to the American Physical Therapist Association (APTA), a DPT typically takes 3 years to complete and consists of 80% classroom and lab work and 20% clinical education. Although curriculum will vary by program, here is what you can expect:
DPT Coursework
Coursework is designed to give students a strong science background and to prepare them to manage their businesses and keep their practices up to date with current research. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, the following topics are frequently part of a DPT curriculum:
- Behavioral science
- Biology
- Biomechanics
- Cardiovascular
- Cellular history
- Communication
- Critical reasoning
- Ethics
- Evidence Based Practice
- Exercise physiology
- Kinesiology
- Management and Finance
- Metabolic
- Musculoskeletal
- Neuroscience
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
- Sociology
On-Campus Lab Work
While completing your DPT program, you will participate in hands on lab work where you gain hands on physical therapy experience.
Clinical Experiences
As you complete your DPT degree, you will complete multiple clinical experiences or internships where you work in a physical therapy setting supervised by a physical therapist. These experiences often take place off campus. Requirements for clinical experience will vary by school, but on average a final clinical experience is 27.5 weeks in length.
Step 3: Get Approval to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and Pass
To become certified as a physical therapist in your state, you are required to pass the National Physical Therapy Examination. In order to sit for this exam, a candidate must be approved by both the state and the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). To be approved to sit for the exam, one must meet the following requirements:
- Register for the NPTE through FSBPT and pay the current $485 exam registration fee. You’ll also pay a separate Prometric testing center fee (around $100) and any required state application and jurisprudence exam fees, so your total out-of-pocket cost will be higher than the FSBPT fee alone.
- Have a CAPTE accredited DPT degree or foreign equivalent
- Comply with test security requests
- Be approved by your state (requirements by state will vary). This involves submitting an application to your state’s board of physical therapy (requirements described later)
Those educated in a foreign country will need to meet these additional requirements:
- Proof that degree is deemed equivalent to a CAPTE accredited program. To do this, a regional accrediting agency must perform an evaluation. The student must submit to the FSBPT the agency’s name, the names of the tools used to evaluate the program, and the evaluation outcome
- Proof of completion of the TOEFL exam
- Any additional state requirements needed to gain permission from the state to take the exam
- For internationally educated candidates, many U.S. jurisdictions follow FSBPT’s recommended minimum TOEFL iBT scores — typically around Reading 22, Listening 21, Writing 22, and Speaking 24. Exact language-testing requirements are set by each state licensing board, so be sure to confirm the current TOEFL expectations with the jurisdiction where you plan to seek licensure
Requirements to get approval from your state to take the exam (in addition to a mandatory CAPTE-accredited degree) can be found below. Note that fees do not include the above exam fee and may be a combination of several fees, including application fee, criminal background check, and jurisprudence exam fees, depending on the state. Jurisprudence exams may be part of a state’s application to sit for the exam, or may be completed after gaining approval to take the exam. There may also be additional requirements for applying for certification not listed in the table, such as professional liability insurance or references. Always reach out to your state directly to understand the application process, as it varies from state to state.
Fee amounts and requirements listed in the table below are approximate and were last updated in December 2025. Always verify current fees and requirements directly with your state board before applying.
State | Approx. initial licensure / application fees* | Jurisprudence exam required (for initial PT license) | Criminal background check / fingerprints required |
|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | ~$100 application (additional fees for jurisprudence course & fingerprints) | Yes – 2-hour Alabama jurisprudence course | Yes – fingerprint-based background check |
Alaska | ~$350 total (≈$150 application + $200 license) | Yes – jurisprudence questionnaire | Likely yes – fingerprinting requirement being implemented; verify with board |
Arizona | ~$260 application | Yes – Arizona jurisprudence exam | Yes – Arizona fingerprint clearance card |
Arkansas | ~$260 standard (application + jurisprudence) | Yes – Arkansas jurisprudence exam | Yes – criminal background check |
California | ~$450 (≈$300 application + $150 initial license) | Yes – California Law (CAL-Law) exam | Yes – fingerprinting & state/FBI background checks |
Colorado | ~$100 application | No separate jurisprudence exam noted | Yes – fingerprinting & background check |
Connecticut | ~$285 application | No jurisprudence exam | No formal background check requirement noted (disclosure only) |
Delaware | ~$193 licensure fee | No separate jurisprudence exam | Yes – state & FBI background checks |
District of Columbia (DC) | ~$264 licensure fee | Yes – DC jurisprudence exam | Yes – criminal background check |
Florida | ~$180 (application + license) | Yes – Florida Laws & Rules exam | No formal background-check process (disclosure of history required) |
Georgia | ~$75 initial application | Yes – Georgia Law exam | Yes – background check |
Hawaii | ~$235–$350 total (≈$50 application + $185–$300 license, varies by year) | No – must read laws but no formal exam | No formal background-check process (disclosure of history only) |
Idaho | ~$80 combined fees | No separate jurisprudence exam listed | No formal background-check process (disclosure only) |
Illinois | ~$100 application (plus separate background-check fee) | Yes – mandatory 1-hour state jurisprudence course (not a stand-alone test but a jurisprudence requirement) | Yes – fingerprinting & background check |
Indiana | ~$100 application/licensure | No jurisprudence exam at initial licensure (jurisprudence content appears in CE) | Yes – criminal background check with fingerprinting |
Iowa | ~$120 application/licensure | No separate jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check with fingerprints |
Kansas | ~$80 application (plus separate background-check fee) | Yes – Kansas jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check with fingerprints |
Kentucky | ~$225 licensure fee | Yes – Kentucky jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check with fingerprints |
Louisiana | ~$250–$390 licensure fee (amount depends on combination of birth year & application year) | Yes – online state jurisprudence exam | Not clearly specified – no explicit background-check requirement in summary (verify with board) |
Maine | ~$70 total (≈$51 license + ~$21 background-check fee) | No jurisprudence exam | Yes – criminal background check |
Maryland | ~$150 licensure fee (plus separate background-check costs) | Yes – online jurisprudence exam | Yes – Criminal History Records Check |
Massachusetts | ~$226 application/licensure fees | Yes – jurisprudence questionnaire | Yes – CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) check |
Michigan | ~$220.50 licensure fee | Yes – state jurisprudence exam | Yes – criminal background check |
Minnesota | ~$160 total (≈$100 application + $60 license) | Yes – state jurisprudence exam (required annually for renewal) | Yes – criminal background check |
Mississippi | ~$275 total (≈$125 application + $150 initial PT license) | Yes – Mississippi jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check to meet “good moral character” standard |
Missouri | ~$25+ (application; additional licensure-related fees may apply) | Yes – state jurisprudence exam | Yes – fingerprinting with state Highway Patrol & background check |
Montana | ~$100 initial license (by exam; endorsement slightly higher) | No separate jurisprudence exam | Yes – fingerprints & background check |
Nebraska | ~$180 total (≈$133 license + ~$45 fingerprint/background fee) | Yes – NELAW jurisprudence exam | Yes – criminal background check with fingerprints |
Nevada | ~$325 licensure fee (plus ~$38 background-check fee) | Yes – state jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check & fingerprinting |
New Hampshire | ~$60 initial licensing (plus ~$48 FBI fingerprint/background fee) | Yes – online jurisprudence assessment | Yes – FBI criminal background check & fingerprints |
New Jersey | ~$180–$235 total (≈$125 application + $55–$110 license depending on renewal cycle) | Yes – jurisprudence assessment module | Yes – criminal background check with fingerprints |
New Mexico | ~$250 licensure fee (plus ~$15 background check) | Yes – New Mexico jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check |
New York | ~$294 licensure fee | No required jurisprudence exam (optional online jurisprudence module only) | No formal background-check process noted (good-moral-character standard applies) |
North Carolina | ~$150 licensure fee | Yes – state jurisprudence exercise | Yes – FBI background check with fingerprints |
North Dakota | ~$200 licensure fee | Yes – open-book jurisprudence exam | Yes – fingerprint packet / background check |
Ohio | ~$100 licensure fee | Yes – Ohio jurisprudence assessment | Yes – BCI/FBI criminal records check |
Oklahoma | ~$150 licensure fee | No separate jurisprudence exam listed | Yes – biometric background check |
Oregon | ~$187 licensure fee | Yes – OR-JAM jurisprudence exam | Yes – criminal background check with fingerprints |
Pennsylvania | ~$30 licensure fee | No jurisprudence exam | No formal background-check requirement listed (3 hours child-abuse training and good-moral-character requirements apply) |
Rhode Island | ~$155 licensure fee | No jurisprudence exam | Yes – BCI background check |
South Carolina | ~$110 licensure fee | No separate jurisprudence exam | Yes – criminal background check with fingerprints |
South Dakota | ~$120 licensure fee | No jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check |
Tennessee | ~$135 licensure fee | No jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check |
Texas | ~$190 licensure fee | Yes – TX JAM (Texas Jurisprudence Assessment Module) | Yes – fingerprinting & background check |
Utah | ~$90 licensure fee | No jurisprudence exam listed | Yes – fingerprint card required |
Vermont | ~$100 licensure fee | No jurisprudence exam | No formal background-check requirement noted |
Virginia | ~$140 licensure fee | Yes – Virginia state jurisprudence exam | Yes – criminal background check / fingerprinting requirement |
Washington | ~$80 licensure fee | Yes – Washington jurisprudence exam | No separate background-check requirement |
West Virginia | ~$245 licensure fee | No separate jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check |
Wisconsin | ~$165 licensure fee | No separate jurisprudence exam noted (jurisprudence content mainly in law/rules review) | Yes – photo and fingerprints required |
Wyoming | ~$240 licensure fee | Yes – Wyoming jurisprudence exam | Yes – background check with fingerprints |
Approximate fees generally reflect state application/licensure fees and may not include third-party NPTE, Prometric, or vendor background-check costs.
Step 4: Pass the Exam and Get Licensed
Once you are approved to take the exam, you can schedule your exam date with Prometric. The NPTE for physical therapists is a computer-based exam with 225 multiple-choice questions administered over about five hours. Scores are reported on a 200–800 scale, and you must earn at least 600 to pass.
After passing the exam, your state will issue you your license. Typically, because you have already applied to the state for approval to sit for the exam, you do not need to take any more steps after passing. Again, check with your state to make sure they do not need any additional information.
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Earn your DPT from a hybrid program. Experience on-campus immersions and apply skills learned online to patients in person. Complete the program in 25 months. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree but do not need to submit GRE test scores for admission.
- Complete in 25 months
- 32 weeks of in-person experience
- Eight on-campus immersions
- Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
- Students are taught by the same world-renowned faculty as the on-campus program
- Bachelor’s required. GRE scores are optional.
Step 5: Specialization
Physical therapists can pursue board certification through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties in areas such as cardiovascular & pulmonary, clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics, pediatrics, sports, women’s health, and wound management. Board certification usually requires either a residency or at least 2,000 hours of clinical practice in the specialty, plus passing an exam.
Clinical Residency
If you are interested in specialization, you can apply for a clinical residency, where you can improve your knowledge in a specialized area of physical therapy to prepare to provide services in that area. In a clinical residency you are supervised by a PT in the specialty you are interested in who serves as your mentor. This residency helps to develop the scientific inquiry skills needed in advanced practice.
Clinical Fellowship
Fellowships are designed for those who already demonstrate expertise in a specific area of the physical therapy profession. Most of the time, those who complete fellowships have already completed a residency. Fellowships provide advanced instruction in a subspecialty of physical therapy practice. Like with residencies, fellowships have a strong mentorship component. Fellowships connect fellows with communities that provide opportunities for advanced experience and learning.
Board/Specialty Certification
Physical therapists can choose to increase their credentials through certification in one of several physical therapy specialties, including cardiovascular, electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, orthopaedics, pediatrics, sports, and women’s health. In order to become board-certified, one must either have worked 2,000 hours in a specialty over the 10 preceding years or have had a residency in the specialty. Additionally, a person looking to be board-certified must pass an exam.
Information last updated: December 2025