DPT Programs in Mississippi

In Mississippi, residents have two options for earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) on campus – William Carey University and University of Mississippi. If you want to be able to apply to more options or explore different kinds of programs, there are also online DPT programs that you can apply to, allowing you to complete your degree at out of state institutions without having to leave home too frequently. It can be hard to decide which of these very different options is best for you – this guide will help you figure out how to choose the programs you want to apply to.

Arcadia University

College of Health Sciences

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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.

• Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) 
• Complete in 25 months  
• 32 weeks of in-person experience

Request more info from Arcadia University.

University of Southern California (USC)

USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy

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Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

With USC’s Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, aspiring physical therapists can earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in an innovative hybrid format. Bachelor’s required.

• Full-time, three-year program 
• 44 weeks of rich, varied clinical experiences 
• Regular visits to USC for on-campus, skill-building immersions

Request more info from the University of Southern California.

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As you start the DPT program application process, you will need to think about what programs are the best fit for you. While many factors may influence your decision, some may be less negotiable than others. One question you may want to ask yourself first is whether you have any commitments to work, family, or anything else that might put limits on when and where you may be able to go to class. If you are on the busier side, you may want to consider programs that don’t require commuting to class, for example. You should also think about how steady your schedule is. If your commitments vary from week to week, it might be helpful to enroll in a program that lets you view lectures on your own time.

Once you take your scheduling needs into consideration, you might want to start thinking about which programs are most conducive to your learning style. Do you learn better in a classroom without distractions or in the comfort of your own home? Do you need to be able to attend in person office hours or do online meetings via webcam make it easier to get the help you need? These are the questions you might ask in order to determine whether an on campus or online DPT program is best for you.

Last Updated 9/18/2021

Because learning to become a PT requires some level of hands-on experience, there are currently no purely online DPT programs out there. While most of your classwork may be completed online in many cases, all online programs currently in existence do require periodic trips to campus for lab and skills learning. Because of this, the programs are actually considered to be hybrid programs. While this may typically only mean a few annual trips to campus, applicants should consider whether making it to these requirements is reasonable for them.

Online courses are delivered in one of two ways – in either a synchronous format or an asynchronous format. Synchronous courses are delivered in real time – either through video streaming, chats, or other live means. Asynchronous courses are delivered through means that are not live – perhaps through pre recorded lectures or activities that you can complete at a time most convenient for you. Programs may teach course material in a variety of ways, mixing the two kinds of delivery methods.

While asynchronous delivery may provide students with more flexibility, synchronous delivery may allow for a higher level of engagement as you can interact with peers and professors as you learn.

No matter which kind of online program you enroll in, you will need to complete clinical experiences in person at clinical placement sites. Online programs will offer varying degrees of help in securing placement sites local to where you live. Make sure to find out what kind of help you will receive in securing local placement sites from the programs you are interested in.

The on campus experience is familiar to most, particularly to anyone who has completed an undergraduate degree at an on campus institution. Students report to class in buildings across campus at set class times. Typically for on campus DPT programs, clinical experiences are completed in the area local to the institution.

It may take between two and a half and three years to complete a DPT degree. Each program will vary, so it is important to check with the institutions you are applying to about how long those programs are.

You can see the specific program lengths for all Mississippi on campus and online DPT programs in the tables below.

The following hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy programs are available to students in Mississippi.

The following DPT programs can be found on Mississippi campuses:

To become a physical therapist in Mississippi, here are some common steps: