Department of Physical Therapy
Shaping the Future of Physical Therapy
Welcome to the Department of Physical Therapy at Sam Houston State University. Our developing entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is designed to prepare students for excellence in clinical practice through an innovative, student-centered curriculum that combines rigorous academic study with extensive hands-on clinical experiences.
Located within the College of Health Sciences, our program is built on the foundation of academic excellence, high-quality patient care, and commitment to professional standards. At SHSU, we're not just teaching physical therapy—we're transforming lives and empowering future healthcare professionals to make meaningful differences in the lives of their patients.
About Our Program
With its inaugural cohort matriculating Fall 2027 in our new Health Professions Building in Conroe, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program prepares students through a traditional systems-based curriculum, extensive clinical experiences, and a four-part Doctoral Project.
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Application Process
Learn how to apply, important deadlines, interview information and cohort size.
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Admissions Process
Find admission requirements, application materials, GPA expectations and observation hour requirements.
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Information Sessions
Join our faculty to learn more about our developing DPT program, anticipated to launch in Fall 2027. In this session, you’ll get an overview of the program, admission requirements, and steps you can take now to prepare and stay on track.
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Program FAQs
Have questions about the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program? Find answers about admissions, prerequisites, curriculum, clinical experiences, tuition, accreditation and more.
College News & Highlights
Read the latest news and featured stories from the College of Health Sciences, including updates that impact the Doctor of Physical Therapy program and our community.
Accreditation Status
Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT;www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website.
Sam Houston State University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to apply for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on November 1st, 2026. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the [professional/technical] phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in [professional/technical] courses until Candidate for Accreditation.
*The proposed degree program has been approved at the Texas State University System Full Board meeting and is pending action from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board