Doktor der Physiotherapie

Become a compassionate, caring, and skilled physical therapist. Enrollment starts each Fall. Spalding University's new School of Physical Therapy offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)* degree for aspiring physical therapists. This entry-level DPT is a hybrid, low-residency program. Classes are a mix of online lectures and monthly onsite lab experiences.

A post-professional DPT (transitional DPT) for practicing clinicians will also be offered with all classes 100% online.

With both tracks (see a breakdown of each), you can pursue your doctorate in a space that’s convenient for you—your home, or anywhere you choose.

Entry-level DPT

Do you have your bachelor’s degree or are you in your last year of undergraduate study? Our entry-level DPT program provides a direct path to earning your Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Low residency, hybrid format

110 credit hours

• Online classes and lectures (68 credit hours)
• Onsite immersive labs one week per month (26 credit hours)
• Clinicals (16 credit hours, 32 weeks)

Fall 2023 start date

48 students per cohort

Post-professional DPT

Are you a licensed, practicing physical therapist looking to advance your career? Earn your Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in our post-professional DPT program.

100% online format

30 credit hours (may be eligible to transfer up to 10 hrs)

• Online classes and lectures (18 credit hours)
• Capstone (2 credit hours)

Rolling admissions

10 students per cohort

Why our DPT?

Earning your DPT degree is convenient and attainable at Spalding University—a leader in healthcare education in Kentucky.

As a student in our program, you’ll learn alongside peers from all over the country and work with an accomplished, supportive faculty. Our professors have decades of clinical practice and online teaching experience.

As an entry-level DPT student, you’ll have in-person, immersive lab experiences in a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to physical therapy. This nearly 22,000 sq. ft. facility includes anatomy and skills labs as well as student lounge and study space.

Call Spalding Home

Spalding University is the home for students who want to earn a degree while engaging and serving the community. We put compassion into action every day with our mission-driven focus. We volunteer, teach, advocate, organize and give. Our students are active in the community, using their Spalding education to make the world better. We are a diverse community with a core commitment to inclusion, and we value our students, faculty, and staff from all walks of life. Begin your college journey with us and follow your passions.

An Inclusive Community

At Spalding, we are an inclusive community of people who are fundamentally different from one another. We humbly accept each other for who we are. We represent a cross-section of society. We have the most racially diverse student body of Kentucky’s private colleges. Thirty-one percent of students self-identify as people of color.

We are a community of learners made up of artists, veterans, activists, parents, religious leaders, LGBTQIA community members, and athletes. We are all of these people and more. We have different abilities, ideals, cultures, backgrounds, goals, and passions. We cultivate a supportive space for all of our students to learn and grow.

Since 1814, we have been serving our communities in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth with a spirit of inclusiveness and compassion.

Join our tradition. Let us welcome you home.

Small Campus, Big City

Spalding University is a small campus located in the heart of the energetic city of Louisville, Kentucky. One of many institutions and organizations that make giving back a way of life, Spalding University is an active leader in the SoBro neighborhood. Spalding’s campus is surrounded by beautiful historic mansions and tree-lined streets to the south and the banks of the Ohio River to the north. Our city is recognized as one of America’s most livable cities. In fact, it’s been named a top city for new college grads by SmartAsset, which may explain why over 70 percent of our alums choose to live in Louisville.

Spalding & Louisville

Spalding University is a microcosm of the city in which we live. With a diverse community and a focus on compassion, Spalding reflects the racial, economic, cultural, and LGTBQIA diversity of the city that surrounds us. Students engage the Louisville community through internships and fieldwork, local outreach and volunteer service work, as well as countless partnerships with community businesses and organizations.

Live in the Center of It All

Boasting a thriving arts scene amidst renowned parks and natural surroundings, Louisville is also one of the best dining and cultural destinations in the Midwest. Our city offers more than 1,000 local restaurants and was named a Top 10 Food City by National Geographic. If it’s entertainment, arts, or shopping that you’re looking for, we have The Kentucky Derby Festival, Forecastle Music Festival, Gonzofest, World Fest, Nulu district, the historic Highlands, and more. Louisville is home to more than 120 park systems, including Waterfront Park. All this and so much more make Louisville a popular cultural destination. Travelers come to Louisville to experience art, outdoor adventure, the trendy food scene, and entertainment of all kinds. Hop in the car or bus, and you are within a half-day’s drive to Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Asheville, and other exciting destinations.

Our Mission is Serving Others

Our mission is our driving force. It’s more than something you will find in our history or charter. We live it. We share it. We take pride in it. You’ll learn it from your first day on campus and engage with it every day in and out of the classroom. And when you graduate, you will take it with you into the world.