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A man, laying facedown on a padded medical table, has his arm manipulated by a physical therapy student while an instructor and classmates look on.

Student Experience

Doctor of Physical Therapy

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at NYU Steinhardt offers a rigorous, hands-on education designed to prepare graduates for long-term success in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. 

Graduates of our 39 month, 133 credit DPT program leave not only with a doctoral degree, but with the confidence, clinical decision-making, and leadership skills to thrive from day one.

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The Manhattan Advantage

Located in the world’s most iconic city, the DPT program at NYU Steinhardt places you at the center of one of the world’s most influential health ecosystems. 

You aren't just looking at slides on a screen; you are learning in the thriving epicenter of a global healthcare hub, steps away from the nation’s top-ranked hospitals and innovative private practices. Beginning in the summer, you'll embark on a three-year, full-time experience in a high-touch learning environment that seamlessly integrates classroom instruction with Integrated Clinical Education. The result: you'll leave, not only with a doctoral degree, but with confidence, clinical judgment, leadership skills, and so much more.

Small Class Sizes 

At NYU, how you learn matters. Our intentionally small class sizes foster close faculty mentorship and collaborative learning. You'll work alongside expert faculty and lab instructors drawn from NYC’s leading academic medical centers and outpatient practices, supported by state-of-the-art educational technology.

Professional Networking and Recruitment

With 500+ clinical partnerships nationwide, a robust slate of job fairs and recruitment events, and access to more than 50 guest speakers who are leaders across the continuum of physical therapy service delivery, NYU provides exceptional career connectivity. Our graduates pursue roles in private practice, niche practice areas, hospital systems, home care, academia, and specialized rehabilitation settings across the country.

Physical therapists practice in a range of settings, including schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and more. Whether you’re looking for help polishing a cover letter or finding open PT positions, the resources below can help guide your career search.

NYU Resources

NYU Steinhardt PT Job Fair

Each year, our department hosts a job fair for students in the New York/New Jersey region. 

PT-Specific Job Boards

Other External Job Boards

Real-World Learning 

Through innovative interprofessional education experiences, service-learning initiatives, and active alumni engagement, you gain exposure to collaborative, team-based patient/client management. The result is a learning environment where academic excellence, community impact, and professional growth reinforce one another. 

Student News

Physical Therapy Meets Educational Theatre

In an ongoing collaboration, Ed Theatre students improvise responses to physical therapy scenarios, challenging PT students to think critically and respond in real time.

Special Olympics FUNfitness: Dr. Donna Cantrell Leads Training and Student Collaboration

Dr. Donna Cantrell, Special Olympics Clinical Director for FUNfitness Long Island, hosted a specialized FUNfitness Screening Training for our Doctor of Physical Therapy students.

Introducing Physical Therapy to Middle and High School Students and Student Athletes

Over the summer, NYU Physical Therapy faculty and students led programs to offer first-hand exposure to a variety of health professional fields.