Physical Therapy and Health Science

Discover how you can help people overcome injuries and physical impairments with an undergraduate degree in kinesiology and health science or doctorate of physical therapy. The undergraduate degree gives you a firm foundation to pursue graduate studies in physical therapy, occupational therapy or other medical professions. The nationally ranked DPT degree prepares you to enter professional practice.

Both degrees recognize the importance of professional practice with mentors. You work closely with faculty in the classroom and supervisors at your internships or clinicals. Because PT and health science are broad fields, you can align those professional experiences with your career goals. If you're an undergraduate, you can add a minor of your choice to strengthen your academic foundation. If you're a DPT student, you can apply for Bradley's one-year orthopedic residency to prepare for your specialist exam.

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Undergraduate Major

Kinesiology and Health Science

Graduate Program

Doctor of Physical Therapy

Residency Program

Orthopedic Residency

100% ultimate pass rate on National Physical Therapy license exam

Highest Rate of DPT program admitance of all health science programs with 30+ students.

DPT Open House

DPT Open House

The Department of Physical Therapy and Health Science will be hosting three face-to-face Admission events on the following dates:

    Saturday, April 13, 2024
   1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
    Westlake 116

    Friday, July 12, 2024
   2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
    Westlake 116

    Saturday, September 14, 2024
   1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
    Westlake 116

We will also be hosting a VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE (via Zoom) Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 4:00 pm Central Time Zone (must register).

The program will consist of several faculty presenting different aspects of the program, the admission committee chair will talk about the application process. You will have time to ask questions of faculty and students. Priority admission is given to individuals who have made a campus visit.

Space is limited for some of the events, so we ask that you bring only one additional person (not prospective student/family member) with you.

IMPORTANT: you must register for these events by clicking the link below. You must supply a working email address. Specific information will be sent to you (place, parking, links for virtual events, etc.)

The event is limited to college sophomores, juniors, seniors and to those applying to PT school in the Summer/Fall of 2023. Individual visits can be arranged on a limited basis for individual who cannot come to an Admission event. If you have any questions, please contact bradleydpt@bradley.edu.

Register Now

Accreditation

The following DPT student outcomes reflect students who have completed the DPT program in May 2021-2022.

2021

  • 100% Graduation rate
  • 87.5% First-time licensure pass rate
  • 100% Ultimate licensure exam pass rate
  • 100% Employment rate

2022

  • 100% Graduation rate
  • 88.9% First-time licensure pass rate
  • 100% Ultimate licensure exam pass rate
  • 100% Employment rate

2021-2022 Two-year average

  • 100% Graduation rate
  • 88.2% First-time licensure pass rate
  • 100% Ultimate licensure exam pass rate
  • 100% Employment rate

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the Bradley University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: (703) 706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; http://www.capteonline.org.

If needing to contact the program directly, please call (309) 677-3181.

At the completion of the DPT program, graduates are eligible to apply for licensure in any state and sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Once a passing score on the NPTE is achieved along with all state-level requirements, a physical therapy license will be issued to the graduate.

Information On How To File A Complaint Outside The Realm Of Due Process

The following information outlines the process for an individual or entity who is not a Bradley University student, faculty member, or staff member to register a complaint about the program. This process is to be used by those who are not enrolled or employed by the University (e.g. clinical education instructors, graduates, employers of graduates, or any other member of the public) and therefore not addressed by institutional guidelines promoting due process to file a complaint about the BU Physical Therapy Department.

In order to file a complaint outside the realm of due process, the complaint must be submitted in writing to the PT program director or the dean of the College of Health Sciences if the complaint involves the director.

The complaint should include the following information:

  • Name and contact information of the person filing the complaint (complainant)
  • Name of the person(s) about whom the complaint is filed (as applicable)
  • Date and location of the incident
  • Description of the incident

The director (or his/her designee) will respond to the complainant within 10 working days of receiving the complaint to reach a decision. The director (or his/her designee) will send a letter summarizing the decision about the complaint to the complainant and the persons directly involved in the complaint when deemed appropriate. Retaliation of complaint following complainant submission is prohibited.

If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision reached by the director, the complainant may submit a subsequent written complaint to the dean within 10 working days of the date the decision letter was issued.

Once the review is complete, the dean (or his/her designee) will send a letter summarizing the decision about the complaint to the complainant and the persons directly involved in the complaint when deemed appropriate. The decision reached by the dean is the final stage of this process.

The director will maintain records of complaints in compliance with BU policies and procedures and applicable law. Information reported in this complaint process will be treated as confidential to the extent allowed by law; however, mandatory reporting may be legally required for certain types of complaints.

This process aims to resolve all matters as quickly as possible. However, inevitably some issues will be more complex and therefore may require longer to be fully investigated. Consequently, timescales given for handling and responding to complaints are indicative. If a matter requires a more detailed investigation, the complainant will receive an interim response describing what is being done to deal with the matter, when a full reply can be expected, and from whom.