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PhD Program
The mission of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences is to advance the health of humankind by excellence in education, discovering new knowledge, and developing leaders in healthcare and science. The PhD program supports this mission through training of future professors and researchers in rehabilitation science. The program emphasizes, through coursework and participation in research, the development of an individual’s expertise as a researcher in Rehabilitation Science.
The Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences is located within the College of Medicine at the University of Iowa with the PhD administratively coordinated through the Graduate College. Our program awards a PhD in Physical Rehabilitation Science. Requirements for admission to the program would include a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a related undergraduate field including but not limited to: physical therapy, occupational therapy, engineering, biology, chemistry. Applicants must meet the admissions requirements of the Graduate College. They should have a cumulative g.p.a. of at least a 3.00 and scores at or above the 50th percentile for each section of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test. A minimum of two years of clinical experience may be considered desirable, depending on the area of research interest. Applicants whose first language is not English must score at least 100 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Applicant materials must include a complete Graduate College application form, test scores, transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. Graduate assistantship support is available and graduate assistants are eligible for in-state tuition and fees. At the time of application, the student is required to identify an area of interest for alignment with a faculty advisor in this area of interest.
MA Program
The MA program also supports our Department's mission through training of future researchers in rehabilitation science. The program emphasizes the development of an individual’s expertise as a researcher in Rehabilitation Science. Requirements for admission to the MA program are the same as listed above for the PhD program. MA students are accepted with exceptional circumstances.
Faculty advisors who are currently accepting MA/PhD students:
- Darren P. Casey, PhD
- Human Integrative and Cardiovascular Physiology Laboratory
- Laura A. Frey Law, PT, PhD
- Neuromuscular Biomechanics Laboratory
- Jason M. Wilken, PT, PhD
- Human Performance and Clinical Outcomes Laboratory
For more information or questions about the MA/PhD program contact the Director of MA/PhD Studies, Dr. Darren Casey.
For additional information about The University of Iowa, you may also visit the UI General Catalog.