Master of Physical Therapy
Encyclopedia
The Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) is a post baccalaureate degree
conferred upon successful completion of an accredited Physical therapy
professional education program.
; students who pass this exam are then licensed (or registered) as Physical Therapists (and may typically use the designation LPT, RPT, or simply PT).
Until the end of the 1990s, Physical therapy education was structured as a Bachelor's Degree
. Those who completed the program were qualified to apply for the exam (and to subsequently enter Physical Therapy practice). However, with the on-going support of the American Physical Therapy Association
(the accrediting organization for all American PT academic programs) the bachelor's degree in physical therapy was slowly replaced by the Master of Physical Therapy. Physical therapy education is currently transitioning to a clinical doctorate, the Doctor of Physical Therapy
degree, with the majority of current programs offering the DPT.
Those who have graduated with either the BSPT (Bachelor of Physical Therapy) or the MSPT (Master of Physical Therapy) degrees are considered "equivalent" and equally qualified to practice physical therapy as those who have graduated with the more recent DPT degree; as they are all equal first professional degree
s for the practice of the profession of physical therapy.
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
conferred upon successful completion of an accredited Physical therapy
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
professional education program.
United States
Successful candidates are then qualified to apply for and take the Physical Therapy national licensure exam (in their particular stateU.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
; students who pass this exam are then licensed (or registered) as Physical Therapists (and may typically use the designation LPT, RPT, or simply PT).
Until the end of the 1990s, Physical therapy education was structured as a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
. Those who completed the program were qualified to apply for the exam (and to subsequently enter Physical Therapy practice). However, with the on-going support of the American Physical Therapy Association
American Physical Therapy Association
A Historical PerspectivePhysical therapists formed their first professional association in 1921, called the American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association. Led by President Mary McMillan, an executive committee of elected officers governed the Association, which included 274 charter members...
(the accrediting organization for all American PT academic programs) the bachelor's degree in physical therapy was slowly replaced by the Master of Physical Therapy. Physical therapy education is currently transitioning to a clinical doctorate, the Doctor of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
The Doctor of Physical Therapy or Doctor of Physiotherapy is a post-baccalaureate three-year degree conferred upon successful completion of a professional clinical doctoral level professional or post-professional physical therapist education program for the licensed physical therapist...
degree, with the majority of current programs offering the DPT.
Those who have graduated with either the BSPT (Bachelor of Physical Therapy) or the MSPT (Master of Physical Therapy) degrees are considered "equivalent" and equally qualified to practice physical therapy as those who have graduated with the more recent DPT degree; as they are all equal first professional degree
First professional degree
A professional degree prepares the holder for a particular profession by emphasizing competency skills along with theory and analysis. These professions are typically licensed or otherwise regulated by a governmental or government-approved body...
s for the practice of the profession of physical therapy.