During the three years of the program, students will complete four full-time clinical education experiences, spending a total of 34 weeks at clinical sites under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. As of May 2023, the program as over 150 affiliation agreements covering over 5,000 clinical sites.
Clinical Education Courses
DPT 723 Clinical Education Experience I is the first full-time clinical education experience following completion of the first three semesters of didactic work. This experience occurs during the summer of year 2 of the program. The student will be placed at a clinical site that focuses on outpatient musculoskeletal rehabilitation.
DPT 823 Clinical Education Experience II is the second full-time clinical education experience. This experience occurs during the summer of year 3 of the program. Any setting is appropriate for this experience, however, the targeted settings include acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, transitional care, home health, and pediatrics.
DPT 923 Clinical Education Experience II & DPT 925 Clinical Education Experience IV are the third and fourth full-time clinical education experiences that occurs in the final sememster of the program, which is spring of year 3. Any setting is appropriate for these experiences.
Dates of Clinical Education Experiences
Class of 2025
Class of 2026
Class of 2027
DPT 723
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May 20 - July 19, 2024
May 19 - July 18, 2025
DPT 823
May 20 - July 19, 2024
May 19 - July 18, 2025
May 18 - July 17, 2026
DPT 923
Jan 6 - Feb 27, 2025
Jan 12 - Mar 5, 2026
Jan 11 - Mar 4, 2027
DPT 925
Mar 4 - Apr 25, 2025
Mar 10 - May 1, 2026
Mar 9 - Apr 30, 2027
Clinical Education Expectations
Students are expected to complete at least one clinical education experience in a musculoskeletal rehabilitation (i.e., outpatient orthopedics) and one clinical education experience in a complex patient setting (i.e., pediatrics, inpatient rehabilitation, acute care, skilled nursing, and home health).
Expectations for student performance progressively increase throughout the clinical education curriculum. By the end of the program, students must perform similarly to an entry-level physical therapist in order to graduate.
Clinical Education Placements
*States highlighted in BLUE is where students have gone/will go on clinicals*
The program has clinical partners throughout the United States that offer unique experiences, therefore it is expected that students travel out of the Knoxville, TN area for at least one clinical education experience.
Thank you to our clinical partners for their support of the LMU DPT Program!
Contacts for DPT Clinical Education
Please refer to our DPT Clinical Education staff for more information!
