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Degree Physical Therapy

Erin Said:

What is the difference between a Master degree and a Doctor degree in physical therapy?

We Answered:

I would not necessarily say that an employer has a preference one versus the other...unless you are in a practice that accepts direct access. The DPT is designed to encompass a wider breadth of physical examination techniques and differential diagnosis which is condusive to the practice of direct access.

When the PT degree switched from the BS to the MS, there wasn't much difference in cirriculum for one versus the other...in fact, I was part of a class where we were the last bachelor's class and the incoming class went the master's degree. Their coursework was essenitally the same as ours, but more spread out. So in essense, the masters was theoretically "easier." I am now on faculty in the same university where the MS is offered. However, now having gone through a transition to the DPT, I will say that there is an fundamental difference between the DPT and the MS. In fact, I did not have to obtain my MS before transitioning to the DPT as the MS and BS had long been recognized as being equivelent. While they are all (BS, MS, DPT) recognized as entry level degrees, the APTA does recognize the difference with the DPT degree. It may not mean that you will have a higher salary, but it really is a more holistic level of education.

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