Physical therapists are there for the long journey—helping patients reclaim abilities they thought were lost.
At Florida Southern College’s School of Physical Therapy, you’ll step into one of the nation’s fastest-growing health professions through a CAPTE-accredited doctorate with hands-on clinical experience from your first semester, taught by practicing clinicians in purpose-built facilities. This is where the work of getting people back begins.
One degree, taught by practicing clinicians, in a building designed for it. Florida Southern's Doctor of Physical Therapy takes less than two and a half years and puts you with patients in your first semester.
Every member of the most recent graduating class was employed and practicing.
An accelerated doctorate including 36 weeks of full-time clinical education, completed in under two and a half years.
Florida Southern's DPT is among fewer than 300 programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
The year Florida Southern opened a center designed specifically for physical therapy education.
“When I came to Florida Southern, I set out to build something lasting: a program grounded in rigorous science, clinical training, and genuine care for every patient and student. That means understanding a patient's medical history, their comorbidities, and their goals, not just what brought them in. In our small cohorts, faculty know every student by name and invest in their growth from orientation through graduation. If you are ready to become the kind of physical therapist who changes lives, we would be proud to help you get there.”
Through the Integrated Professional and Community Education series, students work weekly with partner organizations in pro bono clinics and community settings, serving patients from children through older adults. It runs across five semesters, not as a capstone at the end.
Students study with plastinated cadaver specimens, and core instruction, labs, lectures, and simulations all happen on campus rather than online.
Cohorts are capped near 36. The faculty are licensed physical therapists with specialty certifications in orthopedics, neurology, geriatrics, sports, and clinical education, and they teach the courses themselves.
Admission requirements, prerequisites, curriculum, tuition, and PTCAS application details live on the program page.
Our students train alongside leading healthcare providers in the Lakeland community, gaining clinical experience with patients across the lifespan. Our partners include Lakeland Regional Health and the Watson Clinic, which encompasses the Watson Clinic Center for Specialized Rehabilitation and its Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine facility.
Additionally, the IPCE series collaborates with a variety of community organizations
Learn from faculty who have built careers in orthopedics, neurology, sports, and geriatrics, and who are invested in where yours goes next.
Assistant Director of Clinical Education, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
Director Community Engagement, Assistant Professor
Associate Professor
Dean, Program Director
Associate Professor of Physical Therapy
Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
Director of Clinical Education, Assistant Professor
Keep up with our students, faculty, and the moments that shape the School of Physical Therapy.
The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education is the body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit physical therapy programs nationwide. Accreditation is not a ranking. It is a regular review of a program's curriculum, faculty, clinical education, facilities, and student outcomes, and graduating from an accredited program is what makes you eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination and become licensed.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the Florida Southern College 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; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call Dr. Nancy Nuzzo at 863.680.5126 or email nnuzzo@flsouthern.edu.
Have questions about the School of Physical Therapy or the DPT program? We are here to help.
Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
Ready to learn more about becoming a physical therapist at Florida Southern? Explore the program details, connect with our team, or plan a visit.
