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Physical Therapists Licensure Certification or Registration Requirements

Physical therapists are medical professionals who assist patients in the recovery and rehabilitation phase after an injury or illness. A physical therapist might be employed by a hospital or work in a clinic devoted completely to rehabilitation, or she might work in private practice. Some therapists specialize in working with athletic injuries while others focus on working with stroke patients and other illnesses that require long periods of recovery. The profession is regulated at the state level.

  1. Education

    • Physical therapy is not offered at the bachelor's degree level. Sports medicine, athletic training and exercise science are a few of the undergraduate majors that lead to a career in the field. An aspiring physical therapist needs to study anatomy, physiology and get a basic understanding of the workings of the human body before entering physical therapy school. Physical Therapy school is offered at either a master's or doctorate level at schools accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education. As of 2009, there were 212 physical therapist education programs, and 200 of them were doctoral degree level. A master's program typically takes two years to complete, while doctoral degree programs require a three-year commitment.

    State Licensing

    • Physical therapists can only practice in a state in which they have a license. The licensing process varies from state to state, but the common thread is the requirement that the physical therapist pass the National Physical Therapy Exam and a state test. After the exams, the physical therapist will have his application reviewed and approved by the state department that oversees health care. If he wishes to practice in more than one state or moves from state to state, he must take the required state exam in both locations.

    Continuing Education

    • Most states require physical therapists to renew their license, generally every two years. The renewal process in most states requires the completion of continuing education units. The number of units required varies from state to state, and some states, such as New York, Utah, Hawaii and Vermont, do not require continuing education as of 2010. Where it is required, physical therapists can take online courses or attend seminars, workshops or college courses to earn their credits, which must be approved by the state licensing board. A few states put specific requirements on the topics to be studied for a portion of the continuing education credits. Texas and Mississippi, for example, require two hours of ethics training every two years, while Florida requires that a portion of its continuing education credits be completed in the study of HIV/AIDS.

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