Residential Program Course Schedule

The residential Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is a three-year, full-time program.

The systems-based curriculum integrates lecture and laboratory experiences on campus and a total of 50 weeks of clinical experiences that begin in the first year. Through corresponding coursework and clinical rotations, students develop their knowledge and expertise in each area alongside USC’s globally recognized faculty.

Learn more about individual courses and explore the course schedule of each year below.

Year 1

Courses
12 Courses

Clinical Experiences
1 Clinical Experience

Semester 1

(17 Credits)

Cellular and Systems Physiology PT 509 | 3 Credits | Course

Evidence for Physical Therapist Practice PT 561a | 2 Credits | Course

Musculoskeletal Anatomy PT 514L | 4 Credits | Course

Basics of Patient Management PT 521L | 4 Credits | Course

Mechanics of Human Gait (Movement Analysis I) PT 582 | 2 Credits | Course

Clinical Imaging PT 606 | 2 Credits | Course

Semester 2

(19 Credits)

Therapeutic Exercise PT 530a | 2 Credits | Course

Analytical Anatomy PT 554L | 3 Credits | Course

Evidence for Physical Therapist Practice PT 561b | 2 Credits | Course

Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System PT 566 | 3 Credits | Course

Clinical Biomechanics (Movement Analysis II) PT 574 | 3 Credits | Course

Clinical Management of The Patient with Musculoskeletal Dysfunction PT 621 | 5 Credits | Course

2-Week Clinical Experience¹ PT 600a | 1 Credit | Clinical Experience

¹ PT 600A includes both a classroom course and a clinical experience component.

Year 2

Courses
15 Courses

Clinical Experiences
2 Clinical Experiences

Summer

(9 Credits)

Principles of Disease PT 516 | 2 Credits | Course

Special Topics in Therapeutic Exercise PT 530b | 2 Credits | Course

Therapeutic Application of Physical Agents PT 551L | 2 Credits | Course

6-Week Clinical Experience PT 600b | 3 Credits | Clinical Experience

Semester 3

(18 Credits)

Neuroanatomy PT 534L | 3 Credits | Course

Pathology of Cardiopulmonary Disease and General Medical Conditions PT 536 | 3 Credits | Course

Clinical Pharmacology PT 539 | 1 Credit | Course

Clinical Exercise Physiology PT 549L | 4 Credits | Course

Evidence for Physical Therapist Practice PT 561c | 2 Credits | Course

Clinical Management of Cardiopulmonary Dysfunction PT 571L | 4 Credits | Course

2-Week Clinical Experience PT 600c | 1 Credit | Clinical Experience

Semester 4

(17 Credits)

Neuropathology PT 546 | 3 Credits | Course

Evidence for Physical Therapist Practice PT 561d | 2 Credits | Course

Fundamentals of Neuroscience PT 569 | 4 Credits | Course

Clinical Management of the Patient With Neurological Dysfunction PT 581L | 5 Credits | Course

Clinical Electrophysiology PT 583L | 1 Credit | Course

Life Span Motor Control PT 529 | 2 Credits | Course

Year 3

Courses
5 Courses

Clinical Experiences
3 Clinical Experiences

Summer

(11 Credits)

Evidence for Physical Therapist Practice PT 561e | 2 Credits | Course

Differential Diagnosis in Physical Therapy PT 650 | 2 Credits | Course

Emerging Topics PT 599 | 3 Credits | Course

8-Week Clinical Experience PT 600d | 4 Credits | Clinical Experience

Semesters 5 and 6

(24 Credits)

Integrated Patient Management Clinical Skills PT 630 | 6 Credits | Course

Integrated Patient Management Seminar PT 632 | 5 Credits | Course

16-Week Integrated Terminal Clinical Education Experience With Academic Integration¹ PT 660 | 5 Credits | Clinical Experience

16-Week Terminal Full-Time Clinical Education Experience¹ PT 665 | 8 Credits | Clinical Experience

¹ Note: The Full-Time Clinical Education Experience can occur in either the fifth or sixth semester. The Director of Clinical Education determines when each student completes the integrated or full-time terminal clinical education experience.

Interested in applying to the USC residential DPT program?

Learn More — Application Requirements