Physical Therapy Career Options
Human Biology, Health & Society (HBHS)
Nutrition, Food & Agriculture (NFA)
Nutritional Sciences (NS)
Many NS, NFA and HBHS majors consider physical therapy as a career option because they are interested in this health care field or in combining nutrition with a specialty that focuses on wellness, performance and rehabilitation. The pathway to a career in physical therapy for Cornell undergraduates is through a graduate program in physical therapy to which they apply in their senior year and enter after they graduate from Cornell. This path is the long route to a physical therapy career compared to entering a physical therapy program directly from high school. Coming to Cornell to study Nutritional Sciences, Nutrition, Food and Agriculture or Human Biology, Health and Society, however, provides a broad education at an Ivy League institution and allows the student to explore many different health-related careers.
The job opportunities in physical therapy have been good. However, the limited number of spaces in physical therapy programs means that acceptance to these programs is highly competitive. In some years, acceptance to physical therapy programs has been more competitive than acceptance to medical school.
Becoming a Competitive Applicant
Admission to graduate physical therapy programs is determined by a student's overall academic record, completion of required courses, experiential qualifications, and recommendations from teachers and placement supervisors.
Many of the courses required by the Nutritional Sciences, the Human Biology, Health and Society, and the Nutrition, Food and Agriculture majors fulfill requirements for graduate programs in physical therapy. Students then elect to take the extra courses that are required by physical therapy programs. Because physical therapy programs vary in their admission requirements, the students must check the requirements for programs of specific interest. In addition to the courses already completed for their majors, many graduate programs in physical therapy require courses in:
The students interested in physical therapy generally complete the minor in Applied Exercise Science that is offered through Cornell's exchange program at Ithaca College.
In addition to having all the right courses, students must have a strong record of experience in physical therapy, including all aspects of physical therapy (not just sports medicine). Students should seek paid or volunteer experience in physical therapy settings through the Cornell, Ithaca and home communities. In some situations, students may earn academic credit (NS 402) for non-paid field experiences when the experience is prearranged, supervised by a faculty member, and has definite learning objectives, activities, and outcomes that can be evaluated.
Because admission to graduate programs in physical therapy is so competitive, most students should consider alternative plans in the event they are not successful in their first application. Work experience in the health care field and advanced study related to exercise science are pathways that will often enhance a student's competitiveness for admission at a later date.
Graduates in Physical Therapy-Related Programs
Upon graduation about 15-20% of our majors indicate that within one or two years they intend to pursue training in physical therapy, exercise science, athletic training, strength and conditioning or related fields. (Date based on student reports at graduation, 1992-2004.)
The graduate programs that these students have attended include:
More Information
Extensive information about the physical therapy profession and lists of approved
programs can be found on the American Physical Therapy Association's website
at http://www.apta.org.
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For general information contact the Division of Nutritional
Sciences' Office of Academic Affairs at aadns@cornell.edu,
607/255-2628 or 4410, or at 335 or 309 MVR Hall.
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Webmaster Gail Canterbury
Updated July 6, 2004