Failure to meet the minimum standards during this time will result in dismissal from the program. The graduate professional physical therapy education program at the University of Washington will includes nine consecutive quarters of instruction with a new class beginning each autumn quarter. Normally, attendance is full-time during the day on Monday through Friday. Enrolled students complete over 130 required credits and the average load per quarter for the first seven quarters is 16 credits. Clinical internship assignments during the final two quarters are full-time, requiring at least 35 hours per week attendance.
Clinical experiences begin with the first year of the program.
During the first two weeks of spring quarter of the first year and winter quarter of the second year, students work full-time at assigned clinical affiliation sites, then return to the University for eight weeks of didactic instruction. The final summer and autumn quarters are spent entirely on clinical internships. The program culminates with the award of a Master of Physical Therapy degree. To qualify for practice after graduation, students must pass the national physical therapist licensure examination, which is administered via computer in Washington State. Students are eligible to take the exam after their internship assignments are complete.