A master's degree is also recommended for those with a bachelor's degree in physical therapy who are interested in promotion to an administrative position or attaining a research or teaching job. Competition for admission to physical therapy programs is intense. Admissions committees are especially interested in students with high performance in their science coursework, which should include anatomy, biology, chemistry, social science, mathematics, and physics and in students that may have experience as a volunteer in a physical therapy environment. Licensure and Certification . All 50 states require physical therapists to pass a licensure exam following graduation.
Some states require participation in continuing education programs to maintain licensure.
Employment Opportunities . Practicing therapists may work in hospitals or other health-care institutions, for physicians or for other therapists, for private or government agencies, in schools, or in private practice. Some physical therapists treat a wide range of ailments while others specialize in areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, orthopedics, sports medicine, neurology, and cardiopulmonary physical therapy. Their work is often closely coordinated with that of an occupational therapist because both fields involve training patients to improve their motor abilities.