frequently asked questions What academic degree is needed to become a physical therapist?

• To practice physical therapy one must be a graduate of an accredited program by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education and have satisfactorily passed the National Physical Therapy Exam for Licensure. For a list of accredited and developing programs, access http://www.apta.org (PT Education/School Listings index page) or contact: American Physical Therapy Association 1111 N. Fairfax Street Alexandria VA 22314 1-800-999-APTA Fax 703-684-7343 • For more information on the National Physical Therapy Exam please access the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website at http://www.fsbpt.org. • For more information on the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners please access http://doh.sd.gov/boards/medicine.