Application Process
Ph.D. Admission Requirements
Students enrolled in the Physical Therapy Ph.D. Studies program at the Miller School work closely with a faculty mentor from their first days in the program.
Because the faculty mentor plays a critical role in our Ph.D. program, the admission process in the Department of Physical Therapy begins with applicants identifying a possible faculty mentor from on the Ph.D. faculty profiles available on the web site. These profiles describe faculty members’ areas of research expertise.
Applicants should identify a faculty member whose area of research is well matched to the applicant’s own interests. The applicant should then contact the faculty member to determine if he or she is willing to consider accepting a new PhD student. If the faculty member is willing to accept a new student they should discuss the applicant’s background and interests by email, phone, Skype or in-person.
If the faculty member is willing to supervise the applicant, the applicant can then submit all required application materials for review by the full Ph.D. committee. If the applicant is accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the faculty member who agreed to supervise the student will serve as the chair of the student’s supervisory committee. The following is a list of UMPT faculty members who can supervise a Ph.D. student.
Lawrence P. Cahalin, Ph.D., PT, CCS - Email
Ira M. Fiebert, Ph.D., PT - Email
Robert S. Gailey, Ph.D., PT - Email
Joyce Gomes-Osman, Ph.D., PT - Email
Neva Kirk-Sanchez, Ph.D., PT - Email
Michele A. Raya, Ph.D., PT, ATC, SCS - Email
Kathryn E. Roach, Ph.D., PT - Email
Stipend and tuition support is potentially available for qualified applicants.
Application deadline is January 1.
Click here to download application.
Click here for the recommendation form.
The applicant must meet all the general admissions requirements of the University of Miami Graduate School. Additionally, stipulations include:
Entry into the Ph.D. program is dependent upon having any of the degrees below:
- An entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy
- An advanced master's degree with a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy
- A bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy.
- An applicant with a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy, though able to commence course work in the Ph.D. program, will be required to complete the credits to equal that of a Advanced Master's Degree in Physical Therapy before final admission to the Ph.D. program.
- Official transcripts of all college work.
- Three completed recommendation forms with at least one form completed by a physical therapist.
- A letter indicating career goals and objectives.
- Licensure, or eligibility for licensure, as a physical therapist in the State of Florida (must be licensed within 1 year of admission). Applicants that do not meet this requirement are ineligible for consideration.
- GRE, the University of Miami requires a minimum of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative section (on GRE exams taken prior to the July 31 change). In addition you are required to take the analytical section. University of Miami Institutional code: 5815. Physical Therapy Department code: 0619.
- International applicants, who complete college and university work outside the United States, must have all transcripts evaluated by the University of Miami’s Office of International Admissions.
The research areas of the faculty are diverse, reflecting the clinical and scientific emphasis areas of the faculty. Please refer to the faculty section for specifics.