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Health and Exercise Science + Physical Therapy (4+3)

Health and Exercise Science + Physical Therapy (4+3)

Undergraduate

Launch your career helping patients feel and move better

Are you passionate about helping others live healthier, more active lives? A career in physical therapy is both rewarding and in-demand. As a physical therapist, you’ll play a role in improving patients’ quality of life, helping them regain mobility and strength after injuries, surgeries, or illness.

Simmons University, a respected leader in inclusive, evidence-informed education for more than 75 years, offers a seven-year program that combines our Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science with a Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Through the 4+3 track, you’ll complete your bachelor’s degree at Simmons in four years and be assured a seat in our DPT program. You’ll follow the same academic standards as all applicants, without the accelerated pace of the 3+3 track. This pathway gives you the flexibility to fully engage in your undergraduate experience while staying on course for your doctoral degree.

Our DPT program boasts wonderful outcomes, according to The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. We hold the highest first-time NPTE pass rate of physical therapy programs in Boston.

Why the DPT Program at Simmons?

In the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, you will benefit from a problem-based, self-directed approach to learning. You’ll use case studies to integrate basic science and clinical knowledge and skills in conjunction with psychosocial, ethical and behavioral aspects of patient care.

What our students love about Simmons:

Expert-led lectures
Hands-on skills laboratories
Integrated clinical experiences
Small group discussions focused around clinical cases

You will apply these skills during full-time clinical experiences which are carefully selected to give you the opportunity to be mentored by experienced clinical practitioners in a variety of settings.

In small group tutorials, you’ll work closely with individual faculty to explore information and develop clinical insights and professional behaviors.

Professional practice is a fundamental component of the curriculum accomplished through integrated clinical experiences and full-time clinical internships. Our graduates practice in a variety of healthcare settings with individuals of all ages. They're known for their excellent clinical skills, leadership and confidence.

Graduate Ready to Launch Your PT Career

You will practice as entry-level physical therapists upon completion of the program.

Our graduates thrive in a variety of settings, including:

Offices of physical, occupational, and speech therapists and audiologists
State, local, and private hospitals
Home healthcare services
Nursing and residential care facilities
Professional and intercollegiate sports
Higher education and research laboratories

Degree Requirements

Students are required to complete 68 credits for the Health and Exercise Science major. Simmons requires that all undergraduates complete a minimum of 128 credits of coursework, fulfill PLAN and major/program requirements, and submit a Senior Audit form to graduate.

All Students are required to complete a capstone before graduating. Consult with your advisor on how best to fill this requirement.

You may declare a major in the beginning of the first year fall semester. You must declare a major prior to earning 80 credits.

There are 27 prerequisite courses for Simmons’ DPT program. It is recommended to take PSYC 101, NUTR 112 or STAT 118 during the first year, if possible.

All majors must submit CPR/AED and First Aid Certifications by March 1 of their senior year.

In order to proceed into the DPT portion of the curriculum, you must have a minimum of:

Prerequisite course grades must be a B or better, only 1 B- may stand
No Academic Integrity Violations
3.5 Cumulative GPA and 3.5 Prerequisite GPA

First Year

BIOL113	General Biology	4
CHEM111	Principles of General Chemistry	4
CHEM112	Principles of Organic Chemistry	4

BIOL 113, BIOL 115, CHEM 111, CHEM 113, and CHEM 112 all include labs.

BIOL 113 or BIOL 115, and STAT 118 or STAT 227: prereq. for BIOL 246.

CHEM 111, CHEM 112: prereq. for BIOL 231.

*Students may complete BIOL 113 or BIOL 115 to fulfill the Introductory Biology requirement.

*Students may complete CHEM 111 or CHEM 113 to fulfill General Chemistry requirement.

First or Sophomore Year

EXSC100	Introduction to Exercise Science	2
EXSC110	Form and Function in Resistance Exercise	2
NUTR112	Introduction to Nutrition Science	4
PSYC101	Introduction to Psychological Science	4
STAT118	Introductory Statistics	4
	OR
STAT239	Regression and Design of Experiments	4

Sophomore Year

BIOL231	Anatomy and Physiology I	4
BIOL232	Anatomy and Physiology II	4
BIOL246	Foundations of Exercise and Health	4

All courses include labs.

Junior Year

BIOL332	Exercise Physiology	4
PHYS110	Introductory Physics I	4
PHYS111	Introductory Physics II	4
PSYC232	Health Psychology	4

PT Observation Hours: 30 hours of observation of a licensed physical therapist must be documented by May 1. See the DPT Handbook for details.

BIOL 332, PHYS 110, EXSC 361 include labs.

BIOL 332: prereq. for EXSC 361.

First Aid Certification offered during EXSC 361 lab at cost.

Senior Year

BIOL362	Kinesiology	4
BIOL370	Internship	4
EXSC361	Exercise Assessment & Prescription	4
EXSC361L	Exercise Assessment & Prescription Lab	0

BIOL 362 includes lab.

BIOL 370: 8 credits (4 credits in Fall and 4 credits in Spring).

**Students in both the 3+3 accelerated and the 4+3 Health and Exercise Science (BS) / Physical Therapy (DPT) programs require 2 semesters of physics prior to entering the grad program: PHYS 110 and PHYS 111; both courses include labs.

Information for Transfer Students

You can apply to Simmons as an undergraduate transfer student and be considered for admission to the professional phase of the DPT program. You must complete five of the nine required prerequisite science courses at Simmons, and you must have a 3.25 GPA across the 9 science courses in order to be considered for matriculation into the profession program. Additionally, you will need to meet all the requirements for an undergraduate degree from Simmons as well as the requirement for healthcare experience before matriculation into the professional program.

Student and Faculty examining ankle of volunteer patient

Health and Exercise Science Program

Do you want to improve the lives of others in a rapidly growing field? By studying Health and Exercise Science at Simmons University, students are exposed to industry-leading technology used in the healthcare and wellness fields.

Learn more about Health and Exercise Science

Our Faculty

Justin Jones

Professor of Practice

Justin Beebe

Professor and Director of the DPT Program

Amitabh Dashottar

Associate Professor

Joanne Rivard (Malerba)

Associate Professor of Practice

Tim Hanway

Assistant Professor of Practice and Internship Coordinator for the Health & Exercise Science Program

Ling Xin

Assistant Professor

100%

Pass Rate

Simmons graduates have a 100% ultimate pass rate for the physical therapy exam.

6:1

Student to Faculty Ratio in Tutorials

Tutorials offer unique case-based learning opportunities in which students, guided by faculty, deepen their independent investigation and collaborative problem skills.

75+

Years of Physical Therapy Leadership

Simmons has been a respected leader in physical therapy education for over 75 years.

Learn about the Physical Therapy Department

100%

Employment Rate

100% of Simmons graduates are employed as physical therapists within six months of graduation.

300+

Clinical partners

We partner with world-class medical, clinical, and research facilities like Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston Sports Medicine, and many more.

First-time NPTE Pass Rates

We have the highest first-time NPTE pass rate of Boston physical therapy programs.

*Results from Two-Year First-Time Pass Rates 2023-2024 by School Physical Therapist Programs, 2/2/25 , Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.