New Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Approved by Georgetown Board of Directors
(October 15, 2026) The Georgetown University Board of Directors has approved the addition of a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in Biomedical Graduate Education at the School of Medicine. The proposed program will now initiate the accreditation process.
The planned DPT program advances Georgetown University Medical Center’s focus on brain health and return to function, preparing physical therapists to help people maintain or regain movement and independence following injury, disease and neurological conditions.
Drawing on Georgetown’s strengths in neuroscience and its partnership with MedStar Health, the planned program will give students access to the MedStar National Rehabilitation Network (MedStar NRH); bring DPT students together with peers across our medical, nursing, health and law schools; and strengthen existing collaborations with the Disability Studies Program, the Health Justice Alliance, and other university initiatives.
Elizabeth (Elise) Ruckert, P.T., DPT, Ed.D.
“Helping people return to function is an essential part of improving brain health across the lifespan, and our innovative competency-based education approach will ensure that students demonstrate mastery of essential clinical skills,” said the DPT program’s leader, Elise Ruckert, associate professor of rehabilitation medicine.
That approach will be strengthened by Georgetown’s close integration with MedStar NRH and the opportunities it creates to connect scientific discovery with rehabilitation and patient care.
“Georgetown has an extraordinary opportunity to connect discoveries about the brain with rehabilitation and clinical care, preparing physical therapists to help people achieve the highest possible level of function and quality of life,” said Barbara S. Bregman, P.T., Ph.D., professor and chair of rehabilitation medicine at Georgetown and director of research, education and training in the research division at MedStar NRH.
This is the second planned BGE program approved by the Board this year. In June, the Board approved the MPH in Epidemiology, which is scheduled to launch in Fall 2027.
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