Skip to Main Content
Physical Therapy Program

The DPT program at SMU prepares graduates to excel as generalist physical therapists with a holistic approach to patient care, integrating foundational, applied, and social sciences. We emphasize clinical reasoning to prepare graduates for practice or residency upon graduation.

FUND SCHOLARHIPS FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY STUDENTS

Gifts to the Physical Therapy Scholarship Fund help students cover tuition, fees, and living expenses, enabling them to focus more on their education and less on holding down a job or taking out student loans. 

In the words of a student:

"Receiving this scholarship alleviates the financial challenges of pursuing higher education and allows me to focus on developing the skills I need to be a compassionate advocate and physical therapist for marginalized populations. After graduation I hope to serve those who face similar barriers to care who often delay or avoid healthcare due to stigma."

- DPT '2025 Student and Scholarship Recipient

2
Match
Physical Therapy Scholarship Dollar-for-Dollar Match
Thanks to our donor match challenge, all gifts made to support PHYSICAL THERAPY students will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000.
Completed
$15,000
SMU New Oakland Campus Challenge
MIDNIGHT DEADLINE: One of our generous Board of Regents is challenging us to reach 100 donors! If we reach 100 donors before 11:59pm on May 14th, we will unlock a $15,000 donation to benefit our new New Oakland Campus.
Completed
$10,000
Borgeson Family Strong Start Challenge
5:00PM DEADLINE: Our generous supporters Gerry (DIP ’68, Nursing) and Phil Borgeson are challenging us to give early! If we reach 50 donors before 5:00pm on May 13th, we will unlock a $10,000 donation to benefit student scholarship this year.
50 / 50 Gifts
Completed
$5,000
MIDNIGHT DEADLINE: Final Push Challenge (All Programs)
An anonymous donor is encouraging us all to give by surpassing the 135 gifts raised in 2024's Giving Days. If we pass 135 gifts we will unlock an additional $5,000! Let’s uplift students together!
Completed
Join the fun using #SMUGivingDays
Don't forget to share!

Questions? See our FAQ.

Or you can contact us at giving@samuelmerritt.edu.