Becoming a Physical Therapist in Nebraska – NE

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: February, 10 2010

The following are the steps of how to become a physical therapist in Nebraska.

Education
Accredited and approved academic programs in physical therapy available in Nebraska include two three-year options culminating in the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Although neither of the programs specifically requires a bachelor’s degree, both have perquisite courses for admission to the program including English composition, biology, chemistry, physics, physiology and statistics.  Applicants must also have three letters of recommendation, a GRE score, and one program asks for 60 hours of observation in a physical therapy practice.

Licensing
Applicants for a physical therapy license must submit applications to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health Licensure Unit in Lincoln. In addition to a Social Security number (mandated by the Nebraska Child Support Law) and proof of age, graduates of an accredited education program must submit the completed application form including an official transcript showing graduation and an application fee of $133.

http://www.dhhs.ne.gov

Examination
Applicants must also register and pay exam fees to take the Nebraska Jurisprudence Exam and the National Physical Therapist Examination (NPTE). Online payment may be made through the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website or checks can be mailed. For the Nebraska Jurisprudence exam, the fee is $50. The fee for the NPTE is $370 as of January 2010 and a fee of $70.60 must be paid to Prometric, which provides the FSBPT’s computer-based testing services.  Both exams require a passing score of 600.