Employed physical therapists may not have the time to earn a doctoral degree in physical therapy (DPT) but would still like to further themselves within the industry. In an effort to help these individuals, many schools are expanding their programs and offering more courses.
The workforce for physical therapists continues to grow due in part to the fact the baby boomer generation is getting older and people are living longer. The National Institute on Aging estimates that from 2006 until 2030 the number of Americans over the age of 65 will skyrocket from 37 million to almost 72 million.
The College of St. Scholastica provides students with the option to take online courses that focus on innovations within this field, including health policy, referrals and diagnostic imaging.
Individuals who are working in this industry and want to focus on a different aspect of physical therapy may look to school as one way to increase their value to employers. Online courses allow these professionals to keep up with their work-related responsibilities while they further their education.
According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapists held about 185,000 jobs across the country in 2008 and over the next eight years, more than 56,000 new positions will be created.
