Physical therapist residencies and fellowships
Residencies and fellowships are optional postprofessional programs for licensed physical therapists. APTA recognizes ABPTRFE as their accreditor. ABPTRFE says participants “must be eligible to practice based on state requirements,” and its online directory lists accredited programs.
Quoted from official pages checked November 10, 2026. Confirm current requirements, fees, and dates on those sites. This page is not legal advice and does not guarantee eligibility, certification, or licensure.
Who accredits them
The ABPTRFE homepage, checked November 10, 2026, states: “The American Physical Therapy Association recognizes the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education as the agency for the accreditation of physical therapist residency and fellowship education programs.” It also states: “In August 2025, ABPTRFE and CAPTE announced it will begin a multiyear process to merge the two accrediting bodies.”
Residency
ABPTRFE’s For Participants page states: “A residency program is a postprofessional planned learning experience comprised of a curriculum encompassing the essential knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of an advanced physical therapist within a defined area of practice.” It also states: “When board certification exists through the American Board of Physical Therapist Specialties for that specialty, the residency program prepares the physical therapist with the requisite knowledge and skill set needed to pass the certification examination following graduation.”
That page lists clinical residency areas: Acute Care, Cardiovascular & Pulmonary, Clinical Electrophysiology, Geriatrics, Neurology, Oncology, Orthopaedics, Pediatrics, Sports, Women's Health, and Wound Management. It states: “ABPTRFE also accredits nonclinical physical therapist faculty residency programs.”
On length, BLS’s physical therapists page states: “Residencies typically last about 1 year”. ABPTRFE’s pages did not publish a length on November 10, 2026.
Fellowship
The same page states: “A fellowship program is a postprofessional planned learning experience comprised of a curriculum encompassing the essential knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of an advanced physical therapist within a defined area of subspecialty practice.” It also states: “A clinical fellowship candidate has either completed a residency program in a related specialty area or is an American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties board-certified specialist in a related area of specialty.” It states: “ABPTRFE currently accredits clinical physical therapist fellowship programs in the following areas:” Critical Care, Hand Therapy, Neonatology, Neurologic Movement Disorders, Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy, Performing Arts, Spine, Sports Division 1, and Upper Extremity Athlete. It also states: “ABPTRFE also accredits nonclinical physical therapist fellowship programs in the area of Higher Education Leadership.”
Admissions and eligibility
The page states: “Program participants must be eligible to practice based on state requirements. Applicants should contact those programs they are interested in applying to for the programs' specific admissions policies.” It notes that many programs use RF-PTCAS. For people educated outside the United States, it states: “Your eligibility to participate in a residency program is dependent on the program in which you received your physical therapist education.”
Find programs in ABPTRFE’s online program directory. This site names no programs, copies no costs, and does not repeat ABPTRFE’s wage or pass-rate claims.
A residency is not required for a PT license. APTA states that PTs are not required to be certified in order to practice in a specific area; see specialties.