Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
Academic Certificate
Climb higher.
Regis University's one-year Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy is built for working clinicians who are ready to fast-track their professional development without relocating or stepping away from full-time practice. The hybrid program combines online course work with two one-week on-campus intensives in Denver, Colorado and 150 hours of direct mentorship, preparing you for advanced clinical decision making and the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) exam.
Grounded in current evidence and surrounded by a community of like-minded professionals, you will develop expertise in high-velocity low-amplitude thrust manipulation, dry needling, joint mobilization, neurodynamic mobilization, muscle energy techniques, soft tissue techniques and exercise prescription, gaining the specialized skills and credentials that set you apart as an orthopaedic clinician.
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Program Snapshot
Program Format
Five flexible online classes and two one-week-long, on-campus lab intensives
Time Commitment
Typically 12 months
Program Starts
Offered in January each year
Results That Speak for Themselves
Inside the Regis Residency
Mentorship
The Residency draws from the leading schools of thought in orthopaedic practice, blending them into an approach that goes beyond a simple test-retest model by considering what both the therapist and the patient bring to the treatment process. Grounded in the Jesuit principles of magis and cura personalis, the program challenges you to pursue excellence in hands-on care, treatment delivery and ongoing learning in service of the whole person, evolving alongside the leaders and innovations shaping orthopaedic practice today.
Our Approach
Complete 150 hours of mentoring at your primary employment or mentoring site, guided by OCS-certified clinicians and FAAOMPT affiliates of the Regis School of Rehabilitative and Health Sciences. Mentors are available through an OCS agreement, through employment at a Regis partner site, or through the program's network of more than 150 board-certified specialists and current fellows in training across the U.S. Reflective professional development is supported through outcomes tracking benchmarked against national standards.
Personally, being a resident in the Orthopaedic Physical Therapy program at Regis means being a part of a community that genuinely invests in my growth. Professionally, being a Regis Orthopaedic resident represents a commitment to excellence.
–Tara Riley
Resident, Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
Program Details
Get all the details on our Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy program, including course requirements, ranking and advising.
All application materials for the OMPT Residency program should be submitted through the Residency and Fellowship Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS), including:
- Completed RF-PTCAS application
- Three letters of recommendation
- Candidates with a non-PT terminal degree are eligible for entry if they graduated before 2017 with a CAPTE-approved terminal degree
- Physical therapist license verification
- Essay
- Resume/CV
Eligibility
- Applicants must have a valid physical therapy license in the United States and in the state(s) of practice OR be eligible and complete licensure before officially beginning studies for new graduates
Tuition for the 2026-2027 academic year: $780 per credit hour
Total program credits: 12
Tuition is one part of the overall cost of attendance, which includes all expenses students may have, including basic living costs. For more information about tuition, fees and your estimated cost of attendance, visit our Cost of Attendance for Adult Undergraduates and Graduate Students page. Tuition and fees are subject to change.
Additional estimated costs include: RF-PTCAS application fee, background check, APTA and AOPT membership fees, cost of travel and lodging to Denver for the two one-week-long intensives and the Leadership Development Inventory fee. Technology fees are paid once during the program. For more information about the costs associated with residency and fellowship education, see the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education's (ABPTRFE) Financial Fact Sheet. This program is not eligible for Federal Aid, which includes state aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regis University's Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education as a post-professional Residency program for physical therapists in Orthopaedics.
The Regis University Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), which accredits entry-level physical therapist education and not post-professional programs.
Graduates (2020-25) ABPTS board certification examination results in Orthopaedics:
First-time pass rate
ROPT 94%
2021-25 report for 2020-24 graduates
(2025 graduates take exam in March 2026)
Program completion rate
ROPT 20-25 (50/52 - 96%) for 2020-25
Program retention rate
ROPT 20-25 (50/52 - 96%) for 2020-25
Residents complete a minimum of 1,350 hours of clinical practice focused on orthopaedic physical therapy, including virtual rounds, 300 hours of didactic education and 150 hours of direct one-on-one clinical work with one or more mentors.
Residents are responsible for finding mentors, with faculty assistance available throughout the process. You will have access to a network of more than 145 fellowship graduates and 200 potential mentors nationwide, as well as qualified PT mentors at your place of employment. Mentors do not need to be established before you begin the program, but given the one-year timeline, securing a mentor within the first three months is strongly encouraged.
Mentors must be U.S. licensed physical therapists in good standing who hold OCS certification, have completed an orthopaedic residency or fellowship, or have more than three years of focused orthopaedic experience. Establishing a mentor relationship requires a straightforward contractual agreement with Regis.
No. You can apply before a formal employment agreement is in place. Once admitted, students must demonstrate full-time employment of 32 or more hours per week in orthopaedic clinical practice, and Regis will work with your employer to establish a site agreement.
When discussing the residency with your employer, plan for two one-week intensives on the Regis campus in Denver as well as time for 150 hours of one-on-one mentoring, equivalent to approximately four weeks of work time over the course of a year. If your mentor is based at your place of employment, the time away from work will be significantly reduced.
Licensure is required by the start of the program, however students (new graduates) who are not licensed at the time of application can be admitted conditionally. Students who start in the residency must have a valid physical therapy license in the United States and in the state of practice. The license must not be under suspension, revocation or probationary status.
Studying for the OCS exam on your own builds knowledge, but the Regis Residency builds a career. Beyond OCS preparation, you will gain mentorship, peer collaboration and exposure to advanced practice through direct interaction with OMPT fellows across the country, faculty who are all program fellows themselves and 150 hours of one-on-one clinical mentoring. The hybrid program combines online course work and virtual rounds with two on-campus intensive weeks in Denver. It includes dry needling training up to Level I completion, integration of learning into live patient care and standardized outcomes assessment.
More than clinicians, Regis develops thought leaders, researchers, innovators, advocates and profession builders who share their ideas openly and advance the field for everyone.
The Residency is designed for working clinicians. Most residents maintain full-time or near-full-time clinical positions throughout the program, completing course work on their own schedule through a hybrid online format. Expect to dedicate approximately 20 hours per week, with time varying by learning style. Two week-long intensives in the fall and spring require on-campus attendance at Regis University in Denver, with one additional visit for the final practicum examination.
Students in the Residency are not employed by Regis University, giving the program the flexibility to accommodate new graduates and established clinicians alike. Your employment situation may take several forms:
- a clinic that supports the residency by covering some or all costs as part of your employment contract;
- a clinic that does not directly support the program, where you will source mentors through Regis clinical affiliates;
- or a host site partnered with Regis that includes the residency and mentorship as part of your employment agreement.
A Culture of Excellence
The Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Academic Certificate is offered by the School of Rehabilitative and Health Sciences within the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions.