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Migrating to the USA for Graduate Studies as a Physical Therapist (Vital Information for Nigerian/African Trained Physiotherapists)

Dear Colleagues,

Due to numerous email requests received from colleagues in Nigeria and other parts of Africa seeking information on the processes entailed in migrating to the United States of America as a graduate student for PhD as a Physical Therapist; I am putting up this brief communication as a reference for all Nigerian or African educated/trained Physical Therapists who are aspiring to migrate to the USA to study. As a disclaimer, I am not responsible for any inaccuracies that this communication may contain due to frequently updated and changing information by various agencies involved in the US higher education and migration processes.

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To migrate to, and study as a doctoral student in the USA, i.e., after a acquiring a Physiotherapist entry-level degree (BscPT, BMR, BSc Physio, BPT, etc), the processes involved takes place basically in three (3) steps. The process may take 12-24 months or longer depending on how smoothly things run for individual applicants.

Step 1: Review the websites and faculty pages of professors in US Universities/Colleges that are offering Masters/PhD degree programs, to find areas of common research interest.
Step 2: Connect with the professor(s) to see if they are willing to accept you as a PhD student, i.e., if admitted to their institution. IMPORTANT: Also find out if they have funding that can support your PhD studies (unless you have personal or other funds to support yourself in the US as an international student).
Step 3: If the professor accepts to mentor you for PhD, then apply for admission into the University of the professor who is willing to accept you as a PhD student. it may involve an academic transcript evaluation of your Nigerian/African university degree(s) credentials; GRE, and TOEFL may also be required.
Step 4: Apply for Student Visa at the US Embassy in your country.

Step 1:
i. Spend considerable time browsing the website of US Colleges/Universities that offer PhD programs in Rehabilitation Science, Phyical Therapy, Movement Science, Neuroscience, etc, depending on your interest. The URL below is a non-exhanustive list for initial online research:

ii. Once you find the program in a University that attracts your interest, find specific professors that are currently mentoring PhD students within those Universities and PhD programs. Especially, look for professors with research grants that can be used to support your PhD program of study. Then go to the next step.

Step 2:
iii. Connect with, and interact with the potential PhD mentor/professor in the US University of your choice based on compatibility of research interests, available funds, etc. Share with them your CV/Resuming, and your research interest. Ask them if they are willing to accept you as a PhD student, and if they have research funding to help support your PhD studies.

Step 3:
ii. Once a professor agreed to mentor you as a PhD student, (with or without funding)
(a) apply to the professor's institution for admission into their PhD programs

(b) Apply for and write GRE, TOEFL or TWE - test of written english if required by the institution - Check http://www.ets.org

(c) The institution may require you to have your Nigerian/African University academic record transcript reviewed internally or by an external agency. External agencies may include such as: World Education Service (WES) - https://www.wes.org 

Step 4:
(a) submit all required documentation to the institutions, and once your application is reviewed, and granted admission, you will receive an I-20 document (or equivalent) for international students that you will need to apply for a Student Visa at a US Embassy in Nigeria (or in your home country, i.e., for other African nations)
(b) Find out the processdure to apply for student visa at the US EMbassy in your country.
(c) Apply for student visa, and if successful, you should be on your way to the USA for graduate studies.

The above processes can also be repeated for a Master's degree program, however, there are usually less opportunity foe funding of Masters degree program students.

​I wish you best of God in the pursuit of your dream of graduate studies in the USA. But be ready to pay some cost, and work extemely hard as a student, in order to be successful in the USA. It is a very competitive landscape.

Thanks, and all the best
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Emmanuel B. John, PT, DPT, PhD, MPH, MBA, FAHA
Executive Director - Nigeria Physiotherapy Network,
Dean & Professor
Dr. Donald E. and Lois J. Myers
School of Nursing and Health Professions 
York College of Pennsylvania
York, PA 17403
Email: ebjohn@nigeriaphysio.net

Posted: March 31, 2024.
Updated: November 4, 2024.