Division of First Professional Studies

General

The Division of First Professional Studies offers first professional degrees in occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and physical therapy. The curricula mirror the University’s philosophy that the future professionals in these career fields should be educated in an interprofessional environment to the extent possible. The intent of this philosophy is for graduates in these majors to gain an understanding and appreciation of each other’s scope of practice.

We strive to offer the highest quality online courses and classroom instruction while taking pride in making the entire educational experience accessible and interactive for students. The blended learning approach allows students to have a vast range of learning techniques at their fingertips. All online courses were developed with an in-depth understanding of the educational needs of students—how they will best retain the information provided to them and the ease of accessibility to key University support services and staff to offer assistance along the way. Lab classes are taught in a hands-on setting, while some portions of the course content are presented through a variety of interactive distance activities and augmented by in-class discussions. Clinical internships, practica and fieldwork experiences occur at sites located in the United States and, on a limited basis, internationally.

The following policies apply to the first professional programs.

Admission

Applicants for the first professional programs must have completed a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution before entering the program. Applicants may apply while still enrolled in an undergraduate degree program and may be admitted contingent upon successful completion of that degree. Applicants who have already completed the baccalaureate degree, but lack the required program prerequisites, may apply and potentially be admitted contingent upon successful completion of the prerequisites prior to enrollment.

Admission Requirements

A baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university
A minimum GPA of 3.0 calculated on the program prerequisites is recommended
A minimum GRE score of 294 (verbal and quantitative sections combined) is recommended

Note: In addition to these requirements, the Admissions Committee will consider all submitted supporting documentation as outlined below. Applicants with a felony conviction will not be admitted to a first professional degree program.

Supplemental Supporting Documentation*

In addition to the application, official transcripts, and GRE scores outlined in the general admission to graduate study, the following supporting documentation is required:

List of required prerequisite coursework in basic sciences and social sciences and the dates each course was or is to be completed for each respective program is required. Basic science prerequisites completed more than 5 years prior to admission are subject to validation. Applicants may petition the Admissions Office to substitute a similar course or group of courses for a prerequisite. The petition should include the course description. Approval for substitution depends on course level and content as compared to the prerequisite course. The Admissions Office, in collaboration with the respective Program Director, will determine if the substitution is approved or denied and notify the applicant of the decision.
Two reference checklists are required. Two references should be provided from therapists, respective to the program for which admission is sought, preferred or one therapist and one faculty member or academic advisor.
Statement of purpose
Documentation of required observation hours, if required by the program
Current résumé
A comprehensive background check requiring fingerprints and drug screen will be administered during the admissions process.
MS-SLP: Clinical Observation hours- The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) requires a minimum of 25 documented hours of clinical observation as a prerequisite to graduate level clinical work and receipt of the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). Students must complete the 25 observation hours before beginning any direct patient/client contact at the graduate level. Students may still be in the process of completing observation hours when submitting applications to graduate school, but must have them completed before starting the degree program.
- The 25 clinical observation hours must:
  - Fall within the scope of practice of speech-language pathology
  - Be under the direction of a qualified clinical supervisor who holds current ASHA certification in speech-language pathology. Such direction may occur simultaneously with the student’s observation or may be through review and approval of written reports or summaries submitted by the student.
  - Be approved in writing by a qualified clinical supervisor who holds current ASHA certification in speech-language pathology
- The 25 clinical observations may:
  - Be conducted in a variety of service delivery settings (e.g., hospital, clinic, school, private practice, etc.)
  - Be conducted across several types of clinical service (e.g., evaluation or treatment, children or adults, speech, language, cognitive-communication or swallowing disorder). Students are encouraged to distribute their 25 hours over various types of clinical services and sessions.
  - Be conducted in person or via video. Students can observe “live” clinical sessions or they can observe the delivery of client services through video recordings, as long as the recordings are done as part of a class or given to the student by a clinical supervisor. All of these hours are acceptable as long as the live or videotaped services are directed by a certified SLP and documentation of time spent in supervised observation is verified by that professional in writing.
- Note: Observation hours are not the same as volunteer hours
  
  The observation hour requirement is separate from volunteering, which students may complete in addition to observing if they so choose. With clinical observation, students shadow or observe a speech-language pathology or audiology professional providing clinical services. With volunteering, students provide hands-on support to professionals, which can take on a variety of forms (e.g., clerical work, administrative support, computer support, etc.). There is no requirement to volunteer, although volunteering experience in Speech and Hearing Sciences or a related field can be included on graduate school applications.

International Students Applying for Admission

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences does not offer English language services, including instruction. All instruction at the University is conducted in English.

Additional requirements for international or foreign-educated students and students whose native language is not English are as follows:

Applicants who completed their education outside the United States must also provide an academic credentialing evaluation from an agency recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) that provides evidence that the degree earned is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in the United States.
Additional requirements for domestic, international, foreign-educated students: International applicants from a country where English is not the primary language and who did not complete their undergraduate degree in English, or if deemed necessary by the Director of Admissions must provide an official TOEFL score report. The minimum internet-based TOEFL score requirement is 89 (including sectional minimums of 26 in speaking, 24 in writing, 21 in reading, and 18 in listening). The TOEFL may be required at the discretion of the University.

Application Due Dates

Applications and required supporting documentation should be submitted by the due date outlined below for priority processing:

January (Spring Term) June 15th
May (Summer Term) August 15th
September (Fall Term) October 15th

Applications received after these due dates will be considered on a space-available basis.

Interviews

The Admissions Committees evaluate applicants and issues invitations to selected qualified candidates to participate in an information exchange and interview session on campus. Qualified applicants have provided evidence of academic, professional, and/or personal achievement and promise. The personal interview provides additional information used by the Admissions Committees to determine the final admission status of these applicants.

Academic Policies and Procedures

Credit Hour Policy

Definition of Credit Hour

It is the policy of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences to establish credit hour definitions and policies for calculation. Guidelines by the Department of Education and WSCUC suggest that a school measures credit hours in terms of the amount of time in which a student is engaged in academic activity. A credit hour should be defined as an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency and reasonably approximates the following criteria:

One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction or student engagement and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work (preparation) each week for approximately 15 weeks for 1 semester or trimester of credit, or at least an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. [Note: For example, a two credit hour course over a 15-week term would require at least 30 hours of direct academic engagement (2 hours/week) and 60 hours of student preparation time (4 hours/week) for the average student. If this same course was offered over 8 weeks, the same number of hours would be required for the term, but the weekly hours would change to 4 hours/week of academic engagement and 8 hours/week of out of class (preparation) work.
Formal laboratory instruction is also direct faculty instruction and equates to 2–3 contact hours per week per credit over a 15 week term, with documentation maintained on lab experiences and supported by the course outline/syllabi.
When determining online and/or face-to-face academic engagement time (excluding student preparation time), the courses should fall within certain allowable contact hours over the semester according to the number of credit hours. Courses with labs will have larger contact hours than non-lab courses.
An equivalent amount of work (measured in contact hours) for other academic activities established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practice, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.
Fieldwork/Internships are calculated at 45 hours = 1 credit hour.
Per the above, the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences further defines “other academic activities” as practice of lab techniques (usually a range of 2–3 contact hours per credit), practicum, shadowing, studying, reading, preparing for assignments, group work, service learning, or other academic activities related to a specific course.

An institution should be able to demonstrate its measurements of time allocated for learning experiences and that the learning outcomes are accomplished.
Review of course credit content will be performed on a regular basis by way of student course evaluations, time studies within a course and curriculum, annual reports, and programmatic reviews.
All new courses should be reviewed for the above as part of the curriculum review process.
All courses should have a descriptive table of how contact hours are spent in both instruction and academic activities in the course syllabus.
Certain types of courses cannot and will not be measured in this manner, primarily due to the subjective nature of personal study/work time of each student. These types of courses include exit exams, practicum, fieldwork, clinical rotation, clinical integration, independent study, directed reading, capstone courses, products demonstrating excellence, and dissertation.

Campus Location Change

Students who want to change to another campus location must submit a Campus Location Change Request Form (available on the MyUSA portal Students tab) to their current Program Director by midterm of the trimester prior to the requested change. Such requests will be considered on an individual basis and are contingent on space availability. The student will be notified of the outcome of the location change request via e-mail by the Registrar’s Office. Please note: Program completion dates of students who change campus locations may be extended.

Academic Progression, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The maximum time frames for students to complete their respective programs’ graduation requirements are as follows:

Full-time DPT students have an expected completion time of 8 trimesters and a maximum time frame of 12 trimesters
Flex DPT students have an expected completion time of 12 trimesters and a maximum of 18 trimesters
Full-time MS-SLP students have an expected completion time of 5 trimesters and a maximum time frame of 8 trimesters
Full-time MOT students have an expected completion time of 6 trimesters and a maximum time frame of 9 trimesters
Flex MOT students have an expected completion time of 9 trimesters and a maximum time frame of 14 trimesters
Full-time OTD students have an expected completion time of 8 trimesters and a maximum time frame of 12 trimesters
Dual degree option students have an expected completion time of 10 trimesters and a maximum time frame of 15 trimesters

Note: Only under extenuating circumstances approved by the Program Director will a student be allowed to transition to a reduced credit load in which the following maximum time frames to complete the graduation requirements apply:

Reduced credit load DPT students have a maximum time frame of 16 trimesters
Reduced credit load MOT students have a maximum time frame of 12 trimesters
Reduced credit load OTD students have a maximum time frame of 16 trimesters
Reduced credit load MS-SLP students have a maximum time frame of 10 trimesters

The role of the Academic Progression and Retention Committee (APRC), in conjunction with the Student Services Office, is to monitor each student’s academic progress throughout the curriculum. Grades from each faculty member are submitted to the APRC at midterm for their review. At the end of each trimester, grades are submitted to the Registrar. The Registrar will notify students who are placed on probation or are dismissed from the respective academic program of their status. The student’s advisor and the respective Program Director are also notified.

Good Academic Standing Status

Prior to completion of 30 credits for MS-SLP, 59 credits for OT and 61 credits for PT, it is expected that a student will meet the following minimum criteria:

Complete at least 75% of all credits attempted each trimester
At the completion of the first trimester (or 10 credits for MS-SLP, 17 credit hours for OT and PT) have a GPA of 2.0
At the completion of the second trimester (or 20 credits for MS-SLP, 38 credits for OT and PT) have a GPA of 2.3

The University requires that all students enrolled in the first professional programs have a 2.5 GPA after the completion of the third (full-time) trimester or (30 credits for MS-SLP, 59 credits for OT and 61 credits for PT) in the academic curriculum to continue in the respective program. If a student does not achieve this cumulative GPA he or she is dismissed from the program.

Academic Progression Warning

An e-mailed letter of academic concern will be issued to any student whose grade in any class at midterm is below a C level. The intent of the concern letter is to notify the student of less than satisfactory academic progress and the potential for course failure. A student receiving an academic concern letter at midterm must contact the instructor(s) by phone or e-mail or meet with the instructor(s) for the course(s) within 1 week of receipt of the concern letter. The student and course instructor(s) will discuss the student’s performance, and the student will develop a plan, approved by the instructor, to improve future performance. The student must then notify his or her advisor of the plan. If a student does not contact his or her course instructor, a note will be placed in the student’s academic file noting the failure to comply with this policy.

An Academic Warning will be given to any student who is not in good academic standing at the conclusion of any trimester. The intent of the Academic Warning is to notify the student of less than satisfactory academic progress. A student receiving an Academic Warning at the end of the trimester must contact his or her advisor during the first week of the subsequent trimester and develop a plan, approved by the student’s advisor, to improve future performance.

Academic Progression Probation

A student who makes a grade below a C in any course will be placed on Academic Probation and must undergo remediation and repeat the course for credit. Such students will be made aware in writing that they are at risk for failure to complete the program.

A student who is no longer in good academic standing must meet with the instructor and his or her Faculty Advisor to develop a plan for remediation and monitoring. The plan may allow them to take additional coursework with the approval of the Program Director.
The student must receive a grade of C or better to progress academically.
If the student receives a grade of C or better, the student will be taken off Academic Probation.
If the student receives a grade below C when retaking a course, the student will be dismissed.

Any student who is on probation may not participate in any work-study program unless approved by the Program Director. Students placed on probation are at risk of not graduating from the University and not passing the national board exams.

Any student who does not successfully complete the coursework necessary to exit probation may be at risk of being denied federal financial aid due to not maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Dismissal and Academic Progression Appeals

A student will be dismissed if

an F is received in any course (a student receiving a failing grade during fieldwork/internship is also subject to this policy);
two grades of D are received;
or
after the completion of 30 credits for MS-SLP, 52 credits for OT and 55 credits for PT, the student has a GPA below 2.5.

The Registrar notifies the APRC and the Program Director of any students who are being recommended for academic dismissal. The student will be notified of his or her dismissal by the Registrar.

A student may appeal the dismissal to the Academic Appeals Committee (AAC), who will make a recommendation to the Program Director. If an appeal is successful, a readmission agreement between the student and the Program Director (or Dean) is made to document any conditions for the student’s continuation at the University. Readmission agreements can only be appealed if there are mitigating circumstances, and such appeals can only be made to the University President or designee. Please note: A student who is readmitted upon appeal must reapply to Disability Services for any reasonable accommodations that may have been previously granted.

When a student is suspended for Academic Probation or for professional misconduct, he or she will turn in his or her student ID badge to the Registrar’s Office and remain off campus. The dismissed student may visit campus by appointment with the academic advisor or Registrar and, when on campus, restrict activities to that appointment.

Academic Evaluation and Right of Appeal

All students must sign an Acknowledgement of Appeals Procedure Form as part of the orientation process. An Acknowledgement of Appeals Procedure Form can be found on the MyUSA portal Admissions tab.

The responsibility for academic evaluation will rest with the instructor. For minor appeal issues, which are decisions that would not result in probation or dismissal, the student appeals to the faculty member involved in the particular issue. If the student is not satisfied with the faculty member’s resolution of the issue, the student has the right to appeal the issue in writing to the Program Director within 3 business days of the instructor’s decision. The Program Director then has 5 business days to research the issue and render a decision.

If the student is not satisfied with the Program Director’s response, the student can appeal the issue to the President or designee in writing within 5 business days after the Program Director’s response. After hearing the issue, the President has 2 business days to either render a verdict on the issue, or redirect the issue at that point to the Appeals Committee.

Any student who has been dismissed may formally appeal this decision in writing to the Registrar with a copy to the respective Program Director within 2 business days from receipt of the notification. If the student does not meet the stated deadline, the appeal may not be considered. In extenuating circumstances, the student may request an extension from his or her respective Program Director or designee (i.e., Registrar); however, this request must be made within the above stated deadline.

Appeal letters should address

the rationale behind the appeal and why the student believes the appeal is warranted, and
future circumstances that will enable the student to rectify previous poor academic performance.

The Registrar will forward the student’s appeal to the AAC within 2 business days. After discussion between the AAC and the Program Director, a decision is rendered. The Program Director will convey the AAC’s decision to the student and the Registrar.

The AAC will meet six scheduled times per calendar year (See Academic Calendar). These meetings will convene 2 days prior to the first day of classes of each trimester and at midterm of each trimester. Procedures for the meetings are as follows:

Prior to Trimester Meetings: The AAC will convene within 2 days prior to the first day of classes of the next trimester or at the earliest convenience for both the student and the committee members. The student must appear personally before the AAC at its convenience. A written recommendation will be given to the Program Director within 2 business days of adjourning the meeting with the student.

Academic Progression During the Appeals Process: The first professional student will be allowed to attend scheduled classes throughout the entire appeal process.

In the best interest of the student and clinical site, a student will not be allowed to progress to a clinical education experience when appealing a University dismissal. If the appeals process upholds the dismissal, the student will be dismissed from the university. If the appeals process reverses the dismissal from the university, the student will be placed on a readmittance contract and be required to remediate to meet all course requirements before entering a clinical education experience.

Midterm Meetings: The AAC will convene on or about midterm of each trimester or at the earliest convenient time for both the committee and the student. The student must appear personally before AAC. The AAC will give a written decision to the Program Director within 2 business days of adjourning the meeting with the student.

In the event of extenuating circumstances, if a student is unable to meet at the University’s designated AAC meeting times, the student may request an alternate meeting time. This request must be submitted to the chair of the AAC in writing with detailed rationale supporting the
student’s need for an alternate time.

Students geographically distant from the University of St. Augustine campus may be allowed to appear before the AAC via phone conference solely at the discretion of the AAC.

Should the student not agree to the decision of the AAC, the student has the right of an appeal to the President or an appointed designee. The appeal must be submitted, in writing, within 5 business days to the President. Upon request, the President or designee will review pertinent records, at his or her discretion, including a review of the process to ensure that it was correctly followed, and may meet with the AAC and the student. The President or designee will follow the process as established in the Student Handbook and ensure that the process is followed. If the final decision by the President results in dismissal, the student will no longer be permitted to remain in any courses.

Dismissal policies will be implemented as fairly and equitably as possible considering all extenuating circumstances.

Once a final appeals decision on academic dismissal has been rendered, the student does not have access to the appeals process for this same issue again.

Degree Completion

Acceptance into the University and payment of tuition (on a trimester - trimester-basis) is not a contract assuring that the student will graduate with the degree for which he or she applied. Graduation will depend on satisfactory GPA, professional conduct, issues of safety, and the satisfactory completion of clinical internship/fieldwork experiences and exit exams (where applicable). Students in the first professional DPT program must also complete the courses in their final trimester in order to participate in the commencement ceremony. The Student Handbook and the course syllabi detail what is considered satisfactory.

Continuing Education Policies

Students will not be excused from scheduled classes, internships, or fieldwork to attend Continuing Education courses.

Tuition and Fees Policies

The University has established specific policies, procedures, and guidelines defining its relationship with its students. These are outlined in the Enrollment Agreement that is included in each admission acceptance packet. Each student is required to submit a signed copy of the Enrollment Agreement to the Student Services Office as part of the acceptance acknowledgement process. All prospective students are encouraged to review this Catalog prior to signing the Enrollment Agreement. For the California campus, students are also encouraged to review the School Performance Fact Sheet, which must be provided to prospective students prior to signing the Enrollment Agreement.

Tuition

Refer to program-specific tuition and fees information in the previous Financial Information section. Student fees, textbooks, professional fees, health insurance, travel to and from clinical training sites, as well as meals and lodging costs, supplies, and lab wear, are not included in tuition and will be extra. These extra additional school expenses are expected to be approximately $5,000–$7,000 for each program; these costs are subject to change. Please refer to the program cost-ofattendance sheets located on the University’s website.

Candidates are required to submit a $500 deposit within 30 days of acceptance into a program. This deposit is deducted from the first trimester tuition balance. The remaining balance is due on registration day. Any excess loan proceeds (beyond the first trimester tuition and fees) will be refunded to the student according to the student disbursement schedule.

After the first trimester, any tuition balance not paid at the time of trimester registration will receive a 10% late penalty and both tuition and late penalty must be paid in full no later than the close of business on the last day of the week in which classes begin. Students will be removed from class after this point if not paid in full. The only exception is students whose financial aid has been delayed through no fault of their own.

Notice of Cancellation

Cancellation Policy—Texas Campus

A full refund will be made to any student who cancels the enrollment contract within 72 hours (until midnight of the third day excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) after the enrollment contract is signed. A full refund will also be made to any student who cancels enrollment within the student’s first 3 scheduled class days, except that the school may retain not more than $100.00 in any administrative fees charged, as well as items of extra expense that are necessary for the portion of the program attended and stated separately on the Enrollment Agreement.

Students Right to Cancel—California Campus

Students at the California campus may cancel their Enrollment Agreement for school and obtain a refund of charges paid through attendance at the first class session or the seventh day after enrollment, whichever is later.

Cancellation Policy—Florida Campus

Students must notify the University in writing of cancellation. All monies paid by an applicant other than books, supplies, materials, and kits that are not returnable from use are refunded if cancellation occurs within 1 week (7 days) after signing the University’s Enrollment Agreement and making an initial payment. If cancellation occurs after 1 week (7 days) from the signing of the University’s Enrollment Agreement, all application and registration fees in excess of $100.00 are refunded to the student.

Termination of Enrollment—Austin Campus

The school shall terminate the enrollment of a student who accumulates the lesser of the following amounts of absences:

More than 10 consecutive school days
More than 20% of the total course time hours in a program with course time of more than 200 hours
More than 25% of the total course time hours in a program or individual class with course time of 41 to 200 hours
More than 25% of the total course time hours for seminars, individual classes, or programs with course time of 40 hours or less
Any number of days if the student fails to return as scheduled from an approved leave of absence

Audit Policy

Auditing of a class is permitted, if space permits, with approval of the Program Director and course instructor. Auditing of a class requires payment of full tuition for that course. The student who is auditing may not take the practical or written exams in that course.