Physical Therapy, tDPT

Mission Statement

The mission of the tDPT is to develop leaders in physical therapy patient examination, evaluation, intervention, and case management. Special focus is placed on the foundational sciences of anatomy and biomechanics, while enhancing the clinical reasoning and treatment skills of the student. Because this program is designed for physical therapists that work in clinical practice, it is expected that students will bring about positive improvements to the workplace as they progress through the program. This program will help to promote the profession by developing experiences that address the critical issues found in the delivery of health care today.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the transitional tDPT program, graduates will demonstrate the ability to

display personal and professional development and lifelong learning activities in the physical therapy profession,
initiate collaborative relationships and communication with patients/clients and other health care providers,
adopt evidence-based practice and informed decision making within physical therapy practice,
exhibit effective communication skills in physical therapy practice in order to advance professional goals,
display professional and ethical behavior in daily interactions within physical therapy practice,
exhibit leadership skills to promote the advancement of the profession of physical therapy, and
utilize critical thinking and reasoning skills when making decisions within physical therapy practice.

This program is designed for practitioners who will also assume leadership roles in the profession of physical therapy. The program reinforces clinical excellence. A variety of course assignments, such as multiple-choice tests, short essays, and problem-solving exercises, are used to test mastery of the learning objectives. A summary or capstone project, consisting of a case report or literature review, integrates content knowledge across program coursework. A mentored clinical residency may also be completed.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the program is open to all physical therapists who entered the profession with a bachelor’s degree or master’s in physical therapy from an accredited institution. It is expected that all applicants are licensed or eligible for licensure in the United States; however, those international students who are not planning to pursue licensure in the United States are exempt from this requirement. If the student plans to complete a clinical residency, he or she must be a licensed physical therapist in the state where the residency is located. For more details on admission, see the Admission to the University section of this catalog.

Official transcripts from all previous institutions of higher learning must be submitted directly to the University in accordance with the Application for Admission instructions.

International Students Applying for Admission

Foreign-trained candidates who do not require a student visa to participate in University courses and/or degree programs can be considered 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. To be considered for admission to the tDPT program, the following criteria will apply:

The candidate must be a graduate of a program in a country that is a member of the World Confederation of Physical Therapy.
The candidate must submit transcripts (original and a translated version, if applicable) and a credentialing evaluation from an agency recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) that provide evidence of training at a level equivalent to that of a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy in the United States. Physical therapists who graduated from a physiotherapy program that is accredited by Physiotherapy Education Accreditation Canada (PEAC) do not need to submit a credentialing evaluation as part of the application process.
The candidate must submit an official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score report if his or her education was completed in a language other than English. A minimum score of 210 (computer-based testing), or 83 (IBT—Internet based testing) is required.

Notification of Status

The applicant will be notified via e-mail from the Admissions Office of his or her admission status after review of all required application materials by the Admissions Committee.

Academic Requirements

To remain in the tDPT program, the student must

maintain a minimum of a 2.50 GPA, and
register for a minimum of one course within 12 weeks of the date of the acceptance letter.

Program Overview

The physical therapist holding a master’s degree (first professional or post-professional) will need to complete Information Literacy for Evidence-Based Practice, Introduction to Interprofessional Scholarly Studies, and Capstone Project for nine required academic credits, and 15 elective academic credits. The tDPT program is 24 credits for the master’s level students.

The physical therapist holding a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy will need to complete Information Literacy for Evidence-Based Practice, Introduction to Interprofessional Scholarly Studies, Pharmacology, Imaging, Differential Diagnosis, and Capstone Project for 18 required academic credits, and will need to complete four elective academic credits and 38 clinical integration credits (Clinical Integration I, II, III, IV, and V). The tDPT program is 60 credits for the bachelor’s-level students.

At the end of the educational experience, the graduate will be awarded a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.

The student has the choice of completing the capstone project or a mentored clinical residency with the primary goal of providing an educational experience that assists the student in focusing his or her ideas and thoughts. The capstone project may take the form of one case report or an article (literature review, perspective paper, or descriptive technical report) prepared in publishable format. The mentored clinical residency is a supervised clinical experience in the specialty area selected by the student. To earn five credits for a clinical residency, the student is required to complete a minimum of 9 to 12 months of patient care plus a minimum of 200 educational activity hours.

Process for Obtaining the Transitional DPT Degree

Students begin by completing coursework in either a clinical specialty track, leading toward a certification, or a non-specialty clinical track of elective coursework. You may begin registering for the necessary seminars and coursework as soon as you are accepted into the program. Many credit assignments consist of an online course with required short essay assignments and unit quizzes.
For the specialty clinical track, following completion of all certification seminars, the student may attend the Preparation and Certification Examination Week. Completion of the certification examination is not required for degree completion.
For the student with a master’s degree, once you have obtained 19 credits toward your degree program you will proceed to Capstone Project I and II. An assigned Faculty Advisor approves an outline of your project, and then you complete either one publishable case report or one publishable article. The advisor will review and assist with revisions as needed.
If a clinical residency is chosen in lieu of the capstone project, the proposed residency site and mentor must meet the approval of the Program Director and residency criteria. It is recommended that students complete at least two specialty-track seminars prior to starting the residency. The approval process must begin early in the program. Contact the department for explanation of the approval process.
For the students with a BSPT, you will proceed by completing the 51 required credits including Information Literacy for Evidence-Based Practice, Introduction to Interprofessional Scholarly Studies, Pharmacology, Differential Diagnosis for the Therapist, Imaging, and Clinical Integration courses I–V, and four elective credits. Upon completion of 55 credits, you may begin work on Capstone Project I and II. An assigned Faculty Advisor approves an outline of your project, and then you complete either one publishable case report or one publishable article. The advisor will review and assist with revisions as needed.

Delivery of Coursework

Courses in the tDPT program are offered in a variety of formats. In some cases as noted in the course description, a prerequisite for a course may be completion of a continuing education seminar. This learning experience is then enhanced through completion of assignments. These assignments are submitted to the University for grading in a specified time frame according to the course syllabus.

Other courses are offered strictly through a distance education online course format. No seminar attendance is required and all learning activities are completed at a distance. Each course has a variety of learning activities that must be completed and graded to receive credit for the course.

Course Time Limits

There will be a due date for allcourse assignments. In most courses, this will be 8 to15 weeks. The academic calendar for the University is divided into 3 trimesters: spring, summer, and fall. Trimester periods are denoted on the Academic Calendar.

Incomplete Coursework

If, for reasons acceptable to the instructor, a student cannot complete the required work within the pre-determined time frame, he or she will receive the grade of Incomplete (I). The student must then complete the work within 15 weeks of the due date to receive a letter grade. No further extension will be permitted. If the student does not withdraw or complete the requirements within the approved time, the I grade will automatically become a Fail (F) on his or her transcript.

Time Limit

It is required that students complete all requirements within 4 years. An extension of up to 2 years may be requested. If the Program Director approves the extension, there is an extension fee of $333.00 per trimester.

Optional Certificates

Students enrolled in the tDPT program are eligible to earn the Certificate of Executive Leadership and/or the Certificate of Teaching and Learning. The certificates are earned by completing certain elective courses within the program and maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA in those courses. Students should speak with their advisor or Program Director about the certificates and include them in their Plan of Study (POS). Courses for the Certificate of Executive Leadership include Foundations of Health Care Administration, Human Resource Management and Organizational Development and Leadership for HC Admin, Strategic Planning in Health Care Administration, Organizational Finance, Organizational Leadership and Policy in Health Care, and Operations and Quality Management in Health Care. Courses for the Certificate of Teaching and Learning include Foundational Theory in Education, Curriculum Development in Health Science Education, Teaching Methods in Higher Education, Current Issues in Health Sciences Education, or Evaluation of Educational Effectiveness and Teaching Online.