Physical Therapy: Transition (Post-professional) Concentration

The transition Doctor of Physical Therapy (tDPT) concentration is a non-traditional track leading to the currently approved DPT degree designed for working professionals who are already licensed physical therapists. It serves as a bridge program to allow therapists prepared at the bachelor’s and master’s level to earn the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

Admission

The applicant must meet admission requirements for The Graduate School at UTC. (See Admission Requirements Section). In addition, each applicant must have completed the following: a) earned either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in physical therapy from an institution accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, b) be a currently U.S. licensed physical therapist in good standing, c) have at least two years experience working as a licensed physical therapist and d) have a computer with high speed Internet access and specifications adequate to access Blackboard mediated instructional support material.

Program Description

The tDPT concentration is a 30 credit hour program consisting of 18 hours of core courses and 12 credit hours of electives. The tDPT courses are delivered using a distance education format.

Students are admitted as a cohort each fall and spring semester and will be expected to complete the core courses as a cohort.

Post-Professional Transition DPT Concentration Courses

Required Core Courses: 18 credit hours

Focused Electives: 12 credit hours required

Additional Information and Notes

Advanced clinical application courses approved as electives for the entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum may also be taken as electives in the tDPT concentration.

Students may apply to transfer the number of approved semester credit hours of graduate courses specified by current graduate school policy toward the fulfillment of the graduate-level elective requirements.

Typical Course of Study

Students admitted to the tDPT concentration will be expected to register for six credit hours per semester:

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semesters 4 and 5

Focused Electives ₂ 12 hours

Additional Information and Notes

^₁Whether PHYT 7445 Health Policy/Administration (2 credit hours) or PHYT 7432 Leadership and Management in Healthcare (2 credit hours) is offered as a component of the core curriculum will vary, depending on the needs of the students enrolled in each cohort; the alternate course may be offered as an elective.

²Elective course options include advanced clinical application courses approved as electives for the entry-level DPT curriculum, tDPT courses including PHYT 7441 Focused Advanced Clinical Practice, PHYT 7442 Special Topics in Physical Therapy or PHYT 7997 Independent Study. Students may apply to transfer the number of semester credit hours approved by current graduate school policy from an accredited institution in a course of study relevant to physical therapy (to include entry-level Master’s in Physical Therapy degree programs) in partial fulfillment of the tDPT elective requirements. In addition, students will be eligible to apply for Credit by Special Examination for the advanced elective courses (PHYT 7441, 7442). This will allow the student to receive credits based on the completion of selected approved professional education and/or certification courses designed to enhance expertise in the field of physical therapy by demonstrating “competence gained through study and/or experience primarily independent of the University class activities.” (Graduate Catalog, “Credit by Special Examination ”). Students seeking Credit by Special Exam will bear the responsibility of demonstrating competency in the content being examined to the satisfaction of the Physical Therapy Department Committee on Special Examination as outlined in the “Credit by Special Examination ” section of the Graduate Catalog, and will be required to pay the applicable fee for each graduate credit hour awarded. Professional credentialing courses that will be considered for proficiency, challenge or competency credit include, but are not limited to the Certified Athletic Trainer, American Board of Physical Therapy Certified Clinical Specialist, Certified Hand Therapist, Certified Manual Therapist, APTA endorsed Advanced Clinical Practice series, APTA endorsed Advanced Focused Practice Updates or other comparable physical therapy-related advanced practice coursework requiring peer reviewed competency assessment of teaching and learning outcomes.

Continuation Standards

Continued enrollment in the doctoral program is dependent upon satisfactory performance in all courses. Students must conform to all general regulations of the UTC Graduate School. A student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) while enrolled in the program. A grade of less than C is included in the GPA, but will not be counted for credit toward the degree.

Probation/Dismissal

Decisions regarding continuation will be made by the Dean of the Graduate School based upon recommendation of the faculty of the Department of Physical Therapy. Graduate students will be placed on probation when their institutional cumulative GPA falls below 3.0. The institutional cumulative GPA must be raised to at least 3.0 by the end of the next two semesters of enrollment. Students will be academically dismissed if they fail to achieve this institutional cumulative GPA within the two semester probationary period, or if they fail to achieve a 3.0 or higher for each probationary semester. A student will be automatically dismissed from the tDPT program upon receiving a third grade of C. Students may also be dismissed from the tDPT program for violation of academic integrity or professional behavior standards.

Students who have been dismissed from the tDPT program for failure to meet academic continuation standards may appeal to the Graduate Council for readmission. Upon readmission, students may resume graduate study on probation under the continuation standards outlined in the UTC Graduate Catalog. Students who have been dismissed from the tDPT program because of academic integrity or professional behavior concerns are required to comply with all professional behavior remediation requirements outlined by the faculty of the Physical Therapy Department and the Graduate Council Petitions Committee.