Degree Requirements for the Transitional D.P.T.

(12-18 credits)

The program curriculum is 12-18 credits. A minimum of 12 credits are needed. Credit waivers are available for up to 6 of these credits (3 courses) based upon a student's prior professional experiences and coursework as demonstrated in a portfolio. (A portfolio review charge of $200 will be applied to review material submitted for consideration of course waivers.)

Students can start any semester, and there is no required course sequence except that PT 702 Case Analysis must be taken last. (PT 505 is recommended as a first course.)

Students are only required to take 1 course per semester but may take more as they are able. Therefore, most students will take two years to complete the program, but it may be completed in one to three years depending on student preference and experience.

The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice and addresses core competencies to enrich the practice of physical therapy. All courses are held online, both synchronously and asynchronously.

Core Courses (2 credits each) – View Course Descriptions 

  • PT 505 Clinical Decision Making
  • PT 508 Medical Screening
  • PT 547 Health Promotion and Wellness
  • PT 555 Pharmacology
  • PT 556 Diagnostic Imaging
  • PT 702 Case Analysis

Courses for which a waiver is possible – View Course Descriptions

  • PT 504 Physical Therapist Teaching Methods*
  • PT 656 Neuromuscular Tissues and Motor Control*
  • PT 705 Orthopedic Physical Therapy*
    or PT 706 Neurological Physical Therapy
    or PT 707 Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy
  • (Students can select from PT 705, 706 or 707 in the Clinical Practice Series)

Course Wavier Criteria

Course waiver requests are evaluated on the following detailed criteria via portfolio review:

A waiver for PT 504 Physical Therapist Teaching Methods requires Portfolio Elements that provide evidence of the following:

  • The ability to write educational objectives
  • The ability to develop physical therapy related course content
  • The ability to use PowerPoint or equivalent presentation technology
  • Peer or student evaluations of teaching effectiveness
  • The ability to write test questions related to the content or some equivalent assessment of learning

A waiver for PT 656 Neuromuscular Tissues and Motor Control requires that prior coursework must be at the graduate level and the student must submit the following:

  • Course description
  • Course syllabus
  • Written documentation of content

A waiver for a course in the Clinical Practice Series (PT 705 Orthopedic Physical Therapy; PT 706 Neurologic Physical Therapy; PT 707 Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy) requires
APTA Clinical Specialist Certification or prior coursework that may either be university-based or continuing education and total at least 42 contact hours in a particular specialty area. The student must submit the following:

  • Course description
  • Course syllabus
  • Written documentation of content

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