̽»¨ÉçÇø

Clinical Education

Physical Therapy

  • The DPT program immerses students in the clinic early in the program, allowing students to apply knowledge and skills in real-life environments.
  • The clinical education philosophy of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program at ̽»¨ÉçÇø is founded on the belief that clinical education allows the student the best opportunity to integrate didactic knowledge and skills necessary to practice as a competent physical therapist within diverse clinical environments. 

As a requirement for graduation, students must successfully complete:

  • Integrated clinical experiences in outpatient clinical settings during the Fall and Spring semesters of year one
  • A 12 week full-time clinical experience with an emphasis on the rehabilitation of patients with musculoskeletal conditions across the lifespan after the completion of the 1st year of study
  • Integrated clinical experiences in varied clinical settings during Fall semester of year two
  • Two terminal full-time clinical experiences for a total of 24 weeks with an emphasis on the rehabilitation of patients with varied conditions across the lifespan after the completion of the 2nd year of study.

̽»¨ÉçÇø Star


Clinical education experiences will serve to develop competent DPT students who:

  1. Apply behaviors consistent with the American Physical Therapy Association Code of Ethics and American Physical Therapy Association Core Values;
  2. Demonstrate effective communication during clinical and professional interactions and adapt communication styles based on individual differences;
  3. Practice in a safe manner that minimizes risk to patient/client, self, and all others;
  4. Demonstrate cultural competence and recognize psychosocial factors that may impact clinical and interprofessional interactions;
  5. Execute initiative; implement constructive feedback; contribute to a positive work environment, and utilize appropriate resources for problem-solving during clinical interactions;
  6. Apply evidence-based examination and evaluation techniques for patients including but not limited to history taking, systems review, differential diagnosis, and recognizing contraindications for further tests and measures;
  7. Determine appropriate diagnosis, prognosis, plans of care, and discharge criteria for patients with regular outcomes assessment;
  8. Apply and modify evidence-based intervention strategies and educational approaches based on patient response.