Curriculum and Course Descriptions

Preparation for Teaching and Faculty Leadership

• PTS777 Instructional Methods in Physical Therapy Education
• PTS778 Teaching Practicum
• PTS790 Theoretical Models in Physical Therapy
• PTS774 Role of Academic Faculty in PT
• Total Credits: 12

Preparation for Research

• PTS795 Clinical Research Methods I
• EPH 601 Biostatistics or EPS653 Intro to Stats
• EPH 602 Biostatistics II or EPS771 ANOVA or EPS772 Regression
• PTS743 Measuring Health Outcomes
• PTS796 Applied Statistics in Physical Therapy
• PTS798 Research Practicum
• PIBS 780 Research Ethics
• Total Credits: 18

Physical Therapy Courses Available for Individual Plan of Study

• PTS720 Biomechanical Basis of Human Movement
• PTS721 Measurement of Impairment and Function in Human Movement
• PTS722 Pathobiology of Human Function I
• PTS760 Theories of Movement Science
• PTS761 Motor Learning
• PTS766 Rehabilitation of the Amputee
• PTS 767. Prosthetic Technology and Amputee Rehabilitation.
• PTS668 Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology
• PTS 769. Seminars in Orthotics and Prosthetic Rehabilitation.
• PTS799 Independent Study
• PTS764 PhD Seminar in Physical Therapy

Outside Courses Available for Individual Plan of Study

• EPH 521 Fundamentals of Epidemiology
• EPH650 Health Economics for Evaluation and Policy
• EPH645 Behavioral Epidemiology
• EPH520 Health Education and Behavior
• EPH522 Applied Health Education
• EPH652 Health Policy
• EPS661 Measurement and Psychometric Theory
• EPS662 Item Response Theory
• EPS675 Qualitative Methods I
• KIN521 Advanced Systemic Exercise Physiology

Dissertation

• PTS830 Dissertation credits pre-candidacy (Proposal Preparation)
• PTS840 Dissertation credits earned post-candidacy (Research & Dissertation)
• Total Dissertation Credits (Minimum of 12): 15

Summary

• Total Credits from Required Courses: 30
• Total Credits from Dissertation: 15
• Total Credits from Individual Plan of Study: 15
• Total Credits for PhD: 60

All students must complete a Teaching Practicum PTS778. The requirements for a teaching practicum could be met by teaching an elective or teaching a unit in an existing course. PhD students develop course objectives and course materials. They should deliver lectures and may direct lab sessions as appropriate. They should also be involved in developing methods for evaluating the DPT students. Students should not register for their Teaching Practicum until they have successfully completed PTS777 Instructional Methods in Physical Therapy Education. In many cases the Teaching Practicum will be completed in a course taught by the Chair of the Supervisory Committee. If that is not possible, the Chair of the Supervisory Committee should approach another faculty member to supervise the Teaching Practicum. If that faculty member agrees to do so, the student should register for the teaching practicum under the supervising faculty member. Teaching Practicums should be done in areas where the student has expertise based on their PhD studies.

All students must complete a Research Practicum PTS798. Students should not register for their Research Practicum until they have successfully completed PTS795 Clinical Research Methods and at least one of the required statistics courses. Ideally during the research practicum, the PhD students will design, implement and analyze the findings from a small-scale study closely related their dissertation research. The results of the Research Practicum should be presented in the form of a paper for publication and this paper would be included in the dissertation document. In most cases, students will register for their Research Practicum under the Chair of their Supervisory Committee. If another faculty member supervises the Research Practicum project, the student should register for the Research Practicum under that faculty member.

Independent study provides students the opportunity to study individually with a faculty member on a contractual basis. Independent studies are frequently used to develop expertise in a specified content area related to the student’s dissertation research. Students may also use Independent Study courses to prepare the dissertation proposal. Registering for an Independent Study requires the approval of a sponsoring faculty member. The student and faculty sponsor should develop a written description of the project specifying the purpose and scope of the project as well as the expected product.

A study of the basic biomechanical principles underlying the kinetics and kinematics of normal and abnormal human motion as well as the measurement of human movement.

A study of measurement tools utilized in the analysis of normal and abnormal human motion.

Prerequisite: Open to Physical Therapy PhD majors only.

Pathophysiology of musculo-skeletal processes that impair human function including skeletal muscle; skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage; bone; and cardiorespiratory.

Prerequisite: Open to Physical Therapy PhD majors only.

An in-depth analysis of the use and construction of health outcome measures. Topics covered include creating and selecting items, scaling responses, scale construction, response bias, reliability, validity, responsiveness and methods of administration.

An in-depth review of classical theories and recent research in the movement sciences, to include the study and analysis of system theory and neurobiological substrates.

The factors relating to, and affecting, the acquisition and performance of motor skills. Qualification of skill acquisition and performance are explored.

This course examines the scientific evidence related to the evaluation, treatment and management of clients who require intervention for diabetic foot and/or dysvascular limb potentially leading to amputation, amputation surgery, prosthetic appliances, functional assessment and amputee rehabilitation. Upper limb prosthetic management will also be examined.

Prerequisite: For Physical Therapy PhD students only.

This course examines the current scientific evidence related to prosthetic devices with regard to evaluation, fabrication, materials, fitting and functional outcomes. Emphasis is on state-of-the-art technology and the future of prosthetic designs.

This course is designed for graduate students interested in developing an understanding of complementary roles of clinicians and engineers in assisting individuals with disabilities in all areas of life.

Prerequisite: For Physical Therapy PhD students only.

Examination of current scientific evidence and clinical issues related to upper and lower limb amputees, and prosthetic and orthotic componentry and related technology. Students will discuss case studies and design appropriate devices to address the needs of the individuals in the cases.

Review of history and current issues in educational administration of physical therapy programs at the entry-level and post-graduate level.

Overview of research in the professional education field, with specific applications to physical therapy academic and clinical education. Emphasis is placed on curriculum development, competency-based instructional design, testing, and instructional evaluation methods.

Supervised instructional design, teaching and evaluation of entry level physical therapy students. Students participate as course instructors in entry-level master’s degree physical therapy curriculum.

Study of the integration of didactic knowledge, clinical skills, and intuitive process into the formation of a clinical diagnosis which will direct treatment in physical therapy. Diagnosis as a process is compared to diagnosis in nursing, psychiatry, and medicine, and distinguished from assessment, examination, and screening.

An overview of measurement and sampling issues pertaining to clinical research in Physical Therapy.

Basic Statistics taught from an applied perspective which includes statistical computing using SAS in a mainframe environment and interpretation of SAS output.

Practicum designed to familiarize the student with an area of research, to implement a pilot study in an area of interest, and to develop working relationship with a sponsoring faculty member.

Each course is designed to meet the needs of graduate students for in-depth study in a particular area of special interest.

Used to establish research in residence for the thesis for the Master’s Degree after the student has enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in PTS 710.

To be used for pre-candidacy PhD dissertation research.

The student will enroll for credits as determined by his/her advisor, but not for less than a total of 12. No more than six hours may be taken in a regular semester, nor more than three in a summer session. When a student has passed his/her qualifying exams and is engaged in an assistantship, he/she may still take the maximum allowable credit stated above.

An in-depth analysis of the use and construction of instruments designed to measure health outcomes. Topics covered include creating and selecting items, scaling responses, scale construction, response bias, reliability, validity, measuring change, and methods of administration.

To establish residence for the PhD, or DPT, after the student has been enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in appropriate doctoral research or clinical practice. Credit not granted, may be regarded as full-time residence as determined by the Dean of the Graduate School.