2024-2025

Physical Therapy - Entry Level, Doctor of Physical Therapy

Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training

College of Health and Human Services

We designed this clinical doctoral plan to include both didactic study and clinical experiences. Through this plan, you develop competencies in diagnosis, evidence-based practice, and primary care as well as a working knowledge of health-care economics. Experience in these areas prepares you to meet the current standards of the highly competitive physical therapy profession.

This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)

This program is nationally recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

  • To receive a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree (DPT) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses, consisting of 110 units of graduate-level courses, depending upon the student’s initial degree and transcript.

    For more information see the Requirements for Doctoral Degree: DPT

In addition to University Requirements:

  • Complete individual plan requirements.

Minimum Units for Completion 90 - 102
Major GPA B
Additional Admission Requirements Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Required
Research Individualized research is required.
Additional Fees/Program Fees Required
Some online/blended coursework Required
Licensure

This program may lead to licensure.

Purpose Statement

Scope

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) is the required degree in the U.S. to practice as a physical therapist. Physical therapy is a healthcare profession focused on optimizing movement. Physical therapists work with individuals who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that interfere with their ability to function in their daily lives. In addition, a focus is on the prevention of functional limitations and disability and promoting wellness and fitness. Physical therapists must be knowledgeable about the U.S. healthcare system and should participate in the development of health policy as advocates for their profession.

Content

The DPT program provides didactic and clinical coursework to prepare students to work in the profession of physical therapy. Foundational sciences include human anatomy, physiology, pathology, and the study of normal and abnormal movement. Laboratory courses in musculoskeletal, neurologic, and cardiopulmonary physical therapy prepare students for these practice areas. Skills in clinical research and evidence-based practice are integral to the curriculum. The content covers the lifespan, from neonates to the very old. The DPT coursework prepares students to provide clients with a physical therapy diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of care.

An important part of the DPT curriculum is focused on professionalism, ethics, service to the community and profession, and life-long learning. In keeping with current practice, interprofessional education prepares students to work as clinicians in collaborative medical team models.

In addition to classroom and laboratory learning experiences, students participate in part-time and full-time clinical experiences. The full-time clinical experiences span the last 30 weeks of the curriculum. Students are supervised by a licensed physical therapist in each of three community clinical settings.

Future opportunities

The DPT is a clinical doctorate that prepares students to take the national licensing examination required to practice physical therapy in the U.S. Students are prepared as generalists with the skills necessary to enter clinical practice in diverse settings, including outpatient clinics, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, sports facilities, and home health agencies.


Population Best Suited

 

Students entering the DPT must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college and completed the necessary prerequisite courses. It is a rigorous full-time program that requires strengths in science, communication, physical coordination, and teamwork. Professional and ethical behavior is essential.


Student Learning Outcomes

  • Professional Ethics, Values, and Responsibilities
    • Adhere to legal practice standards, including all federal, state, and institutional regulations related to patient/client care and fiscal management.
    • Report to appropriate authorities suspected cases of abuse of vulnerable populations.
    • Report to appropriate authorities suspected cases of fraud and abuse related to the utilization of and payment for physical therapy and other healthcare services.
    • Practice in a manner consistent with the APTA Code of Ethics.
    • Practice in a manner consistent with the APTA Core Values.
    • Implement, in response to an ethical situation, a plan of action that demonstrates sound moral reasoning congruent with core professional ethics, and values.
    • Communicate effectively with all stakeholders, including patients/clients, family members, caregivers, practitioners, interprofessional team members, consumers, payers, and policymakers.
    • Identify, respect, and act with consideration for patients’/clients’ differences, values, preferences, and expressed needs in all professional activities.
    • Access and critically analyze scientific literature.
    • Apply current knowledge, theory, and professional judgment while considering the patient/client perspective, the environment, and available resources.
    • Identify, evaluate, and integrate the best evidence for practice with clinical judgment and patient/client values, needs, and preferences to determine the best care for a patient/client.
    • Effectively educate others using teaching methods that are commensurate with the needs of the learner, including participation in the clinical education of students.
    • Participate in professional and community organizations that provide opportunities for volunteerism, advocacy, and leadership.
    • Advocate for the profession and the healthcare needs of society through legislative and political processes.
    • Identify career development and lifelong learning opportunities, including the role of the physical therapist in the clinical education of physical therapist students.
  • Patient/Client Management
    • Screening
      • Determine when patients/clients need further examination or consultation by a physical therapist or referral to another healthcare professional.
    • Examination, Evaluation, and Diagnosis
      • Obtain a patient history and relevant information from the patient/client and from other sources as needed.
      • Perform systems review.
      • Select, and competently administer tests and measures appropriate to the patient’s age, diagnosis, and health status including, but not limited to, those that assess:
      • Aerobic capacity/endurance
      • Anthropometric characteristics
      • Assistive technology
      • Balance
      • Circulation (arterial, venous, lymphatic)
      • Self-care and civic, community, domestic, education, social and work life
      • Cranial and peripheral nerve integrity
      • Environmental factors
      • Gait
      • Integumentary integrity
      • Joint integrity and mobility
      • Mental functions
      • Mobility (including locomotion)
      • Motor function
      • Muscle performance (including strength, power, endurance, and length)
      • Neuromotor development and sensory processing
      • Pain
      • Posture
      • Range of motion
      • Reflex integrity
      • Sensory integrity
      • Skeletal integrity
      • Ventilation and respiration or gas exchange
    • Evaluate data from the examination (history, health record, systems review, and tests and measures) to make clinical judgments.
    • Use the International Classification of Function (ICF) to describe a patient’s/client’s impairments, activity, and participation limitations.
    • Determine a diagnosis that guides future patient/client management.
  • Prognosis and Plan of Care
    • Determine patient/client goals and expected outcomes within available resources (including applicable payment sources) and specify the expected length of time to achieve the goals and outcomes.
    • Establish a safe and effective plan of care in collaboration with appropriate stakeholders, including patients/clients, family members, payors, other professionals, and other appropriate individuals.
    • Determine those components of the plan of care that may, or may not, be directed to the PTA based on ~the needs of the patient/client~ the role, education, and training of the PTA~ the competence of the individual PTA~ jurisdictional law, ~ practice guidelines policies, and f) facility policies.
    • Create a discontinuation of an episode of care plan that optimizes success for the patient in moving along the continuum of care.
  • Intervention
    • Competently perform physical therapy interventions to achieve patient/client goals and outcomes.
      • Airway Clearance Techniques
      • Assistive Technology: Prescription, application, and, as appropriate, fabrication or modification
      • Biophysical agents
      • Functional training in self-care and in domestic, education, work, community, social, and civic life
      • Integumentary repair and protection
      • Manual therapy techniques (including mobilization/manipulation thrust and non-thrust techniques)
      • Motor function training (balance, gait, etc.)
      • Patient/client education
      • Therapeutic exercise
  • Management of Care Delivery
    • Manage the delivery of the plan of care that is consistent with professional obligations, interprofessional collaborations, and administrative policies and procedures of the practice environment.
    • Delineate, communicate, and supervise those areas of the plan of care that will be directed to the PTA.
    • Monitor and adjust the plan of care in response to patient/client status.
    • Assess patient outcomes, including the use of appropriate standardized tests and measures that address impairments, functional status, and participation.
    • Complete accurate documentation that follows guidelines and specific documentation formats required by state practice acts, the practice setting, and other regulatory agencies.
    • Respond effectively to patient/client and environmental emergencies in one’s practice setting.
    • Provide physical therapy services that address primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, health promotion, and wellness to individuals, groups, and communities.
    • Provide care through direct access.
    • Participate in the case management process.
  • Participation in the Healthcare Environment
    • Assess and document safety risks of patients and the healthcare provider and design and implement strategies to improve safety in the healthcare setting as an individual and as a member of the interprofessional healthcare team.
    • Participate in activities for ongoing assessment and improvement of quality services.
    • Participate in patient-centered interprofessional collaborative practice.
    • Use health informatics in the healthcare environment.
    • Assess healthcare policies and their potential impact on the healthcare environment and practice.
  • Practice Management
    • Participate in the financial management of the practice setting, including accurate billing and payment for services rendered.
    • Participate in practice management including marketing, public relations, regulatory and legal requirements, risk management, staffing and continuous quality improvement.

Graduate Admission Information

  • The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.

    Admission requirements include the following:

    • Transcripts.
    • Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.


    Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.

    Ready to apply? Begin your application now.

    International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.

Additional Admission Requirements

  • Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

    • Students successfully graduating from the NAU Exercise Physiology BS - Physical Therapy Track will be given priority admission.
    • GRE® Revised General Test
    • Must also complete PTCAS application
    • Two letters of recommendation
    • Prerequisite(s) that must be completed prior to enrolling in the program:
      • Laboratory and lecture-based anatomy and physiology courses
      • Laboratory and lecture-based general chemistry
      • Laboratory and lecture-based college level physics
      • One semester of general psychology, statistics, and abnormal or developmental psychology
      • One semester of exercise physiology
    • Personal Statement or Essay
    • IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card

  • Applicants successfully graduating from the NAU Exercise Physiology BS or Exercise Science BS - Physical Therapy Track will be given priority admission.

    This degree will require 24 - 28 months of full-time study to complete.

Doctoral Requirements

  • This major requires 90 - 102 units distributed as follows:

    • Students Completing the In-person Program: 98 - 102 units
    • Students Completing the Hybrid/Blended Program: 90 units

  • The DPT program is designed as a competency-based program, similar to the Personalized Learning system (see Grading Policy 100412, Personalized Learning section) wherein students have opportunities to work with faculty to improve their academic performance to achieve a passing Grade of "B" or better on all assignments. As such, for all graded courses in the program, students must achieve a Grade of "B" or better.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

  • Program Fee Information

  • Program fees are established by the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR). A program fee has been approved for this program. See program fee details. Program fees are subject to change and updated July 1 for the next academic year.