Physical Therapy

Mission

The Department of Physical Therapy educates students for contemporary physical therapy and advances the profession through its commitment to excellence in academics, clinical education, scholarship, and service.  The department seeks to develop compassionate leaders who think critically, reason intelligently, collaborate interprofessionally, and who promote health and wellness.

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Degree Description

Overview
The professional education program in physical therapy is an eight semester course of study culminating in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. The curriculum begins with the foundational sciences through which the student studies normal human structure and function.  From this critical underpinning, the student undertakes, through an integrated study of body systems, an evidence-based approach to the study of the various pathological conditions that interfere with function, the associated psychosocial impact, the relevant medical and surgical interventions, and the physical therapy tests, measures, and interventions utilized within the patient/client management model. The student is also introduced to the physical therapist’s role in prevention and wellness, health promotion, education, consultation, scholarly inquiry, legislation and policy-making, and administration. Optional elective courses provide students with an opportunity to explore other health care areas and topics or additional areas of PT practice.  Moreover, a student may work under the mentorship of a faculty member to pursue their interest in scholarly inquiry in the research track.

Students complete three full-time clinical practica, totaling 36 weeks of clinical experience, integrated in the second and third professional years, enabling students to apply information learned in didactic courses to patients and clients.  More than 300 clinical sites around the United States are available to provide a broad base of experiences in a variety of settings.  The sites represent the continuum of health care practice settings including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient private practices, ambulatory care centers, skilled nursing facilities, school/preschool programs, and home health care.

Program Goals

The primary educational goal of the program is to prepare the graduate for autonomous practice wherein physical therapists are recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice for the diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement, function, and health.  (American Physical Therapy Association Vision Statement 2020)  To achieve this goal, the faculty has identified the following six program goals:

1. Core Attributes: Graduate Compassionate, Collaborative Leaders who are Critical Thinkers and who promote Health & Wellness.
2. Academics:  Develop academic excellence within the program and in collaboration with other units of the University.
3. Clinical Practice and Education: Develop clinical practice and education opportunities for students and faculty within and beyond UNE.
4. Research & Scholarship: Develop areas of interdisciplinary and individual research and scholarship.
5. Service: Develop opportunities for the department to promote community and professional service.
6. Program Development: Create efficient processes and resources to support and develop the DPT program.

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Accreditation

The Physical Therapist Education Program at the University of New England was granted accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)*  through 2012. The program has been an accredited program since its beginnings (first graduating class in 1984). The program, through its policies and procedures, is committed to assuring compliance with the evaluative criteria established by CAPTE.

^*Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Email: accreditation@apta.org
Phone: (703)-684-2782 or (703)-706-3245

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Admissions

Requirements
The faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy value a class comprised of students with diverse educational backgrounds and life experiences. Individuals with a bachelor's degree, in any major, from any regionally accredited institution (see www.ptcas.org for specific accrediting bodies) are encouraged to apply for admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.  All applications to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program must be submitted electronically through PTCAS (www.ptcas.org), the Centralized Application Service for Physical Therapy programs.   No other form of application will be accepted.

Essential Technical Standards for Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Candidate

Applicants to UNE are encouraged to begin the application process by electronically submitting the PTCAS application as early as possible.  Completed applications will be sent to UNE by PTCAS on a regular basis throughout the application cycle.  Upon receipt of completed applications from PTCAS, UNE will begin review of applications on a rolling basis.  Applicants will be notified when UNE receives the completed application, and the Office of Graduate Admissions (OGA) will continue regular notification of the candidate’s application status throughout the review process.  Invitations to interview will be sent out by the OGA with instructions for responding.

Applications received before the deadline will be given full consideration. Due to the nature of the rolling admissions process, applications submitted after the deadline will be reviewed and considered for admissions on a space available basis.

To begin the PTCAS application process, please click here (www.ptcas.org)

 1. Submit the following to PTCAS:

• Online application
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Three letters of recommendation, at least one from a professor who can comment on the applicant's potential for graduate study and one from a physical therapist

2.  Submit the following to the University of New England:

• Official GRE transcript of test scores

Following the initial review of completed applications, campus interviews will be offered by invitation only.

The Department Admissions Committee uses a portfolio approach in reviewing applications.  To be considered for admissions, the applicant must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale) and a minimum GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale) in the specified math and science prerequisites.  The average cumulative GPA, GPA in the specified math and science prerequisite courses, and GRE scores for the students accepted to the DPT program for the past few years were 3.55, 3.35, and 1100, respectively.  The Admissions Committee also looks for applicants who can clearly articulate their understanding of the depth and breadth of physical therapy practice.

To be considered for admission to the DPT program, the applicant must:

•  Have a distinguished record of excellence and achievement in college as established by cumulative GPA and math/science GPA, extracurricular activities, community involvement, GRE scores, and letters of recommendation.

• Successfully complete (with a grade of "C" or better) the following prerequisite courses

o 4 Credits of Biology^1,3
o 4 Credits of Anatomy^1,2,3
o 4 Credits of Physiology^1,2,3
o 4 Credits of Chemistry I^1,3
o 4 Credits of Chemistry II^1,3
o 4 Credits of Physics I^1,2
o 4 Credits of Physics II^1,3
o 3 Credits of Intro to Psychology
o 3 Credits in a Psychology elective
o 3 Credits in Statistics³

• Successfully complete an on-campus interview
  

¹ Courses must include a laboratory component and be taught from the science department of the institution.  Survey courses taught in non-science departments will not satisfy the course requirements.

 ² A two-semester sequence of a combined anatomy and physiology course will satisfy these requirements.

³ Minimum GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale) required for these math and science prerequisites.
 
Students may apply to the DPT program before completing all pre-requisite coursework but must successfully complete all pre-requisites before enrolling in any course in the DPT curriculum.  However, it is necessary for students to indicate courses that are in-progress and/or planned when submitting an application. If coursework has not been completed, is not in-progress, nor is planned, the Office of Graduate Admissions will assume that the pre-requisites will not be completed by the date of enrollment and the application will be rejected.


Health Information
Students are required to complete the Physical Therapy Health Information Form and demonstrate proof of cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification at least two months prior to all scheduled clinical education experiences. Students are required to undergo a Criminal Background Check for all programs in the Westbrook College of Health Professions. Students are responsible for ensuring they are in compliance with the requirements at their assigned clinical sites. In some cases the actual requirements may exceed the program requirements. For example, a site may require a varicella titer, an additional criminal background check or drug testing. Failure to complete the specified requirements in a timely manner may result in a student's clinical experience being delayed or canceled. Expenses associated with the requirements are the responsibility of the student.

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Transfer Credit

Transfer Credit
Requests for consideration of transfer credit will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Advanced Standing
Requests for consideration of advanced standing will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

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Program Academic and Technical Standards

The Department of Physical Therapy, the Westbrook College of Health Professions, and the University of New England are committed to offering a quality physical therapist education program that complies with the evaluative criteria of the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The program provides learning experiences to enable graduates to achieve the outcomes required for the practice of physical therapy. 

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Curricular Requirements

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is eight semesters in length and includes a combination of classroom course work, laboratory coursework, and three, full-time clinical practica. In addition to the 103 required credits, students are invited to take up elective coursework offered by the department and by other graduate programs within the university.

*Students complete either PTH 608 and PTH 708 (Case Report 1 & 2) OR PTH 606 and PTH 705 (Research Proposal and Research Project) Please Note: Curriculum is subject to change

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Academic Policy

The University of New England (UNE) Student Handbook contains policies and procedures, including the University Conduct Code that applies to all students at the University.   Students are also expected to abide by the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Guide for Professional Conduct (Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, 2nd ed., 2003) and the APTA’s Code of Ethics ( Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, 2nd ed., 2003).  You will note that many of the policies described in the UNE Student Handbook are congruent with the APTA’s Guide for Professional Conduct and Code of Ethics.                   
   
In addition to those policies and procedures described in the above documents, students must complete, with a grade of “B-” or higher or “Pass”, all courses that meet the requirements for graduation.  Students who earn a grade of “C” or lower or “Fail” in any of these courses must re-take the course (or its equivalent as determined by the course instructor) and receive a “B”- or better or “Pass”.  Because of the sequential nature of the curriculum and the fact that most courses are only offered once during a given academic year, the need to retake courses will, in most cases, result in extending the time to program completion by one year.  If the student does not receive a “B”- or better or “Pass” in re-taking the course, the student will be dismissed from the DPT program.

Students will be expected to abide by additional course policies (e.g. attendance policies, etc.)   established by individual faculty members.  Failure to abide by the conduct code described above, course policies or Department policies may result in disciplinary action
Student appeals will follow the appeal process outlined in the UNE Student Handbook.  This Handbook stipulates that appeals will only be accepted by the Dean's office if the student has exhausted all required procedural options.  Grievances with a faculty member must be appealed to the faculty member.  If a student is not satisfied with the resolution at the faculty member level OR if the student has a grievance with the department, they may request a review by a Department grievance committee.  Such requests will be submitted to the Department Director.  The Department Director will then form a Committee to review the grievance.  The Committee’s recommendation will be conveyed to the Dean by the Department Director.  Questions about procedural options should be directed to the Department Director.

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Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Other Expenses
Other expenses will include textbooks and lab fees in some courses. Students should also anticipate transportation, housing and living expenses during clinical practica.

Equipment

All students are required to have access to high-speed internet service.  It is recommended that students have their own laptop computers with the capability of utilizing Blackboard or similar on-line education format.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid
Detailed information and applications are available on request from the Financial Aid Office on the Biddeford Campus. Call 207-602-2342 or visit the Financial Aid website.

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Graduation Requirements

Conferring of the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree is contingent upon the successful completion of academic and clinical coursework to include a total of 104 academic credits.

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