Doctor of Physical Therapy
Format: In person on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah
Credit Hours: 134
Entry Terms: Summer
The Physical Therapy program at Georgia Southern University is a full-time doctoral program offered on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, Georgia. There are 36 students admitted to each class. The program consists of nine semesters of academic coursework, including three full-time clinical affiliations (with a minimum of 32 weeks of full-time clinical practice) and several additional clinical experiences.
Upon completion of the program, all students are awarded a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. All program graduates are eligible to take the National Physical Therapy Examination and apply for state licensure in all jurisdictions.
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This program uses an external application system.
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The professional curriculum consists of two phases: “systems” and “life span”. Courses introduced during the first year use a systems approach with cases in musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, neuromuscular and integumentary physical therapy. As closely as possible, courses are coordinated so that students are instructed in the anatomy, pathology and diagnosis related to specific joints or systems of the body at the same time.
During the third semester, students are given the opportunity to practice and integrate their professional skills in a simulated clinic course, case management. (Use of this experiential learning technique has been presented at international meetings.) Following the completion of the first year, students have an 8-week full-time clinical experience, allowing them to further solidify and integrate the classroom material in a clinical setting.
During the second year and early third year of study, students explore practice topics in greater depth within the context of a life span approach, covering content from diseases of children to impairments associated with aging. These advanced courses are followed by two final full-time 11-week clinical experiences, with a return to campus for final coursework at the end of the program.
The curriculum is further integrated by team teaching, a feature of several of the courses. Besides providing linkages between courses, this enables the faculty to serve as role models for the advantages associated with working together as a team.
Program of Study
All potential and enrolled students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program must meet intellectual, physical, and social competencies in order to provide safe patient care and successfully complete the program.
| SKILL | STANDARD | EXAMPLE OF ACTIVITIES |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment. | Transfer knowledge from one situation to another. Process information, evaluate outcomes, problem-solve, and prioritize. Use long and short-term memory, identify cause-effect relationships. Plan activities for others. Synthesize knowledge and skills. Sequence information. |
| Analytical Thinking | Ability to process information, evaluate outcomes, and problem solve. | Transfer knowledge from one situation to another. Prioritize tasks. Use long and short-term memory |
| Reading | Ability to read and understand written documents. | Reading policies and protocols. |
| Arithmetic Competence | Measuring, counting, computing. | Reading and understanding charts, digital displays, graphs. Measure time, count rates, use measuring tools. |
| Interpersonal | Interpersonal skills sufficient to interact with individuals, families, and groups from a variety of social, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds. | Negotiate interpersonal conflict. Respect cultural diversity in patients. Establish rapport with patients and co-workers. |
| Communication | Communication abilities sufficient for interaction with others in verbal and written form as measured by the Doctor of Physical Therapy program professional behavior evaluation, CPI, and course instructors. | Explain health conditions, diagnostic and treatment procedures and initiate health teaching. Interpret and document patient responses to health status. Convey information through written and oral reports. Interact with others (patients, family members, health care workers) in person, on the phone, and in writing. |
| Physical Endurance | Physical abilities sufficient to stand for multiple hours, sustain repeated movements, and maintain physical tolerance for entire work shift. | Standing multiple hours at a patient’s side during examination or therapy session |
| Physical Strength | Physical abilities sufficient to lift, support, and move heavy objects. | Exert 100 lbs. of force occasionally, 50 lbs. frequently, and 25 lbs. of force regularly. Support 25 lbs. of weight (e.g., ambulate patient). Lift 25 lbs. of weight (e.g., transfer patient). Move light and heavy objects. Carry equipment/supplies. Defend self against combative patient. |
| Mobility | Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room, maneuver in small spaces, and maintain physical tolerance for repetitive movements and demands of the work shift. Sustained standing. | Move within confined spaces. Sit or stand and maintain balance. Reach above shoulders and below waist. Twist, bend, stoop, or climb on stool or stairs, and move quickly in response to potential emergencies. Use upper and lower body strength. Squeeze with hands and fingers. |
| Motor Skills | Gross and fine motor skills sufficient to provide safe and effective examination and treatment of patients and complete documentation. | Grasp, pick up objects with hands. Manipulate small objects with hands/fingers. Write with pen/pencil. Sit and maintain balance. Maintain balance in a variety of postures. Reach above shoulders, reach below waist. Walk with and observe patient on a variety of surfaces and heights. Reach, manipulate, and operate mechanisms such as lifts, treatment tables. Self-mobility with capability of propelling wheelchairs, stretchers, heavy equipment for extended periods of time. Type on computer keyboard. |
| Hearing | Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs. | Hear normal and faint voices. Hear faint body sounds such as blood pressure, heart beat, etc. Ability to receive spoken communication when not able to read lips. Hear auditory alarms such as monitors, fire alarms, and call bells. |
| Visual Skills | Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary for safe patient care. | Visualize objects from 20 inches to 20 feet away. Use depth perception and peripheral vision. Distinguish colors and color intensity. Read and understand written documents. |
| Tactile | Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment and equipment manipulation. | Feel vibrations to detect pulses, etc. Detect temperature. Feel differences in sizes and shapes and detect surface characteristics. |
| Smell | Detect environmental and patient odors. | Detect odors from patient (e.g. foul smelling drainage, alcohol on breath, etc.). Detect smoke. Detect gases or noxious smells. |
| Emotional Stability | Emotional stability sufficient to tolerate rapidly changing conditions and environmental stress. | Establish appropriate therapeutic interpersonal boundaries. Provide patients with emotional support. Adapt to changing environment and stress. Deal with the unexpected. Focus attention on task. Monitor own emotions. Perform multiple tasks concurrently. Handle strong emotions. |
Clinical Education and Resources
Clinical education experiences are designed to maximize the student’s abilities to apply newly acquired patient/client/client management skills in clinical settings. The educational institution depends upon the clinical sites to provide carefully supervised learning experiences through which the student has the opportunity to apply the principles learned in the classroom. The clinical site is also a highly conducive environment in which to develop professional attitudes, values, and ethics; seek practitioner role models; and to observe and participate in administrative, managerial, and clinical research spheres. The problem-solving approach should form the basis of these experiences.
The student, with the clinical instructor as guide, should have the opportunity to gather all relevant information about the patient/client through examination; make clinical judgments from the information gathered; organize these judgments into a physical therapy diagnosis; establish a prognosis and goals through this process; and plan an appropriate program of intervention to attain these goals. Inherent in this approach is concern for the individual student’s needs. The clinical instructor should evaluate the student and communicate recognized strengths and weaknesses, as the student strives for excellence in performance as a physical therapist.
The professional curriculum shall prepare the student to meet the following goals:
- To develop safe, logical, and effective patient/client management skills in a variety of health care settings.
- To develop effective skills for clinical teaching and lifelong learning.
- To develop a strong sense of professional values which fosters an ethical approach to the practice of physical therapy.
Students are responsible for costs of transportation, housing, meals, uniforms and other expenses associated with each clinical education experience.
For more information regarding the clinical education component of the curriculum, please refer to the Student Handbook.
Meet Our Current Students
Graduate Data
| CLASS | 2021 | 2022 | 2-Year Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Employed as physical therapists within one year of licensure | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Licensure Examination Pass Rate | 100% passed the NPTE (93% on first attempt) | 98% passed the NPTE (90% on the first attempt) | 99% passed the NPTE (92% on first attempt) |
Prospective Students
The DPT Program includes nine semesters of academic course work with three full-time clinical affiliations (totaling at least thirty weeks of full-time clinical practice), and numerous additional clinical experiences. Upon completion of the program, students are awarded the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. The bachelor’s degree is required for admission to the Physical Therapy program. Admission is limited to 36 students per class.
Altus Suite
All applicants applying to the DPT Program at Georgia Southern University are required to complete an online suite of assessments, Altus Suite, to assist with our selection process for the 2023-2024 Application Cycle.
How to Complete Altus Suite
Program Tuition and Fees
Current tuition and fee charts can be found on the Georgia Southern University Bursar’s website. When reviewing tuition, click on a specific semester, then choose Armstrong Campus/Graduate Student to view the tuition rate for 12+ credit hours. The DPT Program consists of 9 full-time semesters that are all 12+ credit hours. The total amount for in-state and out-of-state students can be used to estimate the projected total cost of the program for nine semesters. Please note that tuition and fee rates are approved by the University System of Georgia and are subject to change.
For information about financial aid and scholarships, please visit Financial Aid.
Information Sessions
Information sessions will be led by DPT program faculty and include an overview of the program and the admissions process. Information sessions will be held on the following days:
- August 14, 2023 at noon
If you are interested in attending one of the above sessions, please register at the link below. All in-person information sessions will be held on the Armstrong Campus. Once registered, you will receive a parking pass for in person sessions or a link for virtual sessions the week before the session.
Faculty and Advisory Board
Currently the program consists of 11 full-time faculty and several adjunct faculty members. All are licensed to practice within the state of Georgia.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Georgia Southern University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apat.org; website: https://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 912-344-2550 or email pt_dept@georgiasouthern.edu.
Contact Us
Please contact the program office with any questions about admissions:
Phone: 912-344-2550
Email: pt_dept@georgiasouthern.edu
Those outside the DPT program who wish to report a concern or complaint or DPT students who wish to address concerns that are not addressed in the Georgia Southern University Student Handbook should reach out to the Department of Clinical Sciences Chair, Laurie Adams, Ed.D., at laadams@georgiasouthern.edu.
Those who wish to register a complaint about the program may contact the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305; telephone: 800-999-2782; email: accreditation@apat.org; website: https://www.capteonline.org.
Professional License Disclosure
The Department of Clinical Sciences anticipates that graduates of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program will seek individual state licensure from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
The Department of Clinical Sciences has determined that the required classes and educational activities of this academic program will qualify a graduate of this program to take the exam for a physical therapy license in the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
For required disclosures on whether this program satisfies the license requirements of all states and territories for Physical Therapy license, go to www.fsbpt.org to check the requirements of your state or territory.
Last updated: 6/28/2023