Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

Programs

Doctor of Physical Therapy
Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics
Transitional Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy

Doctor of Physical Therapy

The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. The Physical Therapy program received reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education in 2023. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program has been approved by the Department of Higher Education, State of Connecticut.

Professional DPT Program

All students must complete a bachelor’s degree and all prerequisite courses before entering the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The University of Hartford DPT Program educates graduates who are autonomous movement system experts able to practice within interdisciplinary, dynamic health systems. Our graduates are collaborative practitioners integrating best evidence for optimal health outcomes within a diverse society. Graduates are reflective leaders who value life-long learning for professional development.

Facilities

The on-campus facilities for the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences are located in the Francis X. and Nancy Hursey Center for Advanced Engineering and Health Professions. This state-of-the-art facility is home to many laboratories and classrooms, including a health simulation suite and spaces dedicated to preparing future health professionals to assess, diagnose, and treat a myriad of conditions in new labs designed for: motion analysis, human performance, strength and conditioning, health and physical assessment, and functional and physical rehabilitation. Building features include a human performance lab, kinesiology lab, immersive simulation suite, outpatient exam skills suite, and more. The Hursey Center also includes active learning classrooms, research labs, and teaching labs for hands-on learning.

Off-Campus Clinical Facilities

Clinical education settings for the Physical Therapy program are selected on the basis of their ability to provide supervision by professional staff and to offer services to diverse client populations, as well as their compatibility with the University’s and program’s mission and philosophy. The department currently has contracts with approximately 300 facilities in the Greater Hartford area and throughout the United States. Practice settings include healthcare, educational, and community (public and private) agencies.

Admission Requirements

A completed application and official transcripts showing evidence of completion of a baccalaureate degree are required for admission. If the degree was obtained in a foreign country, evaluation of degree completion must be provided through the World Education Services Program. Applicants are responsible for the gathering and submission of all required materials by December 16.

Applicants must submit the following:

Three letters of recommendation, including one from a course instructor or academic advisor that can speak to your academic capabilities, one from a supervisor in a professional or other work capacity that can speak to your clinic capabilities, and one from another individual in either capacity.
One letter of intent addressing the question specified in the graduate application.
Documentation of physical therapy observation hours (10 hours required).
Transcripts for all undergraduate and postgraduate academic work.

Application Deadline

All relevant materials must be submitted by the December 16 application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Prerequisites

The following prerequisite courses must have been completed at the college level:

Biology: 8 credits-one course with laboratory
Human anatomy: 4 credits-one course with laboratory
Human physiology: 4 credits-one course with laboratory
Note: When anatomy and physiology are taken as a combined course, two semesters (i.e., 8 credits) are necessary to meet the requirements.
Chemistry: 8 credits-general chemistry, two-course sequence with laboratory
Physics: 8 credits-two-course sequence with laboratory
Statistics: 3 credits-course to include descriptive statistics, correlation, and introduction to inferential statistics
Psychology: 3 credits-courses include general, developmental, and abnormal psychology

Courses taken to fulfill prerequisites 1-5 above must be completed with a GPA of 3.2 or higher, with no grade below a C, for the application to be considered. An applicant may not have more than two required courses still in progress by the December 16 deadline.

Professional Program Academic Policies

Candidates must complete a minimum of 105 credits, including a minimum of 32 weeks of clinical experience and successfully complete a comprehensive examination to fulfill degree requirements. The curriculum is designed for full-time study only.

Degree candidates must achieve a B- or better grade in all physical therapy courses throughout the program and display ethical, personal, and professional qualities needed to be a physical therapist. Students who fail to complete one course successfully in the program must repeat that course prior to continuing in the program. All courses required for the major must be taken for a letter grade and may not be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. Satisfactory completion of the clinical affiliation component is a requirement for obtaining the doctoral degree in physical therapy.

Students who fail any combination of two courses at any point in the professional curriculum (didactic and/or clinical) are dismissed from the program. For detailed information on all academic policies, please refer to the Physical Therapy Student Academic and Clinical Manual.

Clinical Education

In addition to the didactic and laboratory coursework, students must complete and pass all three clinical education experiences. Clinical education experiences are arranged by the University in conjunction with the student and may take place in a number of sites throughout the United States. During these experiences, students are responsible for all clinical education fees, living expenses, and/or transportation expenses associated with the clinical education experience. Students are evaluated using the Clinical Internship Evaluation Tool (CIET). The scores on this form are converted to a Pass/No Pass using the criteria set by the University of Hartford’s Physical Therapy program. Satisfactory completion of each clinical experience is a requirement for obtaining the DPT. A grade below B- for a clinical affiliation constitutes a failure of a professional course.

Withdrawal and Discontinuance

If a student is failing a clinical education experience, he or she may be administratively withdrawn at the discretion of the academic coordinator of clinical education or at the request of the clinical instructor. When this occurs, the student fails that clinical experience, and another site will be pursued. A second failure results in the dismissal of the student from the Physical Therapy program. Failure in any two professional courses (i.e., two professional courses with a grade below B-, or one professional course and one affiliation, or two affiliations) results in dismissal from the program. Should a student demonstrate unsatisfactory professional behavior, a written record is placed in the student’s academic file. Repeated incidents may lead to dismissal from the program.

Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics

The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences offers a Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (MSPO) with partner support from Hanger Clinic. The program is fully accredited by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education (NCOPE) and the Commission on Accreditation if Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), and is approved by the State of Connecticut’s Department of Higher Education. The school shares a rich history and legacy with the former Newington Certificate Program.

Professional MSPO Program

All students must complete a bachelor’s degree and all prerequisite courses before entering the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program. Graduates of the program are prepared to participate in the residency program required by NCOPE prior to taking the professional board exam. Graduates are also prepared to meet the intellectual, social, cultural, and economic challenges of our changing healthcare system.

Facilities

The on-campus facilities are located in Charles A. Dana Hall, which is part of the Integrated Science, Engineering, and Technology complex. The department has three clinical skills teaching laboratories and one dedicated clinical teaching lab for prosthetics and orthotics. There are several dedicated research laboratories for conducting both faculty research and faculty-mentored student research activities.

These research spaces include a Human Performance Research Laboratory for the study of all aspects of human movement as they relate to biomechanical principles; Human Balance Control Laboratory for the teaching and research of the principles of and understanding of balance control and balance responses; a Pediatric Balance Laboratory used to study development of upright control in typical infants and in children with moderate to severe motor impairment; a Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratory for research on the integration of computerized electronics into orthoses (braces) and prosthetics (functional replacement) for clinical practice; the Clinical Simulation Resource Center utilizes life-sized high fidelity manikins to implement clinical practice scenarios in a safe, supportive, non-threatening learning environment.

The Clinical Education Center located in Cromwell, CT, consists of state-of-the-art educational lecture facilities as well as a full-service fabrication facility for comprehensive custom fabrication of all prosthetic and orthotic designs. These facilities are used by University of Hartford students in the program for all masters-level specialty courses. The University has affiliations with many P&O clinics in the local area. Students in the prosthetics and orthotics program are linked to the clinic through various professional opportunities for clinical experiences and integrated student internships.

Hartford HealthCare Rehabilitation Network is proud to announce the opening of an outpatient clinic on the University of Hartford campus. Located within the Sports Center, the clinic will provide students, faculty, and staff with comprehensive rehabilitation services, including physical therapy and sports medicine services as well as access to treatment and resources within the Hartford HealthCare system of care.

The Hartford HealthCare Rehabilitation Network strives to be the premier rehabilitation provider in Connecticut, known for its commitment to high quality, customer-focused outcomes with the goal of creating a seamless continuum of prevention and rehabilitation care. For more information, please visit Hartford HealthCare Rehabilitation Network.

Off-Campus Clinical Facilities

Integrated internships for the prosthetics and orthotics program are selected on the basis of each facility’s ability to provide supervision by certified professional staff, to offer services to diverse client populations, and comply with the University’s and program’s mission and philosophy. The program currently has numerous arrangements with local facilities in the Greater Hartford area. These practice settings include hospital-based inpatient, emergency orthotic management, educational, and outpatient community facilities.

Admission Requirements

A completed application and official transcripts showing evidence of completion of a baccalaureate degree are required for admission. Applicants are responsible for gathering and submitting all required materials by December 1st. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for application consideration.

Applicants must submit the following:

Three letters of reference (one must be from a course instructor or academic advisor, one from a supervisor in a professional or other work capacity, and one from another individual in either capacity) and
Transcripts for all undergraduate and post-graduate academic work.
For those for whom English is a second language, a TOEFL score of 550 is necessary.

Selected candidates may be invited for informational interviews prior to admission.

Application Deadline

The priority application deadline is December 1. Rolling admission continues until all seats are filled.

Prerequisites

Biology- 4 credits (one course with lab)
Human Anatomy-4 credits (one course with lab)
Human Physiology-4 credits (one course with lab)
Note: When Anatomy and Physiology are taken as a combined course, two semesters are necessary (8 credits) to meet the requirements.
Chemistry-4 credits (one course with lab)
Physics-8 credits (two-course sequence with lab)
Human Growth and Development
Statistics-3 credits (course to include descriptive statistics, correlation, and introduction to inferential statistics)
Trigonometry-3 credits
Introduction to Psychology-3 credits
Upper-level Psychology-3 credits

All prerequisite courses must be completed with a C (2.0) or better grade. An overall cumulative GPA of 3.2 must be achieved prior to entering the MSPO program.

Professional Program-Integrated Internships

In addition to the didactic and laboratory course work, students are required to complete three integrated internships successfully. These experiences are arranged by the program and take place in local communities. During these experiences, students are responsible for all clinical education fees ($1,700 per course for MSPO 550 , MSPO 551 , and MSPO 651 ). Students are evaluated using a Prosthetic and Orthotic Clinical Performance Instrument. The scores on this form are converted to a Pass/No Pass using the criteria set by the prosthetics and orthotics program. Satisfactory completion of each clinical affiliation is a requirement for obtaining the MSPO A grade of No Pass for a clinical affiliation constitutes a failure of a professional course.

Academic Standards

Degree candidates must attain an overall grade point average of B (3.2) or higher, achieve a grade of C (73 percent) or better in all courses throughout the program, achieve a 73% or better for all Practical Examinations, as well as display ethical, personal, and professional qualities needed to fulfill the role of an orthotist and prosthetist. Students who fail to complete one course in the program successfully must repeat that course prior to continuing in the program. All courses required for the major, with the exception of clinical experiences, must be taken for a letter grade and may not be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. Satisfactory completion of the clinical affiliation component is a requirement for obtaining the master’s degree in prosthetics and orthotics.

Students are issued a warning letter if their GPA falls below 3.2 in one semester. Students who fail any combination of two courses at any point in the professional curriculum (didactic and/or clinical) are dismissed from the program. For detailed information on all academic policies, please refer to the Student Academic and Clinical Manual.
Students will be placed on probation if the following semester GPA again falls below 3.0.
Students will have one additional semester to achieve a 3.0 GPA, or they will be dismissed from the program.

Withdrawal and Discontinuance

If a student is failing an integrated internship, the student may be administratively withdrawn at the discretion of the clinical director or at the request of the clinical instructor. When this occurs, the student fails that clinical experience and another site is pursued. A second failure results in the dismissal of the student from the MSPO program. Failure in any two graduate-level courses (i.e., two graduate-level courses with a grade of C+ or below, or one professional course and one affiliation, or two affiliations) results in dismissal from the program. Should a student demonstrate unsatisfactory professional behavior, a written record is placed in the student’s academic file. Repeated incidents may lead to dismissal from the program.

Transitional Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics

The transitional Master of Science in Prosthetics & Orthotics at the University of Hartford with partner support from Hanger Clinic offers a part-time distance learning program for ABC-Certified Prosthetists (CPs) and ABC-Certified Orthotists (COs) who are interested in achieving their second discipline and attaining their MSPO degree, and to ABC-Certified Prosthetist Orthotists (CPOs) who wish to obtain their MSPO degree. The program is designed with a strong science foundation and emphasizes evidence-based practice. This graduate program -modeled on the NCOPE accredited Distance Learning Program of the Newington Certificate Program- also takes advantage of the clinical experience and previous training that each candidate has established.

The ultimate goal of this program is to provide the student with the same high-quality education as the traditional students through a distance learning format.

Transitional MSPO program

Each student’s portfolio is evaluated to establish the remaining coursework for the student to complete the degree. All students in this program are required to demonstrate high levels of proficiency in both Prosthetics and Orthotics disciplines prior to awarding of the degree. Prior ABC credentialing in one discipline will serve as satisfactory completion of this requirement. (A student entering with CP will not be required to take any coursework related to Prosthetics, for example, or a student entering with a CPO seeking only an elevation to the Master’s level education will not be required to take Prosthetics or Orthotics-based classes.) In addition, all students are required to engage in high-level research training including basic principles of consuming and interpreting field research, as well as participation in faculty-mentored research projects.

This degree program is structured to leverage a combination of technology-guided instruction, clinical experiences, and an on-campus practical examination. The format is primarily that of a distance-learning arrangement which allows the student flexibility in choosing what time of day to “attend” class. In-person contact with University faculty may occur if a practical examination is required at the end of each semester. Contact with the University faculty will occur continuously throughout the semester via videos, email, and teleconference. Contact with the student’s local clinical mentor is expected to occur on a daily or near-daily basis.

Each candidate, CPOs excepted, is asked to identify a local clinical mentor who is ABC-Certified within the discipline for which the candidate is seeking training. This clinical mentor provides guidance to the student with respect to technical skill, professional standards and safety. Students will engage regularly with University faculty and staff, including: field clinicians, researchers, and adjunct faculty members.

All candidates will engage in a formal research immersion under the auspices of a faculty-mentored project. As “clinician-researchers,” students in the Transitional Master’s program will thus become full-fledged site investigators in a multi-site clinical study. Students will be allowed to select from a menu research projects in either Prosthetics or Orthotics discipline; all projects are coordinated by the University of Hartford. Students can engage in a research project in either discipline: they need not enlist in a project in the discipline of their degree study (i.e. an entering CP in pursuit of CPO can engage in either a Prosthetics-focused study or an Orthotics-focused study).

Pursuant to completion of the Master’s curriculum, students must complete a total of 30 credits; up to 6 graduate credits can be transferred from another accredited academic institution. Students can elect to take any course within the MSPO curriculum, including technical courses, even from within their pre-existing certification. (For example, a student with prior CP certification can take a course in transfemoral prosthetics for elective credit in order to obtain the most state-of-the-art training, or to refresh skills.) Additionally, the Prosthetics & Orthotics Program has a relationship with the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business that allows MSPO students to take up to 3 courses co-listed in the Master of Business Administration program.

As part of the on-campus clinical competency evaluations, students will complete multiple exam sections, each designed to assess the student’s ability to demonstrate a skills set covered in their coursework. Prior to each practical examination, the students will receive an agenda of the events that are to occur while they are on-site in Hartford. Each section is unique due to the subject matter, required skills, and instructor needs. The overall design of the practical exam is to assess the student’s knowledge and practical abilities with respect to the subject matter that has been focused upon throughout the semester. This combined on-site session also provides the instructors with the ability to provide instruction and feedback to the distance learning students.

Academic Standards

Degree candidates must attain an overall grade point average of B (3.0) or higher and must achieve a grade of C (73 percent) or better in all courses throughout the program, as well as display ethical, personal, and professional qualities needed to fulfill the role of an orthotist and prosthetist. Students who fail to complete one course in the program successfully must repeat that course prior to continuing in the program. All courses required for the major, with the exception of clinical experiences, must be taken for a letter grade and may not be taken on a Pass/No Pass basis. Satisfactory completion of the clinical affiliation component is a requirement for obtaining the master degree in prosthetics and orthotics.

1. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and are issued a warning letter if their GPA falls below 3.0.

2. Students must pass every course in their curriculum with a grade of “C” or better. A student who earns a “C-” or lower will be given one opportunity to re-take that course. If the second attempt is unsuccessful, the student will be dismissed from the program.

3. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be allowed one additional semester to achieve a 3.0 GPA, or they will be dismissed from the program. For detailed information on all academic policies, please refer to the Student Academic and Clinical Manual.

Withdrawal and Discontinuance

If a student is failing an integrated internship, the student may be administratively withdrawn at the discretion of the clinical director or at the request of the clinical instructor. When this occurs, the student fails that clinical experience and another site is pursued. A second failure results in the dismissal of the student from the MSPO program. Failure in any two graduate-level courses (i.e., two graduate-level courses with a grade of C- or below, or one professional course and one affiliation, or two affiliations) results in dismissal from the program. Should a student demonstrate unsatisfactory professional behavior, a written record is placed in the student’s academic file. Repeated incidents may lead to dismissal from the program.

Facilities

The on-campus facilities of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences are located in Charles A. Dana Hall, which is part of the new Integrated Science, Engineering, and Technology complex. The program has three clinical skills teaching laboratories and several dedicated research laboratories for conducting both faculty and faculty-mentored research activities. These research spaces include a Human Performance Research Lab for the study of all aspects of human movement as they relate to biomechanical principles; Human Balance Control Laboratory for the teaching and research of the principles of and understanding of balance control and balance responses; a Pediatric Balance Laboratory used to study development of upright control in typical infants and in children with moderate to severe motor impairment; a Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratory for research on the integration of orthoses (braces) and prosthetics (functional replacement) for clinical practice; the Clinical Simulation Resource Center utilizes life-sized high fidelity manikin to implement clinical practice scenarios in a safe, supportive, non-threatening learning environment.

Off-Campus Clinical Facilities

Classroom facilities at both the University and the Clinical Education Center are equipped to record lectures and classroom presentations for seated and distance learning students. Instructors will have the ability to disseminate written information and address questions on an ongoing basis through the use of the Blackboard Course Management technology. Blackboard is a web-based learning-management system designed to allow students and faculty to participate in classes delivered online, or use online materials and activities to complement face-to-face teaching. Blackboard enables instructors to provide students with course materials, discussion boards, virtual chat, online quizzes, and an academic resource center.

Admission Requirements

A completed application and official transcripts showing evidence of completion of a CAAHEP accredited certificate program are required for admission, as well as evidence of ABC-certification as a: Certified Prosthetist, Certified Orthotist, or Certified Prosthetist Orthotist. Additionally, applicants must submit the following:

1. Two letters of reference (one must be from the identified Local Clinical Mentor)

2. Evidence of ABC certification of Clinical Mentor in the discipline of study

3. Evidence of ABC site certification for the clinical site of identified mentor

4. Transcripts for all undergraduate and post-graduate academic work

5. Certificates of any applicable Continuing Educational credentials

Programs

Master’s Degree

Doctorate Degree

Physical Therapy, D.P.T.

Certification

Certificate in Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Courses

Physical Therapy

PT 911 - Advanced Clinical Practice: Vestibular Rehabilitation for the Orthopedic Therapist

Prosthetics and Orthotics

Other Courses

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