2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
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Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Combined Exercise Science, B.S./Physical Therapy, D.P.T.
The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences offers a combined Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science/Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Graduates are prepared to meet the intellectual, social, cultural, and economic challenges of our changing healthcare system. A Bachelor of Science degree is a requirement for entry into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program received re-accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) in 2023. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program has been approved by the Department of Higher Education, State of Connecticut.
Combined Health Science, B.S./Prosthetics and Orthotics, M.S.P.O.
The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences offers a unique five year combined Bachelor of Science in Health Science/Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (B.S./M.S.P.O.) with partner support from Hanger Orthopedics, Inc. Graduates are prepared to meet the intellectual, social, cultural, and economic challenges of our changing healthcare system. The currently accredited Prosthetics and Orthotics program is a five-year program that has been approved by the State of Connecticut Department of Higher Education and accredited by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education in 2020.
On-Campus Facilities
The on-campus facilities of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences are located in located in the Francis X. and Nancy Hursey Center, Charles A. Dana Hall, which is part of the Integrated Science, Engineering, and Technology (ISET) complex. The department has two physical therapy clinical skills teaching laboratories, one occupational therapy skills/integration laboratory, one OT/PT combined clinical skill teaching laboratory and one prosthetics and orthotics classroom space. Additionally, the Hursey Center includes an immersive simulation suite, outpatient exam skills suite, home health suite, and bedside skills lab. There are also several dedicated research laboratories for conducting both faculty and faculty-mentored research activities across campus. These research spaces include a Motion Analysis and Kinesiology Laboratory for the study of all aspects of human movement as they relate to biomechanical principles; a Biophysical Agents and Pain Research Laboratory for the teaching and research of the principles of and understanding of pain and individual responses; a Ultrasound Imaging Laboratory to assess foot muscles and foot strength. Additionally, there is also an Applied Exercise Physiology and Vascular Health Laboratory used to study exercise and cardiopulmonary responses; and a Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratory for research on the integration of computerized electronics into orthoses (braces) and prosthetics (functional replacement) for clinical practice.
Off-Campus Clinical Facilities
Clinical education settings for the physical therapy program and Fieldwork settings for the occupation therapy program are selected on the basis of their ability to provide supervision by professional staff, to offer services to diverse client populations, and compatibility with the University’s and the program’s mission and philosophy. The department currently has contracts with approximately 300 facilities in the Greater Hartford area and selected sites throughout the United States. Practice settings include healthcare, educational, and community (public and private) agencies.
The Hanger Clinic facility 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 master’s-level specialty courses.
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 compatibility with the University’s and program’s mission and philosophy. The program currently has numerous local facilities in the Greater Hartford area. Practice settings include hospital-based inpatient, emergency orthotic management, educational, and outpatient community facilities.
Several private-practice facilities are located in the vicinity, with providers that include adjunct University faculty and faculty from the prosthetic and orthotic community. Students in the Prosthetics and Orthotics program are linked to the clinic through various professional opportunities for clinical experiences. In addition, these clinics serve as a site for integrated student internships.
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