2012-2013 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]
Department of Physical Therapy
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Combined Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Doctor of Physical Therapy
Professor Certo (Chair, Department of Physical Therapy)
Associate Professors Ball, Crane, Gannotti, Wetherbee
Assistant Professors Gangaway, Goodworth, Higgins, Leard, Veneri
The Department of Physical Therapy offers a combined Bachelor of Science in Health 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 reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education in 2004. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program was approved by the Department of Higher Education, State of Connecticut, in 2005.
Advising
Students enrolled in the undergraduate program are assigned faculty advisors in the Department of Physical Therapy.
The department participates in first-year and transfer dialogue groups to assist new students in adjusting to academic and campus life. Students meet in small groups regularly with faculty advisors to discuss educational goals, curricular and extracurricular options, and career opportunities. The relationship developed between advisors and advisees helps to ensure students’ academic success at the University.
Transfer Students
The Physical Therapy program welcomes applications from students who have attended other colleges and universities. Applicants who have completed 30 or more credits are not typically required to submit high school transcripts oradmissions test scores. Prospective transfer students may apply for admission to the undergraduate program through the Office of Admission.
Facilities
The on-campus facilities of the Department of Physical Therapy are located in Charles A. Dana Hall, which is part of the new Integrated Science, Engineering, and Technology complex. The program has two Hoffman physical therapy clinical skills teaching laboratories and three 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; a motor control lab that contains specialized equipment and technology for research related to motor control, human movement, and motor learning; a balance and mobility laboratory for study and research of physical variables on human motor control. Balance responses can be measured with acceleration, velocity and position-based sensors to measure muscle activity.
University Physical Therapy, LLC, is a faculty private-practice facility located in Health Services at the Sports Center. Physical therapy providers include adjunct and full-time faculty from the physical therapy program. Students in the physical therapy program are linked to the clinic through various professional courses called Integrated Clinical Experiences. In addition, the clinic serves as a site for student internship.
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, 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 400 facilities in the Greater Hartford area and selected sites throughout the United States. Practice settings include healthcare, educational, and community (public and private) agencies.
Admission to the Program
Before being considered for entrance into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, all students must complete an appropriate Bachelor of Science degree.
Highly qualified students will enter the University and enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences. Upon graduation from the B.S. in Health Sciences program, students moving into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program will be reviewed by the admissions committee to ensure that they have completed the prerequisites and achieved a 3.2 GPA in the sciences and a 3.2 GPA overall. All required courses must be passed with a 2.0 or better. Science courses can be retaken only once. Transfer course grades are not factored into the University GPA. However, transfer science course grades are included in the calculation of the science GPA. Students must also display the ethical personal and professional qualities needed to fulfill the role of a physical therapist.
The undergraduate program for the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences consists of eight semesters of foundational science course work with biological and social sciences, general education requirements, liberal arts education in the humanities, and a health science core of courses. Students are also required to complete a series of seven pre–physical therapy seminar courses. These seminars facilitate the mentoring of students in the profession of physical therapy. Several options for minors are also available within the program.
A fast-track program of study is available for those students who wish to expedite their undergraduate program. This program consists of six academic semesters, with two full-time summer sessions. Limited options for minors are also available within this plan of study.
Combined Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics
Professor Certo (Chair, Department of Physical Therapy)
Associate Professors Ball, Crane
Assistant Professors Gangaway, Goodworth, Higgins, Leard
The Department of Physical Therapy offers a unique five year combined Bachelor of Science in Health /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 National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education has mandated that all prosthetic and orthotic educational programs be elevated to the master’s degree level by 2012. 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.
Advising
Students enrolled in the combined Bachelor of Science in Health Science/Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics are assigned faculty advisors in the Prosthetics and Orthotics program. The program participates in first-year and transfer dialogue groups to assist new students in adjusting to academic and campus life. Students meet regularly in small groups, with faculty advisors to discuss educational goals, curricular and extracurricular options, and career opportunities. The relationship developed between advisors and advisees helps to ensure students’ academic success at the University.
Transfer Students
The program in prosthetics and orthotics welcomes applications from students who have attended other colleges and universities. Applicants who have completed 30 or more credits are not required to submit admissions test scores. Prospective transfer students may apply for admission to the undergraduate program through admissions.
Facilities
The on-campus facilities of the Department of Physical Therapy are located in Charles A. Dana Hall, which is part of the new Integrated Science, Engineering, and Technology complex. The department has two Hoffman physical therapy clinical skills teaching laboratories and one dedicated clinical teaching lab for prosthetics and orthotics. There are three 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; a motor control laboratory with specialized equipment and technology for research into motor control, human movement, and motor learning; and a balance and mobility laboratory for the study and research of the interaction of physical variables on human motor control. Balance responses can be measured with acceleration, velocity, and position–based sensors to measure muscle activity.
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.
Off-Campus Clinical Facilities
The Hanger facility in Newington, Conn., 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.
Admission to the Program
Highly qualified students enter the University and enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program offered by the Department of Physical Therapy. Upon graduation, students moving into the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program are reviewed by the admissions committee to ensure that they have completed the prerequisites and maintained a 3.0 GPA in the sciences and a 3.0 GPA overall. All prerequisite courses must be passed with a 2.0 or better. Transfer science course grades are included in the calculation of the science GPA but are not included in the University GPA. Students must also display ethical personal and professional qualities needed to fulfill the role of a prosthetist/orthotist.
The undergraduate program for the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences consists of eight semesters of foundational science course work with biological and social sciences, general education requirements, and liberal arts education in the humanities. Several options for minors are also available within the program. ProgramsUndergraduate MajorCourses
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