(Photo courtesy of
Rehab Associates
of Central Virginia)
The DPT curriculum is constructed to meet the needs of the health care community by producing graduates who are readily able to diagnose and manage movement dysfunctionand enhance physical and functional abilities. To accomplish this purpose, the curriculum contains components of didactic and clinical education, leading the entry-level clinician to an understanding and demonstration of competence in his/her ability to engage in specific and complex cognitive, psychomotor, and affective behaviors when providing professional service to patients/clients, families, and caregivers.
The DPT curriculum is a rigorous 120-semester hour progressive course of study, comprised first of foundational sciences and followed by study in the clinical sciences. Throughout the didactic education process, the DPT curriculum has carefully planned and implemented several integrated learning activities to maximize learning effectiveness, allowing the student the best opportunity to understand and assimilate complex material.
Clinical education experiences are placed throughout the curriculum to allow students to practice and incorporate information learned through didactic instruction and to further develop the skills necessary to become an efficient and effective practitioner. The clinical aspect of the curriculum integrates a total of 38 weeks of clinical practice in various patient/client management venues, culminating in two eight-week clinical experiences. The student then returns to campus for a comprehensive examination.
The entire curriculum has been designed with the learner in mind, with each course carefully designed to accomplish the mission of the DPT program: to educate entry-level physical therapists to assume the role of health care practitioner through the provision of competent, evidence-based practice in a variety of clinical settings; and to promote active participation and effective leadership in all aspects of personal and professional life.