Lecture course with two components, medical terminology and introduction to the study of physical therapy and physical therapist practice. The study of medical terminology is pertinent to the health care professions, organized by body systems with a focus on prefixes, suffixes, word roots and their combining form. The medical terminology component primarily follows a self-guided study model. The introduction to Physical Therapy component provides career exposure to physical therapy and includes current topics of interest in the field with several guest speakers/lecturers.

Equips future healthcare professionals with the foundational skills to lead with cultural humility, emotional intelligence, and strategic insight. Students explore principles of change management, conflict resolution and inclusive communication through experiential learning and reflective practice. Emphasis is placed on understanding systemic influences on health, building resilience and fostering collaborative relationships across diverse teams and patient populations

Pharmacological study to help physical therapy students understand the indications, mechanism of action, and common side effects of medications. Includes a study of a patient’s/client’s prescription and nonprescription medications and the relationship between medications and physical therapy interventions to improve patient/client outcomes. Further investigates therapeutic and adverse effects as well as drug interactions. Based on an understanding of neurotransmitters and disease pathology, medications used for the most common physical therapy diagnoses are reviewed.

Lecture and laboratory simulating patient/client interactions to apply didactic course work to clinical practice. Emphasizes foundational patient management skills, professional behaviors, and effective communication. Introduces the ICF model, documentation, informed consent, and ethical decision-making. Develops safe and efficient bed mobility, transfer, and gait training techniques using assistive devices and adaptive equipment. Begins development of clinical reasoning, reflection, and interprofessional communication to prepare students for future didactic course work and clinical education experiences. Lab fee.

Lecture and laboratory simulating patient/client interactions to apply didactic course work to clinical practice. Expands on foundational patient management and professional skills with emphasis on acute care mobility, documentation, basic billing and coding, legal and ethical responsibilities, and interprofessional collaboration. Develops competence in managing patients with medical lines, stair negotiation, and discharge planning. Reinforces clinical reasoning, communication, and safe practice through applied labs, simulated cases, and interprofessional learning with occupational therapy. Patient management sequence progression requires successful completion of all Pro-1 course work.

Develops advanced clinical reasoning and documentation skills essential for effective physical therapist practice across care settings. Professional behaviors, ethical standards, and evidence-based decision-making are applied to patient management, goal setting, and discharge planning. Integrates knowledge from prior course work to evaluate and treat simulated patients in acute, rehabilitation, and outpatient environments. Emphasizes defensible documentation, reimbursement considerations, and interprofessional communication. Strengthens readiness for clinical education through case-based learning, written assignments, and applied lab experiences focused on real-world patient care and professional competence.

Emphasizes integration of clinical reasoning, professionalism and ethical decision-making consistent with APTA Standards of Practice, Core Values, and Code of Ethics. Examines current issues and trends in physical therapy, including advocacy, reimbursement, jurisprudence, licensure and professional identity formation. Reinforces leadership, communication and career readiness through applied case discussions, reflective activities and mentorship experiences that promote competent, ethical, and autonomous practice as an entry-level physical therapist.

Contemporary issues and management principles in physical therapy practice. Discussions of recent historical and current external environmental factors affecting the delivery of health care services are interwoven with discussions of business, management, and supervisor/leadership principles applicable to the health care service industry. Particular attention is focused on the delivery of physical therapy services under changing environmental conditions.

Explores the pathology and pathophysiology of disease from the cellular level to whole-body systems, with an emphasis on clinical relevance for physical therapy practice. Students examine mechanisms of cellular injury, inflammation, trauma, and disease processes affecting cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, hepatic, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal, and other systems. The impact of normal aging, pharmacological interventions, and medical treatments are integrated to highlight implications for patient care.

Discusses the implications of aging, disease, physical therapy assessment and interventions and rehabilitation approaches. The laboratory portion includes psychological, sociological and economic aspects of aging plus selected pathological conditions that affect communication, compliance and functional performance. Provides opportunities to refine clinical and problem solving skills in supervised laboratory sessions and supervised clinical experiences in senior center environments.

Introduces the physiological responses and adaptations to physical activity and exercise, with emphasis on clinical application in physical therapy. Students study cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and metabolic during activity, as well as adaptations to training and the effects of inactivity. Laboratory sessions provide hands-on experience in vital sign assessment and therapeutic exercise prescription. Special consideration is given to exercise responses in diverse patient populations, including those with cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, musculoskeletal, and oncologic conditions.

Teaches physical therapy students how to provide the best possible care for patients according to an evidence based practice model, which integrates clinical experience, external evidence, and patient expectations. Students will learn how to formulate answerable clinical questions, use online databases to access research evidence, critically evaluate clinical and scientific literature related to patient care, integrate and apply the best evidence for practice, and use these skills to become life long learners. Instruction methods include lectures, in class discussions, hands on activities, and student presentations.

Anatomy of the muscular and joint systems in normal and abnormal conditions in the upper extremities. Includes surface anatomy, the biomechanics of normal and abnormal muscle and joint action. Lecture, demonstration and laboratory practice.

Continuation of PHTH 7525 with emphasis on head, trunk and lower extremities, including an introduction to normal gait, posture, and surface anatomy. Lecture, demonstration and laboratory practice.

Examines general concepts and specific techniques of physical therapy evaluation, including tests and measures of range of motion, flexibility and strength using diverse instrumentation.

Lecture and discussion course (based on research evidence and/or best practice) that presents the principles and methods that lead to clinical outcomes related to pain conditions, including the theoretical models for understanding the basis for pain. Content includes pain mechanisms, assessment and physical therapy management.

Lecture, demonstration and laboratory experiences. The elements of patient/client management (examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis and intervention) are applied to musculoskeletal conditions of the upper quadrant.

Continuation of PHTH 7532 with an emphasis on the evaluation and treatment of specific musculoskeletal injuries/dysfunctions of the lower quadrant. Includes surgical, non-surgical, traumatic, chronic and sports-related conditions.

Study of diagnostic imaging techniques as they relate to physical therapy practice areas. Includes study of common medical tests.

Lecture/lab course focusing on a broad range of medical diseases and their various clinical presentations. The focus is on the use of clinical decision making skills when analyzing a patient's medical history intake and the review of systems. Addresses screening, to include referral for conditions or diseases that are not within a physical therapist's scope of practice.

Focuses on the physical development that occurs from birth to maturity, specifically motor development. Discusses other developmental areas as well. Introduces the internal and external environmental influences on development, as well as traditional and contemporary theories of motor development. Lab experiences focus on analysis of posture/movement, gross motor testing, the child health screening and child wellness education. Evidence-based practice guidelines are utilized when available, and objective tests and measures are taught and emphasized. Fulfills one of the essential core competencies of entry-level pediatric physical therapy education as outlined in Pediatric Physical Therapy by the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy. Lab fee.

Structure and function of the central nervous system (CNS). Lecture, clinical correlations, clinical problem solving to predict signs and symptoms in patients with PNS and CNS lesions.

Presents the physical and physiological basis and the principles and methods that lead to: 1. clinical outcomes following the therapeutic application of thermotherapy, cryotherapy, actinotherapy and mechanotherapy in the treatment of disorders involving the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular and integumentary systems; and 2. electrotherapeutic interventions for clinical treatment of individuals with musculoskeletal dysfunction, motor control deficits, acute and chronic pain, and other selected conditions. Electrophysiological testing includes electromyography and nerve conduction velocity evaluation. Lab fee.

Advanced analysis of human movement including gait, orthotics and prosthetics. Rehabilitation focuses on physical therapy interventions for patient/clients with chronic diseases and other conditions necessitating long-term therapeutic intervention.

Presents the physical and physiological basis and the principles and methods that lead to clinical outcomes related to the integumentary system. Discusses pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of chronic wounds, management of thermal injuries and edema. Studies infection control and aseptic technique. Lab fee.

Lecture and discussion-based course covering the pathology, etiology, and epidemiology of common neurological diseases. Clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, evaluation, and medical/surgical interventions for the diseases are the focus of the first of a 2-part course series.

Continuation of Neurological Rehabilitation 1. Lecture and labs focus on physical therapy evaluations and interventions for specific impairments, disease-specific conditions, and overall function. Evidence-based practice guidelines are utilized when available, objective tests and measures are emphasized, and case studies are utilized to integrate and apply information.

Continues the process of educating the student how to incorporate evidence into their daily physical therapy practice. Focuses on the idea of incorporating evidence that is thorough and easy to access within daily practice.

Focuses on common diseases, disorders, and pathophysiological events that create atypical development, impairments, functional limitations, and/or disability in infants and children. Includes disorders of the neurological, sensory, cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal systems. Explains the various settings in which pediatric therapists practice and the requirements for those settings. Pediatric assessment principles and tools are discussed and applied to clinical cases. Treatment planning and interventions are taught in lecture and laboratory format with opportunity for practice and application to clinical cases.

Develops competence in the evaluation and management of patients with cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders in acute, critical care and chronic settings. Students integrate pathophysiology, pharmacology and medical interventions with physical therapy examination and treatment techniques. Emphasis is placed on skill development in patient assessment, exercise prescription, airway clearance, oxygen therapy and monitoring of physiological responses. Laboratory sessions and simulations provide hands-on practice in acute care and ICU environments, preparing students to apply evidence-based interventions to optimize cardiopulmonary function and patient outcomes.

Foundational concepts and skills necessary for a health care practitioner to gain competency in leadership, leadership of a team, management of groups and organization business processes.

Advanced clinical electives in specific areas of physical therapy practice. 0 credit will be S/U grade assessment; 1-4 credits will be graded.

Review of scholarly articles on current topics related to business, management and leadership within the physical therapy and rehabilitation fields.

Full-time clinical education experiences supervised by clinical faculty that immerse students in various practice settings throughout the country.

Full-time clinical education experiences supervised by clinical faculty that immerse students in various practice settings throughout the country.

Full-time clinical education experiences supervised by clinical faculty that immerse students in various practice settings throughout the country.

Full-time clinical education experiences supervised by clinical faculty that immerse students in various practice settings throughout the country.

Full-time clinical education experiences supervised by clinical faculty that immerse students in various practice settings throughout the country.

Under the supervision of a mentor in a clinical leadership role, students learn the fundamentals of business/administrative/leadership duties within a clinical setting. Students assess communication and leadership styles of their mentors and themselves. Students gain an understanding of how clinical mentors lead their teams to optimize patient care.

Faculty-supervised, independent study/research of a specific area or topic in Physical Therapy. No mid-term assessment assigned.

Under the supervision of the clinical leader mentor and the course director, students identify a business, management or leadership topic that will improve or enhance clinic team function. For this topic, students conduct an analysis of the topic within the clinical setting and in the context of other clinical settings, interpret the impact on clinic function/patient care and develop a recommendation for improvement. Students present their findings to the clinic leader, course director and relevant clinic team members.