Post-Professional Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program

ppDPT Classes and Course Descriptions

Core Courses

PHT701 FOUNDATIONS OF AUTONOMOUS PRACTICE (3 Credits)
Historical perspective of the role of the physical therapist as related to patient/client management. Introduction/review of the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice. Explore concepts related to physical therapy diagnosis, screening for underlying pathology, and application of a Disablement Model to clinical cases. Introduce Outcomes Measurement. Examine Evidence-Based Practice and strategies for acquiring best evidence. This course launches the program with an on-campus residency, designed to provide personal advising to outline a plan of study, enhance the subsequent online experience through peer networking and collaboration, and provide attendees with an advanced competency course in differential diagnosis facilitated by a nationally recognized speaker in our field, Dr. Steven Tepper.

PHT712 PREVENTION AND WELLNESS (3 Credits)
Evaluate the role of the physical therapist in Primary Care and management of the whole patient. Screening/Risk stratification across the Practice Patterns. Examine epidemiology and its relevance to physical therapy. Assess the role of the physical therapist evaluation and prescription of exercises for intervention, wellness and prevention programs. Prerequisites: PHT701 and permission of instructor.

PHT721 DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING I (2 Credits)
Fundamentals of diagnostic imaging for screening, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis and outcomes assessment in patient populations frequently cared for by physical therapists. Scientific principles underlying multiple imaging technologies will be covered. PHT 701 and permission of instructor

PHT722 DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING II (2 Credits)
Systematic method of analyzing and integrating imaging findings into physical therapy diagnostic process, linking imaging findings of clinical case studies across lifespan and Preferred Practice Patterns. Selected depth of knowledge in primary clinical practice area. Prerequisites: PHT 701,PHT 721 and permission of instructor.

PHT723 PHARMACOLOGY AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGY I (2 Credits)
Fundamental principles of pharmacology, from cellular/molecular level to systems level. Emphasizes effect of drug action on major systems, including therapeutic and adverse interactions and factors that modify their effects. Traditional and alternative pharmacologic interventions involving all systems will be covered. Prerequisite: PHT701 and permission of instructor.

PHT724 PHARMACOLOGY AND PATHOPHSIOLOGY II (2 Credits)
Case studies and systematic reviews of the literature will be used to examine the impact of medications on physical therapy patient/client management. Selected depth of knowledge in primary clinical practice area. Emphasis on clinical decision making and autonomous practice. Prerequisite: PHT 701, PHT 723 and permission of instructor.

PHT716 GLOBAL HEALTH CARE ISSUES (3 Credits)
Evaluate current views on health policy, professionalism, professional interactions and competence and their impact on physical therapy practice. Strategies for fostering leadership, within the profession will be introduced. Prerequisite: PHT701 and permission of instructor.

PHT816 PRACTICUM (1-6 Credits)
Capstone course tailored to individual student needs and professional interests. Students select education, management, gerontology, or clinical research as a focus. Individual or group experiences are planned with individual faculty and outside agencies. Prerequisite: PHT 701, PHT 712, PHT 721, PHT 722, PHT 723, PHT 724 and permission of faculty.

Optional Courses

PHT811 TEACHING AND LEARNING (3 Credits)
Outcomes of instructional process through effective teaching techniques and strategies. Principles of teaching and learning and dynamics of teacher effectiveness related to physical therapist’s role caregiver, educator, consultant, and collaborator. Prerequisite: PHT701 and permission of instructor.

PHT812 MEASUREMENTS AND INTERPRETATION OF OUTCOMES (3 Credits)
Fundamental measurement properties of instruments used by physical therapists in determining level of impairment, differential diagnosis, outcomes measures, health status, and patient/client satisfaction. Strategies to assess and select between various instruments for clinical practice. Prerequisite: PHT701 and permission of instructor.

PHT813 MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH CARE DELIVERY (3 Credits)
Organizational management theory and principles. Quantitative analysis of health care issues. Supervision, quality assurance and marketing are explored. Examine concepts of human resources and quality assurance including productivity, contracts, and ethical/legal issues. Prerequisite: PHT701 and permission of instructor.

PHT815 RESEARCH METHODS (3 Credits)
Fundamental concepts of scientific inquiry as they relate to clinical issues in health care. Levels of data, variance, sampling, reliability, validity, predictive value, and statistical inference are discussed in the context of clinical questions. Prerequisite: PHT701 and permission of instructor.

If you would like more information about the online Post-Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy, Request More Information or call us toll-free at (866) 295-3106. An admissions representative will answer any questions you might have about why Utica College is the right choice for your ppDPT education.