D.P.T. Bridge Program

Since its inception, physical therapy has grown and garnered a reputation as a profession essential to society. Growth and reputation have gone hand-in-hand with changes in education and practice credentials. Today, the profession appears to be at another juncture in its growth, and educational programs are responding by providing the doctorate in physical therapy (D.P.T.) as the first professional degree.

The D.P.T. Bridge Program is a transitional clinical doctorate degree that is designed to be affordable and extremely pragmatic for currently practicing clinicians. The D.P.T Bridge Program is designed for practicing U.S. licensed physical therapists. Physical therapists licensed by other countries and working outside the U.S. are not eligible for this program.

Our program focuses on enhancing knowledge in important areas, including research, marketing, health administration, new technology, legislation, patient care policies, and billing and reimbursement activities. Coursework is personalized for practitioners with different levels of education and experience. Students may request to waive courses that cover areas in which they have expertise.

Individuals who work full-time typically take one class per semester, completing the degree in one to three years.

Program Objectives

Physical therapist education accreditation guidelines provide a framework for understanding the competencies of a graduate with a first professional degree, regardless of the level of the degree. Our assumption in designing the D.P.T. Bridge Program is that physical therapists who are licensed and practicing meet, and often exceed, those clinical competencies. Competencies that practicing clinicians may not have had the opportunity to address include those in the areas of wellness and health promotion, administration and management, and scientific inquiry.

Students engaged in the D.P.T. Bridge Program will meet the following objectives:

• evaluate published studies related to physical therapy practice, research, and education;
• secure and critically evaluate information related to new and established techniques and technology, legislation, policy, and environments related to patient or client care;
• participate in scholarly activities to contribute to the body of physical therapy knowledge (e.g., case reports, collaborative research);
• identify and assess the health needs of individuals, groups, and communities, including screening, prevention, and wellness programs that are appropriate to physical therapy;
• promote optimal health by providing information on wellness, disease, impairment, functional limitations, disability, and health risks related to age, gender, culture, and lifestyle;
• manage human and material resources and services to provide high-quality, efficient physical therapy services based on the plan of care;
• participate in management planning as required by the practice setting;
• participate in budgeting, billing, and reimbursement activities as required by the practice setting; and
• participate in the implementation of an established marketing plan and related public relations activities as required by the practice setting.

Program Structure

All required courses and a number of electives are available online, so the entire program can be completed from a distance. If you have questions about the program, please contact the D.P.T. Bridge Program in Physical Therapy by email at BridgeDPT@simmons.edu.

The program is designed to be accessible and affordable to practicing clinicians. Courses provided in the traditional classroom setting are generally offered in the evenings and/or weekends.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Fall (September) semester, June 1

Spring (January) semester, Nov. 1

Summer (May) semester, March 1

Applications must be received by, not postmarked by the dates above.

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