Physical Therapy Degree Options : School of Health Sciences : Simmons College

The School of Health Sciences offers two program options leading to a Doctorate in Physical Therapy: a Professional D.P.T. Program designed for those interested in entering the profession, and a Post-professional D.P.T. Bridge Program designed for currently practicing clinicians.

Professional Doctorate in Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

The Simmons Professional D.P.T. Program provides a strong foundation in evidence-based clinical practice and prepares students to become dynamic leaders in the profession. This three-year, full-time program is designed for men and women who have three years of undergraduate work at Simmons or a college degree in a field other than physical therapy from another institution.

Our real-world approach to teaching personally engages each student. Although many courses involve the traditional lecture approach, all of our clinical courses, starting with the fall semester of the first year, have 4 important components: lecture, skills laboratory, small group discussion and one day per week of clinical practice. The program also includes 45 weeks of full-time clinical education experiences, during the three years. Because doctoral-level practice requires an understanding of clinical research, students collaborate with faculty to either complete a research project or implement a systematic review, a comprehensive critical analysis of the evidence on a topic of their choice.

D.P.T. students attend classes both at Simmons and next door at Harvard Medical School. In addition, more than 200 nationwide health care sites provide a wide of range of clinical education experience and valuable professional connections.

Men and women with a baccalaureate degree in a field other than physical therapy may apply for this program. Applicants must have successfully completed the prerequisites.

Professional Program

The professional program requires a full-time commitment of three years and culminates in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree. Students begin the program in summer session (approximately July 1). The curriculum is designed to educate women and men to serve patients in the areas of health promotion, disease prevention, and rehabilitation. The didactic and clinical course material in each semester is well integrated to allow students to synthesize and apply newly acquired knowledge and skills. Students in the professional curriculum attend classes on the Simmons campus and at Harvard Medical School for Advanced Human Anatomy. More than 200 clinical sites, located across the country, are affiliated with Simmons College and provide students with the opportunity to participate in the practice of physical therapy under the mentorship of skilled clinicians. The degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Simmons Undergraduate-to-Professional Program

Women who are undergraduates at Simmons may complete the required prerequisite courses for physical therapy in three years. They may then be admitted to the Professional Physical Therapy Program for three years of graduate education culminating in the awarding of the DPT. The completion of the doctoral degree is required to be eligible to take the examination for licensure and to practice physical therapy. For more information about the undergraduate program, please visit the Undergraduate Physical Therapy Program page.

Teaching and Learning

In our curriculum, your learning is emphasized and a variety of teaching methods are used so that we can address different learning styles and match the teaching to the nature of the topic. The curriculum includes periods of full time academic work alternating with full time clinical education. The academic portion of the curriculum includes a mix of lectures, hands-on laboratory practice, small-group case discussions and clinical practice one day per week. In each of these venues, your learning is guided by faculty who are expert clinicians and teachers. The use of real-life cases in the classroom facilitates contextual application of information. The one day per week of clinical practice allows students to see and experience real-world application of the information they are learning in classes. These experiences take place in some of the Boston area's most prestigious healthcare institutions. The full time clinical education experiences take place in a variety of clinical sites, including large medical centers, small private clinics, rehabilitation facilities, and early intervention settings. The options are extensive. Take a look at our list of affiliations.

If you have additional questions about the D.P.T. Program, please see the Physical Therapy Program FAQ.

D.P.T. Bridge Program

Our D.P.T. Bridge Program is a transitional clinical doctorate degree that is designed to be affordable and extremely pragmatic for currently practicing clinicians. Our program focuses on enhancing knowledge in important areas including research, wellness and nutrition, health administration, patient-care policies, and billing and reimbursement issues. Course work 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.

All required courses and a number of electives are offered online, so the entire program can be completed at your convenience from home or office. However, we also offer on-site courses in the evening and occasionally on weekends, if individuals would like an on-campus learning experience. Individuals who work full-time typically take one class per semester, completing the degree in one to three years.
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Post-master's Certificate (C.A.G.S.) in Health
Professions Education

This program offers post-master's prepared health professionals (health care administrators, nurses, nutritionists, and physical therapists) with recent clinical experience within the past three years, the opportunity to gain critical skills in educational strategies and technology.

This academic option is in response to the growing need for health professionals to be effective educators within their respective fields of practice. Recent trends in the health care delivery system highlight the need for a cadre of health care professionals who will teach the next generation of health care providers.
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