Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• SAR OT 928: Capstone 1: Problem Identification
  This course will prepare students to develop a professional development plan to achieve career aspirations as well as a proposal for the OTD Doctoral Project. Through a series of guided self-analysis assignments students will identify academic, personal and professional strengths and create career goals. Students will continue the planning for the doctoral experiential component during this course. All students are assigned an academic mentor from the BU OT Dept. core faculty who students will work with throughout this course. Students and academic mentors, with input from peer mentors will collaborate to identify a focused/realistic problem to address in the Doctoral Capstone. Students will review gaps or shortcomings in current occupational therapy practice and work with their assigned mentor to identify their focused area of interest. Students will identify necessary knowledge and skills to achieve their goals and begin to develop an initial plan for the OTD Doctoral Experiential Component. By the end of the semester, you will have an outline of the proposed problem and drafted learning objectives, which will need to be approved by your academic mentor. Assignments in this course will lead to the completion of Capstone Competency Tasks.
• SAR OT 929: Capstone 2: Critical Appraisal
  This course will prepare students to develop a Doctoral Capstone Plan. Students will continue the planning for the doctoral experiential component during this course. All students are assigned an academic mentor from the BU OT Dept. core faculty who students will work with throughout this course. Students and academic mentors, with input from peer mentors will collaborate to identify a focused/realistic OTD doctoral experiential component plan and identify potential doctoral experiential projects and practice settings. Students will review gaps or shortcomings in current occupational therapy practice and work with their assigned mentor to identify their focused area of interest. Students will identify necessary knowledge and skills to achieve their goals and develop an initial plan for the OTD Doctoral Experiential Component. By the end of the semester, you will have an outline of the proposed focus area, as well as a draft of the mentor agreement- which will need to be approved by your academic mentor. Assignments in this course will lead to the completion of Capstone Competency Tasks.
• SAR OT 930: Doctoral Project
  Graduate Prerequisites: OTD degree students only. This is an on-line graduate course in the post-professional OTD program. Concurrent with each full semester (fall, spring, summer) in the OTD program, students register for one credit of the Doctoral Project. In the fourth semester of the program, students register for 3 credits of the Doctoral Project course. The Doctoral Project is organized around the student's proposed innovation in practice. It is in the form of a series of qualifying tasks, each of which represents a critical phase of the proposal. Guidance in the doctoral project will be through a combination of three elements: Faculty advising and mentorship, peer mentorship and a circle of Advisors composed of a minimum of two professionals with content expertise in the doctoral project. The project outcomes include: description of a short-coming, gap or specific need in the student's area of practice; compilation of a theoretical and evidence base to support the proposed project; description of the proposed program; evaluation plan; funding plan; dissemination plan; executive summary and Fact Sheet. (1 credit each full semester until completed, 3 credits in the final semester - a minimum of 6 credits)
• SAR OT 943: Professional Development Seminar
  This course will prepare students to develop a professional developmental plan to achieve career aspirations and a proposal for the OTD Doctoral Project. Through a series of guided self-analysis assignments students will identify academic, personal and professional strengths and create career goals. Students will review gaps or shortcomings in current occupational therapy practice and knowledge and skills to achieve their goals and develop an initial plan for the OTD Doctoral Experiential Component. The purpose of the Doctoral Experiential Component is to learn the process for creating an evidence and theory based innovative program. The Doctoral Experiential Component is organized around the student's proposed innovation in practice. The Doctoral Experiential Component includes a series of competency tasks, each of which represents a critical phase of the Doctoral Experiential Component. Guidance in the Doctoral Experiential Component is provided through a combination of three mentors: faculty advising (academic mentor), guidance by external expert (Mentor in the situation of practice), and peer mentoring (peer mentors). Students will develop peer mentoring relationships focused on their Doctoral Experiential Component in the context of this course.
• SAR OT 944: Needs Assessment and Program Development
  Introduces students to methods of assessing how occupation contributes to health and well-being among populations. Provides opportunities to develop and practice needs assessment skills. Students will learn how to access and analyze large data sets to examine whether a health problem in a community warrants occupational therapy intervention. Students will conduct a needs assessment of a population and develop a proposal for occupational therapy intervention to address the identified needs.
• SAR OT 946: Preparation for Doctoral Experiential Component
  To prepare for the Doctoral Experiential Component this course will guide students through the 2nd Doctoral Project task: thoroughly evaluating and synthesizing the literature on existing methods for addressing the proposed problem to be addressed in the Doctoral Project. This review of the literature will provide the foundation for the rationale, design, and methods for the student's proposed response to the problem.
• SAR OT 947: Mentored Studies in Doctoral Experiential Component
  This on-line course provides students with concurrent mentoring from their faculty advisor and peer mentor while they are completing the doctoral experiential component. Students meet on-line in small mentoring sections with their faculty advisor throughout the doctoral experiential component. Students will complete the 3rd Doctoral Project task: design and implement an intervention or program that is guided by current theory and best evidence. Students will develop a model for the hypothesized mechanisms of action of a particular intervention or program and incorporate a feasible and effective method for evaluation within the design of the program to be implemented during the doctoral experiential component in the situation of practice.
• SAR OT 948: Mentored Doctoral Experiential Dissemination
  In this course students complete their culminating Doctoral Project and disseminate the findings from their scholarly work, relating theory to practice and demonstrating synthesis of advanced knowledge. The students present their Doctoral Project and discuss findings in a professional forum related to their selected area: clinical practice, research, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education or theory development. Development of individualized learning objectives for the dissemination, plan for dissemination and evaluation of student performance objectives occurs in collaboration with the student, Doctoral Project academic mentor and mentor in the situation of practice with expertise in one of the above areas.
• SAR OT 949: Doctoral Experience Component
  This doctoral experiential component is an in-depth experience in one or more of the following student-selected areas: clinical practice, research, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education or theory development. This experience is designed to support advanced skills the student's selected area. The experience is a minimum of 14 full-time weeks (560 hours). Development of individualized learning objectives, assignments and evaluation of student performance objectives occurs in collaboration with the student, Doctoral Project mentor and mentor in the situation of practice with expertise in one of the above areas.
• SAR OT 990: OTD Independent Study
  Graduate Prerequisites: OTD degree students only. - Continuation of the on-line doctoral project for OTD students who need additional semesters beyond the 6 credits of OT 930 to complete their doctoral project.
• SAR PT 341: Preclinical Experience
  This no-credit, pass-fail course is designed for students currently pursuing the BS/DPT program track. In this course, students will gain insight into the professional behaviors, responsibilities, and communication skills that successful physical therapists possess. Students will better understand the role of a physical therapist in various health care settings and will have the opportunity to reflect on how they might embody these core values as a future physical therapist.
• SAR PT 490: IND STUDY PT
  IND STUDY PT
• SAR PT 511: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary System 1
  This course reviews the anatomy and physiology of the cardiopulmonary system. This course will highlight the adult and pediatric dysfunctions of the cardiopulmonary system, medical and surgical care of this patient population, and the appropriate physical therapy interventions. Emphasis is placed on patient evaluation, medical assessment, treatment planning, and the performance of the appropriate procedures. In addition, patient compliance issues, ethical and legal aspects of physical therapy care, and the health care professional's own cardiopulmonary function will be addressed. Current research will be introduced throughout the course as appropriate.
• SAR PT 512: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary System 2
  This course is designed to expand the student's knowledge of cardiovascular and pulmonary systems as well as cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy. The student will gain an in-depth understanding of physical therapy examination, intervention, and management of peripheral vascular disease, wound care, prosthetic management for amputations, and cardiopulmonary disease. Laboratory sessions will facilitate the students understanding of lecture material and provide them with hands on physical therapy skills needed to care for patients with the above disorders. Current literature will be the basis for all lecture and lab sessions.
• SAR PT 521: Musculoskeletal System I
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (SARPT515 & SARPT520) PT Students only. - This course is the first in a series of three for the musculoskeletal system. It is designed to provide the student with the necessary skills for prevention, examination, evaluation, and intervention of musculoskeletal impairments of posture and the upper extremity joints. The student will learn a systems approach to patient care. Specifically, this course will teach the student how to determine which impairments are related to specific activity limitations and participation restrictions of the individual with upper extremity disorders. It will consider upper extremity impairments throughout the life span, as well as throughout the natural history (acute through chronic) of the problem. An eclectic approach to interventions will be stressed.
• SAR PT 522: Musculoskeletal System II
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (SARPT521) - This course is the second in a series of three for the musculoskeletal systems. It is designed to provide the student with the necessary skills for prevention, examination, evaluation, and intervention of musculoskeletal disorders of the lower extremities. The student will build upon the systems approach to patient care. Specifically, this course will teach the student how to determine which impairments of body function and structure are related to specific activity limitations and participation restrictions of the individual with lower extremity disorders. It will consider lower extremity disorders throughout the life span, as well as throughout the natural history (acute through chronic) of the problem. An eclectic approach to interventions will be stressed. Laboratory sessions will develop the student's skills in examination and intervention techniques to address lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders.
• SAR PT 551: Neuroscience for Physical Therapy Students
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: SARHS 369 or SARHS 581; and SARPT 520 - This course is designed to serve as an introduction to the normal development and function of the nervous system. It is assumed that students have a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology (e.g., cell structure, ionic exchange, and action potentials). This is a clinically-focused basic science course that serves as a building block for successive clinical PT courses.
• SAR PT 555: Integrated Clinical Experience 1
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: SARHS369 or SARHS581; and SARPT515 and SARPT520; PT students only. - This is the first of two courses in the integrated clinical experience series. Using class discussion, standardized patients, community service opportunities and clinical observations, students will practice patient education strategies, appreciate the role of the physical therapist in relation to other health care providers, and apply skills related to professionalism, interpersonal skills and communication.
• SAR PT 565: Integrated Clinical Experience 2
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (SARPT555) PT students only. - This is the second in a series of two courses which will continue to integrate course content taught in the DPT curriculum with clinical experiences incorporating all components of the patient/client management model. Through review of patient records, patient interviews, and observation and treatment of non-complex patients or diagnoses, students will develop skills in the process of clinical decision making, obtaining patient data, and treatment progression. This course will be closely aligned with concomitant academic preparation to enable students to practice recently learned skills in a clinical environment. Additionally, the student will begin to understand clinical teaching, the role of the PT in relation to other health care providers, and issues involved in the delivery of physical therapy, including professionalism, interpersonal skills, communication, and law and ethics.
• SAR PT 566: Evidence Based Practice 1
  This course is the first of a series of two courses on Evidence Based Practice for physical therapy students. Evidence based practice involves the explicit incorporation of evidence from three sources: (1) research evidence; (2) clinician knowledge, experience, and judgment; and (3) patient preferences. In this course, students develop skills to effectively ask clinically focused questions, access, appraise, and apply research evidence in decision making for clinical practice. The emphasis in EBP I is on research evidence related to intervention studies, encompassing systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines and randomized controlled trials. This course will also emphasize the importance of practice-based evidence to further inform patient care.