Curriculum and Degree Requirements

Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI105 & CASBI106 or CASBI107 & CASBI108 and CASBI211 or CASBI315 - Regional approach to the musculoskeletal, peripheral nervous, and circulatory systems of the human body. Laboratories reinforce the lectures by a study of osteology, prosected cadavers and live anatomy palpations. Either semester. (Credits: 4)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (SARHS 369 OR SARH S581); Undergraduate Corequisites: (SARPT 520) - This course is designed to teach the process of physical therapy examination. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model of health and health-related domains will be utilized to develop a general framework for physical therapy examination across systems. The patient management model as outlined in the "Guide to Physical Therapy Practice" will be introduced to provide a process for gathering information. Students will learn to identify disability level problems as well as functional limitations through patient history. Historical information will direct the examination. Analysis of functional tasks will be performed and used to develop hypotheses and direct impairment level testing. Students will learn the appropriate use of impairment level tests across systems. The process of establishing relationships between disabilities, functional limitations, and impairments will be introduced. The interaction of the individual, the task, and the environment will be emphasized. Students will be introduced to interventions that target task and environmental constraints. Professionalism, medical terminology, and methods of documentation will be incorporated. Students must register for two sections: lecture and a laboratory. (Credits: 4)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (SARHS 369 OR SARHS 581); Undergraduate Corequisites: (SARPT 515). - Builds on previous knowledge of human musculoskeletal anatomy to examine human movement. Principles of biomechanics, connective tissue behavior, and muscle physiology are integrated with joint structure and function to form the basis of understanding normal and pathological movement. Students must register for two sections: lecture and discussion. (Credits: 4)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPY105 & CASPY106) Or CAS PY104; DPT students only; or consent of instructor - An overview of tissue response to injury, pain transmission, and pharmacology provide the foundation from which students will learn about physical agents and specific conditions from a medical perspective. Students will become familiar with the theoretical and practical application of physical agents as it relates to tissue response to injury and pain control. The laboratory portion of this course emphasizes safe and effective application of these modalities using a problem-solving approach to treatment planning and implementation. (Credits: 4)

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. (Credits: 6)

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. (Credits: 6)

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. (Credits: 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. (Credits: 2)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (SARHP531) DPT students only - This course introduces the physical therapy student to the physiology of different body systems as well as the risk factors, diagnosis, and management of common medical conditions manifesting in these systems. Associated factors that influence PT examination and intervention will be discussed. Also discussed is when referral to other practitioners is recommended and required. (Credits: 4)

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. (Credits: 2)

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. (Credits: 6)

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. (Credits: 4)

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. (Credits: 1)

This course explores several theories related to identity, learning, motivation and behavior change as they relate to the ability of the physical therapist to interact with an individual seeking care to maximize the individual's outcome. Students will learn how these theories are relevant when developing biopsychosocial and patient centered approach to care. Application of these theories will be emphasized that will allow the student to understand an individual's attitudes and beliefs about their health condition, personal goals, motivation, and outcome expectation and how these each relate to patient outcome. Skills grounded in these theories will be included to help the student form a productive therapeutic alliance, improve the individual's self-efficacy, facilitate adherence to treatment recommendations, and maximize outcome important to the individual. (Credits: 2)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: PT students only. - This is the first of three full-time clinical experiences in the DPT curriculum. It is designed to focus on the synthesis of knowledge, skills and behaviors learned in the classroom and laboratory, and addressed during the integrated clinical experiences. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to make sound clinical decisions in the management of non-complex patient problems in a moderately paced environment. Students are supervised in clinical and community settings by qualified physical therapists. (Credits: 0)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: PT students only. - Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health. Physical therapists can intervene at various points in the life course by incorporating prevention, health promotion and wellness as an integral aspect of physical therapist practice, as well as in promoting and advocating for healthy lifestyles to reduce the burden of disease and disability on individuals and society. This course will provide physical therapy students an appreciation of health and the determinants of health at multiple levels in order to gain knowledge and skills necessary to work effectively to improve the health of individuals, communities, and populations. Students will learn how to assess the needs of a community and develop and implement a health promotion and wellness intervention that is theoretically informed, and evidence based. They will explore the socio-cultural, economic and political contexts in which people live their lives and how these, and local and large-scale forces (inequity, marginalization and various forms of discrimination) impact health and development. (Credits: 2)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: SARPT511, SARPT512, SARPT521, SARPT522, and SARHP532 - This course will identify and describe various modes of imaging techniques and tests used in medical practice for the neuromusculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems. The process of diagnosis in the context of the physical therapist's practice will be discussed. Identification of basic radiological pathology and tests results that directly impact physical therapy care and prognostication will be emphasized, as well as integration of test/imaging results in the physical therapy evaluation and plan of care. Correlation of test results with clinical examination findings will be emphasized to allow the student to engage in professional dialogue with other health care providers, including collaboration with radiologists. Diagnostic procedures covered in the course will include but not be limited to: X-ray, CT scan, MRI, bone scan, fluoroscopy, PET, SPECT, EMG/NCV, ECG, echocardiogram, thallium scan, exercise testing, cardiac catheterization, angiogram, MRA, CBC, electrolytes, lipid profiles, cardiac enzymes, and oncology markers. (Credits: 4)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (SARPT551) - The purpose of this course is to provide the students with a foundation for examining, evaluating, and determining appropriate interventions for individuals who have movement dysfunction secondary to neurological deficits. Students will learn the key elements of the neurological examination and its basis in functional neuroanatomy. Students will become skilled in conducting a neurological examination which is guided by the pathophysiology, patient history, and functional deficits associated with or resulting from disease or injury to the nervous system. Emphasis will also be placed on understanding normal and impaired movement through discussion of current motor control and motor learning theories. The ICF model of disablement will be used as a framework for examining and evaluating movement dysfunction and for developing a plan of care. (Credits: 6)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: (SARPT566) - This course is the second in a series of two courses on Evidence Based Practice for physical therapy students. It is designed to develop essential skills for conducting evidence-based practice. There are about three forms of evidence supporting clinical practice, that is, 1) experience from clinical practice, 2) patient values and goals, and 3) the evidence that comes from the research literature. It takes skill combining these sources of evidence into effective and efficient physical practice. This course enhances the student's ability to formulate answerable clinical questions, search relevant research literature, analyze the validity of the outcomes reported in these studies, and combine the outcomes of different research studies in the form of a research synthesis (i.e., critical review and meta-analysis). Literature addressing clinical issues of intervention, diagnosis, and prognosis will be used throughout to illustrate the arguments. (Credits: 2)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: SAR PT791 - This course is the first in a series of three seminars related to clinical education experiences of students in the Doctoral of Physical Therapy Program. The content is rooted in professional behaviors, ethics, and the core values of accountability, altruism, compassion/caring, excellence, integrity, professional duty, and social responsibility in the practice of physical therapy. The Institute of Medicine Core Competencies provide a framework for assignments and discussions. The seminars are designed to bridge clinical and classroom experiences using discussion, reflective learning, authentic examples from clinical experiences, case studies, and collaborative learning. This first course/seminar will also provide tools to assist the student with requesting future clinical experiences. (Credits: 1)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: SARPT522 - This course is designed to provide the student with the necessary skills for prevention, examination, evaluation, and intervention of musculoskeletal disorders of the spine and TM joints. It is the third in a series of musculoskeletal based classes and will complete the required musculoskeletal content of the DPT program. The student will learn a comprehensive, biopsychosocial, evidence-based and systems approach to the care of patients with musculoskeletal spinal disorders. Specifically, this course will work to teach the student how to determine which contextual factors and impairments are related to the individual's activity / or participation restrictions across the lifespan. An evidence-informed and patient-centered approach to interventions will be stressed. (Credits: 6)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: SARPT652 - This course is a continuation of Neurological Systems I and emphasizes evidence based physical therapy management for people who have specific neurological disorders. In PT652, a general foundation was developed for examining, evaluating, and determining appropriate interventions for individuals who have movement dysfunction secondary to neurological deficits. PT 653 will build on the foundation developed in PT 652 by considering how specific neurological disorders guide physical therapy practice. The course will focus on pathophysiology, examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, plan of care, intervention, and expected outcomes for commonly encountered diagnoses in neurorehabilitation such as Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, Parkinson's Disease, and Cerebral Palsy. Common diagnostic groups are chosen with the intent of enhancing specific knowledge as well as developing a general problem solving approach that applies to any type of neurological diagnosis. The included diagnoses will illustrate how decision-making in physical therapy takes into account issues of age (life span), natural history, stage in the disease process, and nature (stable vs. progressive) of specific neurological disorders. Students will learn to develop a plan for examination, including the most sensitive and specific standardized examination tools, and to develop a plan of care that is specific to various diagnostic groups and that is based on current evidence. (Credits: 6)

The purpose of the Academic Practicum (I & II) experience in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is to provide students with the opportunity to apply and enhance their knowledge and skill while completing a more in-depth and practical experience in one of four areas of their choosing: service, clinical research or specialty practice/quality improvement. The experience also provides for refinement and development of skills and behaviors in a wide variety of collateral areas not immediately associated with the primary content area. Students will identify an area of interest, contact and collaborate with a mentor to design and begin implementation of a project that will extend over two semesters. The course is a two-semester course that continues through the Fall with the final project to be completed at the end of the Fall semester. (Credits: 2)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: SAR PT791 and PT691 - This course is the second in a series of three seminars related to clinical education experiences. The content is rooted in professional behaviors, ethics, and the core values of accountability, altruism, compassion/ caring, excellence, integrity, professional duty, and social responsibility in the practice of physical therapy. The seminars are designed to bridge clinical and classroom experiences in these areas through the use of discussion, reflective learning, real life examples from clinical experiences, case studies, and collaborative learning. This course will also provide tools to assist the student with choosing and maximizing future clinical experiences. (Credits: 1)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: PT students only. - This is the second of three full-time clinical education experiences in the DPT curriculum. It is designed to focus on the synthesis of knowledge, skills and behaviors learned in the classroom, laboratory and addressed throughout the first 5 semesters of the DPT program. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to make sound clinical decisions in the management of non-complex patient problems in a moderately paced environment. Students are supervised in clinical and community settings by qualified physical therapists. (Credits: 0)

This course will instruct and reinforce students in the fundamental theories and skills of health care management for the physical therapist. The course is designed with an intent of putting oneself in the shoes of a clinician as well as a manager, with acknowledgement that leaders in the health care environment are rarely able to ignore sound management principles and understanding of healthcare systems for long. Whether knowing what is being asked of you as a clinician, or being placed in a leadership position, many health and rehabilitation professionals will assume the role of a manager or have leadership responsibilities during the course of their career, often sooner than expected. The increasing rate of change in the healthcare environment is a major factor in this emphasis on leadership. This can take many forms, and an emphasis will be placed on how one can assume a position of leading in different avenues. This course will help foster the growth of an individual's knowledge and capacity to lead, in whatever form it takes. This course also develops and enhances the students' understanding of the health care system, the social and economic forces affecting the health care system, and its ability to function effectively. Additionally, the course will prepare students to enter the workforce by introducing them to a variety of tools and experiences that will enable them to manage organizations, programs, resources, and people more effectively. Emphasis in this course is on US and Massachusetts's policies and legislation, managing human resources, marketing, technology and information, accounting and finance, quality improvement, and measuring performance. Professionalism, ethics, and the APTA will be discussed as they relate to our course objectives. (Credits: Var)

This course is designed to improve student physical therapists' understanding, exposure, critical evaluation and integration of current best practice towards pediatric physical therapy clinical practice. The readings, class discussions and lectures will focus on increasing students' understanding of typical and atypical development, and how factors affect a child's motor performance across all environments. We will apply theoretical principles of motor control and neurological development to enhance understanding of typical motor development as well as motor development in children with various diagnoses. (Credits: 3)

This seminar-based course allows students to explore unique/niche practice areas that are less emphasized in the DPT curriculum, to expand their exposure to practice settings. Relevant topics will be presented by content experts in a case-based format, to foster student engagement in understanding the role of the physical therapist in these practice settings. Topics will vary across practice settings and the lifespan. (Credits: 1)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: Successful completion of all second year DPT coursework. - Comprehensive Clinical Reasoning is a case based course taught in small tutorial groups using the problem based learning format. The course is intended to enhance integration of course content taught elsewhere in the curriculum within the context of a physical therapy case study. Students will be expected to use a variety of resources, ( i.e. current literature, text books) to solve complex patient cases. Issues to be discussed will include: evidence-based patient examination, clinical decision making, effective physical therapy intervention, likely prognosis, clinical teaching, the role of the PT in relation to other health care providers, issues involved in the delivery of physical therapy, including professionalism, interpersonal skills, communication, third party payers and ethics. (Credits: Var)

The purpose of the Academic Practicum (I & II) experience in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program is to provide students with the opportunity to apply and enhance their knowledge and skill while completing a more in-depth and practical experience in one of four areas of their choosing: service, clinical research or specialty practice/quality improvement. The experience also provides for refinement and development of skills and behaviors in a wide variety of collateral areas not immediately associated with the primary content area. Students will identify an area of interest, contact and collaborate with a mentor to design and begin implementation of a project that will extend over two semesters. The course is a two-semester course that continues through the Fall with the final project to be completed at the end of the Fall semester. (Credits: 2)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: SAR PT792 - This course is the final in a series of three seminars related to clinical education experiences of students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The content is rooted in professional behaviors, ethics, and the core values of accountability, altruism, compassion/ caring, excellence, integrity, professional duty, and social responsibility in the practice of physical therapy. The seminars are designed to bridge clinical and classroom experiences through discussion, reflective/collaborative learning, and real-life examples. Some information covered in previous seminars will be explored again considering additional clinical experience in a different setting. In addition, this course will provide tools to assist the student with the transition to becoming a professional physical therapist including attaining licensure and employment and developing a plan for ongoing professional development. (Credits: 1)

Undergraduate Prerequisites: PT students only. - This is the third of three full-time clinical experiences in the DPT curriculum. It is designed to focus on the synthesis of knowledge, skills and behaviors learned in the classroom, laboratory and addressed throughout the first 6 semesters of the DPT program. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to make sound clinical decisions in the management of complex patient problems in a moderately paced environment. Students are supervised in clinical and community settings by qualified physical therapists. (Credits: 0)