Azusa Pacific University

Founded in 1899, Azusa Pacific University has grown from a small training school for Christian workers to a university offering more than 60 areas of undergraduate study, 26 master's degree programs, and 7 doctorates, as well as state-approved credential programs. As an academic institution, APU promotes the highest level of scholarship. In addition, APU adheres to the stringent guidelines of our accrediting agencies.

Department of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a dynamic, exciting profession that allows you to aid patients in the rehabilitation process, thus helping them to perform at their highest functional capacity. Physical therapists have profound effects on the quality of life for the people they assist. They have developed into a prominent group of health care providers who provide a positive influence in the volatile climate of the current health care delivery system. This vocation has grown dramatically over the past several years and is emerging as one of the latest doctoring fields.

Azusa Pacific University's Department of Physical Therapy has assembled the best faculty, staff, and resources available to prepare you for the doctorate level of physical therapy. Our commitment to provide a practical balance between didactic and clinical-based education, incorporating evidenced-based critical-thinking and decision-making, is unmatched. The department is soundly committed to the basic science and clinical research that edifies the dynamic role of physical therapy. Our programs are designed to provide students with the skills and tools needed to meet the current professional demands and keep pace with the ever-expanding roles of physical therapy.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Azusa Pacific University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Doctor of Physical Therapy

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT) is a 31-month (including summers), entry-level professional program emphasizing the scientific basis of human structure and human movement, the spiritual basis of human worth, and the integration of these foundational elements into a comprehensive and problem-solving, evidence- and consensus-based approach to artful evaluation and skillful treatment. Graduates have a solid generalist perspective of patient care in a variety of professional treatment settings with a strong foundation for post-professional specialization and lifelong learning.

Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy

The Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is a post-professional physical therapist education program that:

• allows the U.S. licensed physical therapist to obtain the clinical doctorate by demonstrating knowledge commensurate with that of current professional (entry-level) Doctor of Physical Therapy program outcomes.
• takes into account the learner's knowledge and experience.

The DPT is conferred upon completion of a structured post-professional educational experience that results in the augmentation of knowledge, skills, and behaviors at a level consistent with the current professional (entry-level) DPT standards. The DPT earned through the transitional program is:

• an applied/clinical degree.
• a post-professional, "bridge" degree.
• analogous to current professional (entry-level) clinical doctorate standards.
• not meant to signify acquisition of advanced clinical skills.
• a degree rather than a clinical designator.

The purpose of the Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is to supply didactic augmentation based on new and expanding knowledge, skills, and behaviors in physical therapy which have changed throughout the past 5-10 years to current licensed practitioners. The program's primary objective is to ensure that graduates possess the consensus-based competencies congruent with the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, 2nd Ed. and the Normative Model of Physical Therapy Education, V2K.

The program is divided into three separate educational tracks for licensed physical therapists:

• Graduates of the Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) at APU
• Graduates with a Master of Physical Therapy from other entry-level programs approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapist Education (CAPTE)
• Graduates with a Bachelor of Physical Therapy from other entry level-programs approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapist Education (CAPTE)

Information

If you are interested in this school and would like to find out more, please Request Information from Azusa Pacific University.