Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

(845) 398-4800, extension 6049 or fax: (845) 398-4892 

The program is fully accredited by CAPTE. (Commission on Ac-creditation in Physical Therapy Education)  
CAPTE, 1111 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314;  
phone (703) 684-2782.  

The role of the physical therapist is an exciting and challenging one. Using therapeutic intervention, the professional helps to improve the quality and satisfaction of the lives of diverse clients throughout the life span. Clientele may include children with disabilities, victims of trauma, and seniors with generalized weaknesses. Working with patients, caregivers, and other health care professionals, physical therapists promote the achievement of their patients’ goals by fostering their recovery. The focus of therapy may consist of programs to in-crease strength, to relieve pain, and to assist one to achieve optimal function in the environment.  

Physical therapists also serve as teachers, providing important instruction in a wide array of areas, including on-going rehabilitation in the activities of daily living, prenatal and post-natal programs, and overall fitness and health promotion. Physical therapists can work in a variety of fields, such as rehabilitation, community health, industry, sports, private practice, neonatal intensive care, school, research, education, and administration.  

Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program 

The Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy program (or t-DPT Program) allows licensed and practicing physical therapists who hold either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in Physical Therapy to earn a Doctor of Physical Therapy through a combination of online course work and professional experience.  

Admission to the Transitional Doctor of Physical  Therapy (T-DPT) Program 

The physical therapist who has previously received an entry-level Bach-elors or Masters physical therapy degree can apply to the Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. The entire t-DPT program is 16-credits in length and can be completed in 18-36 months. T-DPT Pro-gram courses are 2-credit, fully online courses. The student must re-ceive a grade of at least a C, in order for the course to count towards graduation.    

Upon successful completion of the Doctor of Physical Therapy curricu-lum, the student will be awarded a Doctor of Physical Therapy.  

The Process (Transitional DPT) 
All applicants are required to submit: The Graduate Application Form, official transcript(s) of physical therapy education or certified copies, a copy of U.S. physical therapy license, curriculum vitae (resume), three letters of recommendation, and a written statement of intent/goals to Graduate Admissions.  

Deferment Of Admissions To The Transitional-Doctor of Physical Therapy Program: Deferments will be handled on a case by case basis. The applicant must submit their request for deferment in writing to the Office of Graduate Admission. 

Academic Requirements and Standards for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program  

Students accepted to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program must adhere to the standards and policies set forth by the University, the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, and the profession throughout their academic tenure.    

Students are responsible and are required to sign the Essential Functions for Physical Therapy Practice form found in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Student handbook. This document will become part of their student file in the DPT office.  

In practicing psychomotor skills, students will abide by policies and procedures as indicated in the course syllabi and through course in-struction. Psychomotor skill assessments are adapted from the Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI) and assessed through the use of profi-ciency check-outs as well as lab practical exams. Lab Practical Assess-ments require 100% (or Passing grade) in professional behaviors and safety and a minimum of 80% in designated skills.   

Students must comply with the Program standards by attaining an overall 3.0 grade point average (GPA) throughout the Program, a grade of C or better in all course work and the Independent Compo-nent, as well as a grade of B- or better in all clinical lab practical exams is required. The Physical Therapy professional courses must be taken in the sequence outlined in the Professional Sequence. The DPT Professional Sequence must be completed within 150% of the entire projected curriculum (no more than 15 trimesters) to earn the DPT degree. Absence of the first instructional weekend or more than one class session (usually equivalent to 1/8 of the total contact hours) in any professional course will result in a failing grade.  

A failure of a course is unacceptable, and will result in dismissal from the program. If a student is dismissed from the program, the Committee on Admissions and Academic Performance determine: 1) if s/he may be reinstated into the program following the appeal process, and 2) if s/he returns to the program, recommends the logical point for the student to enroll in the Professional Sequence that   directly addresses the learning issue.   

If a student’s overall GPA falls below 3.0 or if the student attains a B- grade in a single trimester, he/she is immediately placed on academic probation. The remediation during academic probation consists of an Action Plan, mutually established by the student and faculty and/or Program Director, to identify the concerns, pertinent strategies with a timeline, and the expectations of the student and faculty. A student on academic probation must attain the required overall 3.0 GPA or above and no grade of B- or below by the end of the two subsequent trimesters. While on probation, the student may not receive a final grade in a class of a C or below. A student has no more than two  trimesters to improve the academic standard to the required 3.0. If the student is unable to attain the minimum academic standing of 3.0 by the end of the two subsequent trimesters, the student warrants dismissal. The student has the option to appeal the dismissal. Should an individual complete only the first two trimesters of the articulated  Biology/Physical Therapy professional sequence, the student earns a Bachelor of Arts in Biology (Pre-Med track) at the end of the second trimester, contingent upon successful completion of the required courses for the Bachelor’s degree.   

To ensure a quality educational experience, all students are expected to complete their academic work in an ethical manner, and to main-tain the professional standards as outlined by the APTA Code of Eth-ics, The APTA Standard of Practice, and Guide for Professional Conduct. (See the APTA Guide to Physical Therapy Practice.) A se-rious breach of ethical and professional behaviors is cause for discipli-nary action up to, and including, course failure or dismissal from the Program.  

In addition, all DPT students are responsible to abide by the Domin-ican University New York Student Code of Conduct. Refer to the Dominican University New York Student Handbook, which is also on the DC website (dc.edu).   

Students are expected to continue the learning and integration of all course content as part of the incremental physical therapy profes-sional education. To be eligible to take the combined written and lab practical capstone examinations, students are to be in good academic and professional behavior standing in the DPT Program.   

Off-Site Requirements  

The Clinical Experience is a significant and critical component of the professional physical therapy curriculum. Students observe and are mentored by expert clinicians working in their respective specialized clinical settings. These experiences are concurrent with weekend classes.  

The physical therapy curriculum provides the student with four full-time clinical affiliations throughout the ten trimesters of study for a total of thirty-six weeks. During these four blocks of clinical practice, each student will have experiences with patients/clients across the lifespan in a variety of settings that en-compass a range of conditions from acute to chronic. The student’s clinical experiences will provide them with the entry-level knowledge and skills they need in the general practice of physical therapy.  

Capstone and Final Requirements  

To demonstrate ongoing competency and integration of the required minimal skills at specific points in the professional sequence, all stu-dents must pass the written and clinical lab practical capstone exami-nations that cover all material in the courses and learning experiences prior to the scheduled examination. Typically, the alternate week-ends are used for the capstone examinations. The first capstone written and clinical lab practical examinations are administered at the end of Year I Trimester 3. The second capstone written and lab practical examinations are administered at the end of Trimester 5 to demon-strate mastery of required minimal skills. The third capstone written is administered as part of the Professional Development class at the end of Year IV Trimester 10, at the end of all required course work of the professional sequence. Students are expected to achieve all  required CPI criteria to successfully complete all clinical affiliations.   

A student must pass both the written and lab practical capstone examinations in order continue in the Program. Only one retake of the Capstone Written and Lab Practical Examinations is permitted. Students who do not pass the capstone exams are subject to dismissal from the program.  

Procedures  

Advisement: 

All students enrolled in the Physical Therapy Program are assigned a faculty advisor. Additionally, course coordinators/instructors will provide advisement related to specific course objectives, content and requirements, and professional development. The Director of Clinical Education (DCE) is responsible for advisement related to  
the Clinical Education Sequence and Clinical Experiences such as Clinical Experience I, II, III and IV. The Research Coordinator will also provide advisement concerning student research projects developed during the last two years of the professional sequence. Faculty will inform students of their office hours during course orientations, in the course outlines, and /or student advisement.  

When necessary, an Action Plan is used to develop appropriate strategies for students who either are not at the expected levels of Professional Behavior or where there is a marked discrepancy between the student’s self-assessment and faculty observations. Action Plans will be discussed and monitored during faculty meetings. An Action Plan may also be used as a written avenue to reach a learning goal or identified achievement (not remediation). The student will meet with the course coordinator/instructor or advisor to devise an Action Plan which will state the expectation to be accomplished within a specified time. The student is responsible for maintaining communication with the faculty advisor/course coordinator/ instructor regarding his/her ability or inability to master the objective.  

Residency: 

The DPT Professional Sequence must be completed within 4.6 years (14 trimesters) to complete the program.   

Health: 

All required health forms are to be completed and updated regularly and after any student health incident requiring medical attention. Evi-dence should be submitted at the beginning of each academic year in the Clinical Education sequence courses (Summer Trimester) and maintained electronically via the certifiedbackground.com.  
The Dominican University New York Physical Therapy Program faculty have developed a set of “essential functions.” “Essential function” refers to all nonacademic criteria used for admission and participation in a program. Essential functions are applied to all students and evolve with physical therapy practice. They are created so that students and practitioners can perform their job responsibilities in a safe and effective manner at a high standard. They are not established to discriminate against a person with a disability. The ability of a student to perform these essential functions, therefore, is a factor that will affect his or her acceptance to, progression in, and successful completion of the program. The extensive list of the essential functions may be requested from the PT program.   

Leave of Absence: 

A student may request a leave of absence from the Program, which, when granted, permits the student to return the following academic year without applying for readmission. The student must first request permission from the Program Director and provide supporting documents for their request. To be official, this request must be submitted in writing to the Registrar once approval from the Program Director has been attained.  

Students who have been away from the University for more than one year must reapply and restart the program from the beginning.  

Withdrawal: 

Except in unusual circumstances, a student who wishes to withdraw from a course without academic penalty may only do so within a prescribed time frame; the symbol "W" will be entered on the transcript when the approved withdrawal occurs before two-thirds of the sched-uled sessions of the course or prior to the start of the 6th weekend of the trimester. The course instructor and the Program Director must be informed prior to the student’s intended withdrawal. See the section above regarding requesting a leave of absence before submitting a with-drawal request to ensure that a student’s seat in the program is held.  

Insurance: 

While enrolled in the DPT Program, students are required to maintain currency in the following: individual professional liability insurance (with the coverage of at least one million dollars per occurrence/three million aggregate), APTA student membership, and CPR and First Aid certification.