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Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy Fact Sheet
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has identified a vision of Physical Therapy as a doctoring profession. Consistent with this vision, virtually all PT programs have changed their curriculum to offer a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. The DPT, a clinical doctorate, differs from academic doctorates such as a PhD or EdD and provides graduates with a higher level of evidence-based practice that is needed for contemporary autonomous physical therapy clinical practice. Further information about this educational change is available from the APTA website at www.apta.org under the Education sidebar.The Springfield College Board of Trustees approved our program change in 2004 and approval by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education followed in 2005. Our first DPT class has begun their professional classes and is scheduled to graduate in May of 2011.
We recognize that alumni of our program may be interested in pursuing a DPT, available for a person who is already a physical therapist as a transitional DPT or tDPT. We have committed ourselves to facilitating the process for our alumni to complete a transitional DPT program. Through established agreements with several tDPT programs, our alumni may receive advanced placement at selected programs. All of these programs offer the transitional DPT either exclusively or primarily through distance learning (e.g. on-line) and are designed to be completed part-time while employed full-time.
On the basis of our SC Master of Science degree, five agreements have been established with Arizona School of Health Sciences, Chicago Medical School/Rosalind Franklin University, Sage Graduate School, Simmons – School for Health Studies, and Temple University. Following a review of our curriculum, each of these programs has agreed to grant our graduates a waiver of selected DPT (transition) courses. This means that our alumni can complete these transitional DPT programs more quickly and with reduced costs. Details about each of these programs are presented below on this page including contact information.
We believe that distance learning is only one of several ways a physical therapist might complete a transitional DPT. Our intent with concentrating initially on programs that offer a distance learning focus was to try to accommodate the needs of our alumni. Based on our review of these programs, we believe them to be excellent, but we do not formally endorse them or any other transitional DPT program. We encourage anyone contemplating such an undertaking to do so with due consideration of all the available information and after careful reflection. This opportunity to complete a DPT (transitional) is an option for our MS students as they graduate and become alumni.
If you have further questions, please contact us at 413-748-3590 or visit our departmental webpage at www.spfldcol.edu/hsrs.
Selected Transitional DPT Programs
Programs With Springfield College Agreement
Arizona School of Health Sciences
Department of Physical Therapy
Arizona School of Health Sciences
5850 E. Still Circle
Mesa, AZ 85206
Phone: 480.219.6000
Email: information@ashs.edu
Web site: http://www.ashs.edu/prog_pt.htm (Application can be downloaded from web site)
Chicago Medical School – Rosalind Frankin University (formerly Finch University)
Department of Physical Therapy
3333 Green Bay Road
North Chicago, IL 60064
Department Phone: 847.578.3307
tDPT contact: Donna Frownfelter, PT, DPT
Phone: 847.578.8518
Email: Donna.Frownfelter@rosalindfranklin.edu
Simmons – School for Health Studies
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115-5898
tDPT contact: School of Health Studies
Phone: 617.521.2605
Email: shs@simmons.edu
Web site: http://www.simmons.edu
The Sage Colleges
45 Ferry Street
Troy, NY 12180
Graduate Admissions
Phone: 518.244-6878
Email: sgsadm@sage.edu
Web site: www.sage.edu (Application can be downloaded from web site)
tDPT contact: Esther Haskvitz, PT, PhD, ATC
Phone: 518.244.4590
Email: haskve@sage.edu
Temple University
Department of Physical Therapy
3307 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19140
Phone: 215.707.4815
tDPT Contact: Matthews Thomas, PT, DPT, MSPT, CSCS, CKTP
Email: matthews.thomas@temple.edu
Web Site: http://www.temple.edu/PT/
