Doctor of Physical Therapy

Program Information

 

Accreditation

The University is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) granted accreditation to Franklin Pierce University’s MPT Program in April 2002. With the permission of CAPTE the curriculum was advanced  to the DPT in April 2005. The University currently holds accredited status through to 2016. An expansion of the program to the campus at Goodyear, AZ was approved in April 2009 and classes commenced there in June 2009.  Inquiries regarding the status of an institution’s accreditation by CAPTE should be directed to: CAPTE, 111 N. Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 684-2782 or (703) 706-3245 or e-mail: accreditation@apta.org.

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Curriculum

Curriculum Plan for Class of 2015 PDF

 

Facilities & Anatomy Instruction

The Concord Center campus occupies the entire third floor of the building at 5 Chenell Drive, Concord, NH. The Center houses the Physical Therapy Program during the day and other graduate and undergraduate programs in the evenings and on weekends. This gives the physical therapy students access to the entire 19,000 square feet of space, computer lab and classrooms during the day, and to the computer lab and study areas during the other operating hours.The Program is taught in two large classrooms and three spacious labs and has access to ten classrooms and seminar rooms.

There is an anatomy multi-function lab which contains plastic models, charts, skeletons and plastinated specimens. Plastinated specimens are real cadaveric parts which are leased from the University of Michigan. The cadaver is dissected to the specifications of the program and then slowly infused with plastic so that the body part becomes preserved without exposing students to environmentally hazardous materials. The plastinated specimens have a 90 year shelf life and give the students an opportunity to access specimens throughout their three academic years of study.

The computer lab at Concord includes computers which have ADAM (anatomy software) loaded on each. Students use ADAM to dissect and reconstruct the body, learn anatomical structures and relationships, pronunciation of terms, and surface anatomy. Finally, the anatomy instruction in class, lab and on the computer is supplemented by anatomy lab at Dartmouth Medical School during which students have an opportunity to observe full body dissections to better appreciate the relationship of structure.

Franklin Pierce University's DPTprogram at the Goodyear Campus is currently offered in the West Valley Learning Center at 140 North Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ. Future permanent facilities are planned. The facility on Litchfield Road includes state-of-the-art labs, a spacious classroom and a modern computer lab. The off-campus Anatomy Lab is provided by agreement with Glendale Community College at their state-of-the-art facility just 15 minutes away.

The Franklin Pierce University College of Graduate and Professional Studies does not provide housing, meals or transportation. An active Physical Therapy Student Association aids fellow students in finding ways to meet these needs.

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Clinical Education

Clinical education is a vital component in the professional education of the Franklin Pierce physical therapy student and is integrated throughout the physical therapy program curriculum. Our students have four integrated clinical experiences spread through the first two years of the curriculum,and the third year is comprised primarily of full-time clinical placements totaling 32 weeks. Franklin Pierce students participate in clinical experiences at Clinical Education Centers around the country. These placements provide the students with the exciting opportunities to apply skills they have learned in the classroom to real life settings and to develop new skills under the guidance of their Clinical Instructors.

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Financial Support

The Financial Aid office works with DPT students to plan for the payment of tuition and other costs. Whether by student loans, grants, scholarships, or alternative forms of credit, Financial Aid will point the student in the right direction. More information is available on the Financial Aid page.

There are a limited number of part time work-study opportunities for students in the DPT program, these positions are awarded during the first term of each year. There are also four Graduate Research Assistant positions available each year, they are given to exceptional students who are attending the second year of the program. It is not recommended that students plan to work significant hours while participating in this full time program.

The $2,500 Alumni Scholarship, established by the Alumni Board in 2002, will be awarded to one student enrolled in the DPT program each year.

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Tuition and Fees

A current list of Tuition and Fees for the College of Graduate and Professional Studies may be viewed here. The University catalogue also lists the updated tuition and fees each academic year.

Additional costs for books, Clinical Education requirements (such as health insurance), as well as costs for housing, transportaion and meals, are the responsibility of the student and can not be estimated by the University.

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Professional Organizations