Physical Therapy Doctor of Science
Doctorate of Science in Physical Therapy (ScD) is the first of its kind in the Southwest. The ScD Program is a logical means for therapists to achieve needed levels of expertise and specialization by providing an advanced skill set that is increasingly essential for successful practice in modern society. This program will provide therapists with the opportunity to develop the advanced knowledge base, clinical skills, and professional competencies needed for state-of-the-art evaluation and treatment of their patients. As result, it will allow them to increase their level of sophistication, efficiency, efficacy, and clinical outcomes in orthopaedic physical therapy practice.
The ScD Program is designed to prepare clinical practitioners in the area of advanced orthopaedic physical therapy with an emphasis in clinical diagnostics and manual therapy. In addition, the program provides ScD students with the opportunity to develop expertise in clinical education and/or research, thus contributing to the development and growth of evidence-based practice within the profession. Moreover, it provides students with expertise to manage patients with complex musculoskeletal problems. These learning opportunities will be enhanced through the new multi-million dollar teaching and research facilities located at TTUHSC, the latest technology, and faculty who are experts in the area of orthopaedic physical therapy practice.
Here are few of the highlights that make the ScD Program in Physical Therapy at TTUHSC an ideal setting for practicing physical therapists to continue their post-professional education:
The program admits clinicians with bachelor's or master's PT degrees, as well as a D.P.T. degree.
The program provides an advanced clinical orthopaedic curriculum that emphasizes PT diagnostics and manual therapy.
The curriculum is presented in a weekend course format with web-based course enhancement.
The program offers a clinical or research mentoring experience.
Students are allowed to continue with their clinical employment as PTs while enrolled, as their work settings provide the ideal place for applying what is learned in the program.
Each ScD student has the option of emphasizing clinical research and/or clinical teaching.
The curriculum can serve as a potential source for continuing education units.
The program provides preparation for Orthopaedic Certified Specialist (OCS) examination.
Thank you for your interest in our program. It is our belief that we offer one of the most unique and thorough post-professional orthopaedic physical therapy education programs in the country. Should you have any questions on the program, please do not hesitate to e-mail the program director at phil.sizer@ttuhsc.edu. For any questions related to prerequisites, enrollment deadlines, etc., e-mail our Office of Admissions and Student Affairs at allied.health@ttuhsc.edu.
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Characteristics of Texas Public Doctoral Programs
| Measure | Operational Definition | Value |
|---|---|---|
Number of Degrees Per Year |
Rolling 3-year average of the number of degrees awarded per academic year |
5.7 |
Graduation Rates |
Rolling 3-year average of the percent of 1st year doctoral student[2] who graduated within ten years |
100% |
Average Time to Degree |
Rolling 3-year average of the registered time to degree[3] of 1st year doctoral students within a ten year period |
BS Grads = 5 years MPT Grads = 4.3 years MS Grads = 3.5 years Overall = 4.5 years |
Employment Profile (in field within one year of graduation) |
Percentage of the last three years of graduates employed in academia, post-doctorates, industry / professional, government, and those still seeking employment (in Texas) |
Academia = 34% Industry/Professional = 63% Seeking employment (1%) |
Admissions Criteria |
Description of Admissions Factors |
Interview Cumulative GPA Physical Therapy school GPA Letters of Recommendation Essay Highest earned degree Clinical Experience |
Percentage Full-time Students (FTS) with Financial Support |
In the prior year, the number of FTS (> or = 18 SCH) with support / the number of FTS |
0% |
Average Financial Support |
For those receiving financial support, the average financial support provided per full-time graduate student (including tuition rebate) for the prior year, including research assistantships, teaching assistantships, fellowships, tuition, benefits, etc...that is "out-of-pocket" |
$0 |
Student-Core Faculty[4] Ratio |
Rolling 3-year average of full-time student equivalent (FTSE) / rolling 3-year average of full-time faculty equivalent (FTFE) of core faculty |
25.5 FTSE / FTFE |
Core Faculty Publications |
Rolling 3-year average of the number of discipline-related refereed papers / publications, juried creative / performance accomplishments, book chapters, notices of discoveries filed / patents issued, and books per year per core faculty member |
Sizer (6.7) Brismee (6.7) Dedrick (1.3) Apte (0) |
Core Faculty External Grants |
Rolling 3-year average of the number of core faculty receiving external funds, average external grant $ per faculty, and total external grant $ per program per academic year[5] |
1.0 $10,100 $6,900 |
Percentage Full-time Students |
Rolling 3-year average of the FTS (> or = 9 SCH) / Number of students enrolled (headcount) for the last 3 fall semesters |
0.6 |
Number of Core Faculty |
Number of Core Faculty in the prior year |
4 |
Faculty Teaching Load |
Total number of semester credit hours in organized teaching courses taught per academic year by core faculty divided by the number of core faculty in the prior year |
24.75 |
Faculty Diversity |
Core faculty by ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic, Other) and gender, updated when changed |
White 3; Indian 1 |
Student Diversity |
Enrollment headcount by ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic, Other) and gender in program in the prior year |
White 49 Black 0 Hispanic 1 Other 17 Male 33 Female 34 |
Date of Last External Review |
Date of last formal external review, updated when changed |
2009 |
External Program Accreditation |
Name of body and date of last program accreditation review, if applicable, updated when changed |
Southern Association of Schools and Colleges |
Student Publications |
Rolling 3-year average of the number of discipline-related refereed papers / publications, juried creative / performance accomplishments, book chapters, books and external presentations per year per core faculty member |
3 Papers 2 Abstracts 3 Presentations |
[1] Programs included only if in existence 3 or more years. Program is defined at the 8-digits CIP code level
[2] 1st-year doctoral students: Those students who have been coded as doctoral students by the institution and have either completed a master's program or at least 30 SCH toward a graduate degree
[3] Registered time to degree: The number of semesters enrolled starting when a student first appears as a doctoral student until he/she completes a degree, excluding any time taken off during graduate study. The number of years is obtained by dividing the number of semesters by three
[4] Core Faculty: Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty who teach 50 percent or more in the doctoral program or other individuals integral to the doctoral program who can direct dissertation research