General Program Description

Regis University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program is designed to prepare graduates as leaders in the profession of physical therapy, who bridge theory and practice in a dynamic health care environment. Special attention is placed on developing an appreciation of the uniqueness of the individual and recognition of how this uniqueness influences health and wellness of diverse populations. Emphasis is placed on collaborating with other health care professionals and contributing for the benefit of the community as advocates for the public welfare. The curriculum fosters the development of leaders in the service of others, who individually appreciate the ethical and social obligations of their role in the health care environment. The program incorporates principles of adult learning theory with opportunities for students to refine their knowledge and abilities through participation in the various threads of the curriculum, namely teaching and learning, communication, scientific inquiry, and service to others. The innovative curriculum, extensive in depth and breadth, supports advanced clinical practice while simultaneously promoting Jesuit/Catholic educational values. Graduates practice independently, ethically, and legally as primary care providers. The curriculum is designed as an integrated model that stresses personal responsibility for learning through self-assessment, interpersonal and group communication, and extensive depth and breadth in the physical therapy management content areas to enable graduates to be successful direct access primary care providers. Students participate in numerous group projects that develop strong communication and group dynamic skills. The central concept of the curriculum is movement theory and is presented through an evidenced-based systems approach as it is expressed across the life span considering the diverse health care needs of individuals. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in the sciences supporting health promotion, wellness, and physical therapy intervention and the rationales linking theory and application to clinical practice. The study of structured clinical problems and issues in small group tutorial sessions further enhances clinical integration throughout the curriculum. Graduation requirements include completion of a research project. The physical therapy program starts a new class in August of each year and is eight consecutive semesters. The physical therapy classes are held in a traditional weekday format at the main Lowell campus in northwest Denver, Colorado. Graduation occurs in May.

Clinical Experiences
Students participate in 38 weeks of full-time clinical experience integrated throughout the 3-year program. The clinical experiences necessitate traveling to various sites. Many of the clinical experiences late in the curriculum will be out of the metro Denver area and one is required to be outside of Colorado. Students, while expected to take active roles in the selection of their clinical experiences, are ultimately placed in settings that offer variety in both practice setting and locale. Students are required to participate in at least one clinical experience in a rural setting as it is in these settings that the students often experience the most variety and diversity.

Enrollment
Regis University, a Jesuit university, serves over 15,000 students in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Regis University’s School of Physical Therapy offers an entry level DPT, Transition DPT and Fellowships in Manual Therapy and Optimal Aging. The entry level DPT program enrolls approximately 64 students in each class.

Admission
Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree in a field other than physical therapy. All prerequisite course work must be completed with a C-, however a minimum prerequisite GPA of 2.75 is required to apply. Application to the program may be made prior to completion of all prerequisites, but prerequisites must be complete prior to matriculation. Prerequisite course work includes 4 semester hours each of human anatomy and human physiology including labs (combined courses accepted), 3 semester hour statistics course which includes descriptive and inferential statistics; 6 semester hours of behavioral science (courses taken in a psychology, sociology or anthropology department); and 8 semester hours each of general chemistry (labs/lectures), general physics (labs/lectures), and general biology (labs/lectures). Applicants must complete both the PTCAS application (www.ptcas.org) and Regis University’s Supplemental Application (www.regis.edu/dpt). All applicants whose application materials are complete and received by the application deadline will be evaluated on the basis of prerequisite GPA, GRE scores (analytical, quantitative, and verbal), cumulative GPA, completion of highly recommended coursework, knowledge of the field (this can be accomplished through professional interviews, literary review, clinical experience, etc.), and three recommendations (at least one academic and one from a physical therapist). Applicants who appear best qualified will receive an invitation for a personal interview. Interviews take place in early spring (January/February). Notice of admission occurs in February/March. For the class starting in 2009 the average GPA was 3.5, (range 2.7-4.0), the average prerequisite GPA was 3.48, the average GRE was 480 verbal, 640 quantitative and 4.5 in the analytical writing section. The average age of students in the physical therapy program is 24.

Outcomes
No outcome information provided by the program.

Tuition, fees and financial aid
Tuition for the 2014-15 academic year is $795 per semester hour; the physical therapy program is 110 total semester hours. The estimated cost of books, technology, uniforms, laboratory instruments and miscellaneous supplies for the program is $15,000. Students are also required to pay a laboratory fee of $400 per year. Financial aid information is available through the Office of Financial Aid at Regis University. Please contact that office directly at 303-458-4066 or at www.regis.edu/financialaid. Private scholarship sources through the School of Physical Therapy are identified to students as sources become available.

Student life
Jesuit tradition, focusing on value-centered education and excellence, has long set Regis, one of only 28 Jesuit Catholic colleges and universities in the country, apart. In keeping with the mission and goals of the university, a number of services are provided to support the intellectual, spiritual, physical well-being and development of students including tutoring services, media support, computer lab access, library services, health services, fitness center, career services, and intramural sports. Regis University is located in Denver, Colorado, a metropolitan area that offers diverse civic, cultural, business, and governmental activities, yet is less than a half-hour from the Rocky Mountain foothills and less than 2 hours from the slopes of numerous ski resorts.