Physical Therapy

An educational program in physical therapy is located on the Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis campus.

Description of the Profession As members of the health care team, physical therapists help restore clients to normal functioning of the musculoskeletal and other systems through interventions utilizing therapeutic exercise, physical agents, and assistive devices. The client’s physical therapy needs are determined through evaluation and examination of muscle strength and tone, joint status, posture, sensory status, functional mobility, exercise tolerance as it relates to cardiorespiratory status, skin condition, pain, and other medical conditions that impair physical function. Physical therapists are concerned with health promotion and disease prevention as well as restoration of function following disease, injury, or loss of a body part. In addition to patient care, the physical therapist participates in administrative, teaching, and research activities and provides consultive services. Physical therapists work in hospitals, outpatient facilities, industrial clinics, governmental and voluntary health agencies, educational settings, extended care facilities, and private practice settings.

Graduates of the Program The educational experiences of the Physical Therapy Program curriculum are designed to graduate a physical therapist with skills as a generalist. Graduates of the program are eligible to apply for licensure in the state in which they will practice.

Credential Required to Practice P.T., Physical Therapist.

Licensure Requirements to Practice All states require that an individual graduate from an accredited physical therapy program and successfully complete the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) in order to practice as a physical therapist.

In response to the many dynamic changes affecting contemporary practice and physical therapy professional education the Physical Therapy Program faculty submitted an amended proposal to higher administration for a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree program in lieu of the previously approved Master's of Physical Therapy (MPT) degree program. The DPT proposal was approved by the Indiana University Board of Trustees at its meeting on Friday, June 22^nd. This proposal now requires a final review and approval by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) prior to implementation.

Contingent upon ICHE approval, the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program will consist of 98 semester hours of coursework and clinical education over 3 academic years and 9 semesters. The previously approved curriculum has been enhanced to be congruent with the physical therapy profession's Vision 2020 Statement, the profession's Normative Model v.2000 and all current Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) standards. As a consequence of implementing these requirements and to allow for ICHE review we must defer the enrollment of our first graduate physical therapy class until the Fall Semester, August 2002.