Physical therapy schools in Alabama produce skilled physical therapists in the United States to help approximately one million people alleviate pain, prevent the onset and progression of impairment, functional limitation, disability, or changes in physical function and health status.
A Physical Therapist (PT) is a healthcare professional who provides direct patient care to persons who have disorders of movement, mechanical, physiological and developmental impairments and functional limitations, whether caused by injury or disease, to help them achieve maximum physical function and mobility.
Physical Therapy Schools in Alabama
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Alabama State University
Physical Therapy is a dynamic profession with an established theoretical base and widespread clinical applications in the preservation, development, and restoration of optimal physical function. Every day,
Alabama State University offers the Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) degree.
This three-year degree prepares graduates as entry-level physical therapists eligible to sit for the National Physical Therapy Exam administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
As essential participants in the health care delivery system, physical therapists assume leadership roles in rehabilitation services, prevention and health maintenance programs, and professional and community organizations.
They also play important roles in developing health care policy and appropriate standards for the various elements of physical therapist practice to ensure availability, accessibility, and excellence in the delivery of physical therapy services.
The vision of the ASU PT Program is to graduate entry-level general practitioners who develop lifelong learning skills, adapt to the ever-changing health care environment, and utilizes evidence-based practice in serving the diverse population with emphasis on the medically underserved areas/populations.
Also, the mission of ASU Physical Therapy program is to prepare and graduate reflective physical therapy practitioners who are lifelong learners and practice with cultural competency and humility in a global society.
The program is dedicated to improving the health and welfare of underserved and underrepresented populations by educating students who reflect those communities.
Address: 915 South Jackson Street Montgomery, AL 36104-5732 United States
Phone: (334) 229-5053
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Samford University
Samford’s Doctor of Physical Therapy is a three-year program with a heavy emphasis on the sciences, equipping students with the foundational knowledge needed to make evidence-based clinical decisions for their patients and their families.
Working in a variety of clinical settings, Samford is committed to providing students the broadest experience possible to help them find their ultimate calling.
For those called to a career in physical therapy, Samford University offers a fast-track program that provides eligible students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Science in exercise science and a Doctor of Physical Therapy in just six years.
Incoming freshmen may apply for the fast-track program and must meet specific progression standards in order to remain in the program.
Acceptance to the fast-track program as a freshman guarantees admission into Samford’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program as long as progression standards are met.
The first three years of the program are dedicated to completion of all required undergraduate courses. Summer of the fourth year, students begin the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
A Bachelor of Science in exercise science is awarded in December of the fourth year, and a Doctor of Physical Therapy at the end of the sixth year.
Student Benefits While in the Program
- Department of Physical Therapy will pay for six years of student membership to the APTA
- Department of Physical Therapy will fund travel to National Student Conclave once during the first two years of the Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum
- Students may sit in on any Doctor of Physical Therapy class during their first three years and may actively participate in Doctor of Physical Therapy program activities
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Samford University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
Address: 800 Lakeshore Drive Birmingham, AL 35229 United States
Phone: 205-726-2011
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The University of Alabama at Birmingham
The Department of Physical Therapy, a fully accredited program since 1967, offers an entry level Doctor of Physical Therapy.
In 2011, they established a unique interdisciplinary PhD in Rehabilitation Science program in partnership with UAB Occupational Therapy.
The department’s research laboratories focus on clinically relevant studies of human motion and exercise physiology.
Also the UAB Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program is designed to lead to professional licensure in Physical Therapy. While graduates of the program are eligible for the licensure examination, specific licensure requirements vary from state to state.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is ranked 13th in U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 “Best Grad Schools.”
Address: 1720 2nd Avenue South SHPB 360 Birmingham, AL 35294-1212 United States
Phone: (205) 934-3566
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University of South Alabama
University of South Alabama Department of Physical Therapy is committed to high quality education, promoting and generating scholarship, and engaging in local to global service.
The PT department continues to pursue a path toward excellence in achieving their mission “educating physical therapists who provide the highest levels of professional care to diverse communities while maintaining a commitment to life-long learning.”
Also, the Department of Physical Therapy offers the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The PT dept. has provided quality physical therapy education for nearly 30-years with continuous accreditation.
A friendly faculty that is clinically and academically strong teaches the curriculum leading to the Doctor of Physical Therapy DPT degree.
As its Mission, the Department of Physical Therapy is dedicated to the education of physical therapists who provide the highest levels of professional care to diverse communities while maintaining a commitment to life-long learning, and is committed to service and the advancement of knowledge in the profession through research and scholarly activity.
The exciting and challenging Doctor of Physical Therapy program is offered in an 8-semester (32 continuous months) format, a new class entering each Fall semester. The DPT program curriculum includes a variety of professional training/educational experiences to prepare students to enter PT practice.
Students benefit from significant hands on physical therapy clinical practical labs and formal lectures/discussions led by faculty with experience in each clinical practice area, clinical problem solving activities, clinical research plus 33 weeks of full-time clinical internship supervised by licensed physical therapists.
The clinical internships are available in over 200 affiliated general hospitals, rehabilitation centers and various specialty practices representing a wide variety of educational opportunities for the student.
While clinical sites are spread across the United States, the majority are within the Southeastern region.
Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of South Alabama prepares graduates for professional practice and is designed as an entry-level, first Physical Therapy degree.
Throughout the DPT program, students develop necessary communication skills in addition to professional and manual skills and techniques.
Strong emphasis is placed on gaining clinical reasoning/problem solving skills and the ability to practice as an independent primary care provider in any employment setting.
Graduates of the DPT program will also have the capability of assuming responsibilities in areas of administration, consultation and research in physical therapy.
Address: 307 N University Blvd HAHN Rm 2011 Mobile, AL 36688-0001 United States
Phone: (251) 445-9330
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