Faculty

Program Coordinator

• Michael A. Tevald, PT, PhD, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy, Director of Post-Professional Programs

Faculty

• Joseph Adler, PT, DPT CCS., Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
• William G. Boissonnault, PT, DHSc, FAAMOPT, Executive Vice President of Professional Affairs APTA
• Charles D. Ciccone, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Professor at Ithaca College
• Kristin Vamvas Day, PT, PhD, NCS
• Michael Dilleno, PT, DPT, CSCS
• Martha E. Eastlack, PT, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy and Director of Entry-Level Physical Therapy Admissions
• Brian Eckenrode, PT, DPT, OCS Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
• Daniel Goldstein, PT, DPT, OCS, Good Shepherd Penn Partners
• Elliot Greenberg, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS., Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Alex Haddad, PT, DPT, OCS, PhD, Moss Rehab
• Stephan Kareha, PT DPT, OCS, ATC, St. Luke’s Physical Therapy
• Shailesh Kantak, PT, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
• Philip McClure, PT, PhD, FAPTA, Professor and Chair of Physical Therapy
• Amy Miller, PT, DPT, EdD, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy and Curriculum Director
• Kerstin Palombaro, PT, PhD, CAPS, Assistant Professor, Community Engagement Coordinator, Widener University
• Laura Prosser, PT PhD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Daniel Safford, PT, DPT, MAT, Good Shepherd Penn Partners and Optimum Physical Therapy Associates
• Kshamata Shah, PT, PhD, Assistant Professor, Director: Education for International Physical Therapists
• Scott Stackhouse, PT, PhD, University of New England, Maine
• Kristin von Nieda, PT, MEd, DPT, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy

About the Program

All post-professional D.P.T. courses are 2-credit, fully online courses.

• The program can be completed 1 to 3 years, or 1.5 to 3 years for internationally educated therapists.
• Pricing schedule makes the program affordable and competitively priced.
• Students can start any semester, and most courses can be taken in any sequence.
• Course waivers based on experience documented in a portfolio, are possible for up to 6 credits.
• Students network and interact with nationally recognized faculty and peers.
• Students can take two courses before formal application and matriculation.
• Arcadia’s Physical Therapy program is ranked 20th among the 217 accredited programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

The profession and practice of physical therapy is rapidly changing. The demands imposed upon a physical therapist today are very different from those of even five or 10 years ago. These demands often go beyond the formal education provided in more traditional entry-level programs. Therapists increasingly are required to justify their practice patterns based on research evidence, to take on consulting and supervisory roles, and to provide administrative expertise and leadership.

Offered completely online, this program gives practicing clinicians easy access to make their formal education congruent with students graduating from entry-level D.P.T. programs. The program’s goal is to educate clinicians to achieve practice consistent with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Vision 2020 and beyond. Graduates will function with a high degree of professionalism and possess the requisite knowledge, skills and behaviors to practice physical therapy in a truly scientific manner (i.e., using evidence-based practice).

Graduates will demonstrate the ability to do the following:

• Solve clinical problems using evidence.
• Critically evaluate current literature and popular theories.
• Communicate professionally.
• Function as an effective teacher at multiple levels—with patients, students, peers, and the public.
• Lead others and advocate effectively (serve as a consultant or manager).
• Enhance skills required to be a lifelong independent learner.

This is a program for practicing professionals who want to learn and interact with nationally recognized faculty and exceptional peers. The program is highly interactive and capitalizes on the wealth of knowledge clinicians bring with them.

Admission Requirements

Therapists educated in United States can take two courses before formal application and matriculation, while internationally-educated therapists may take up to three courses to satisfy credentialing deficits. Acceptance into a course does not guarantee admission into the program.

The following program-specific requirements must be met:

1. A graduate application, including the following items, must be completed online at www.arcadia.edu/gradapp.
   1. Proof of graduation (official transcript) from a physical therapist degree program accredited by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education (currently CAPTE) with a minimum GPA of 2.75.
   2. Current license to practice physical therapy in the United States 
   3. Three written recommendations (professional or academic)
   4. Brief essay articulating goals for D.P.T. study
2. Basic computer skills including Internet and email
3. A computer system that meets the requirements described here:
   1. https://www.arcadia.edu/arcadia-online-student-computer-requirements 
4. Students will be required to complete an online plagiarism training module and submit a certificate of completion prior to beginning their first class. Complete instructions will be communicated at the time of acceptance into the program or registration for a course.

Additional Admission Requirements for Internationally Educated Physical Therapists:

1. Proof of graduation (official transcript) from a government-recognized physical therapist degree program with a GPA of 3.0 or better.  Please include a GPA report, if available.
2. Official transcripts from any U.S. Colleges/Universities attended.
3. PT Credentialing report (official) from an agency approved by Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).  Approved agencies include the following: FCCPT, CGFNS, ICD, ICA, UTA, IERF
   1. see list here: https://www.fsbpt.org/ExamCandidates/NationalExam(NPTE)/NonUSCandidates.aspx
4. International applicants should visit www.arcadia.edu/international for detailed information on admission requirements and application procedures.  Official results from the TOEFL or IELTS are required for all students for whom English is a second language or who have not earned degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g. the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand). 

Please note, as an International Student in the TDPT program:

• We will not issue an I-20.
• Your U.S. state PT license must be valid for the duration of the program.  If your state license is only valid for 2 years, you must complete all required courses and finish the last course by the expiration date of your license.

Expenses

2018-19 Tuition:

Prior to matriculation into the program, all students will be billed on a per-credit basis.The current tuition rate is $800/credit.  Each course in the curriculum is 2 credits.

Upon matriculation into the program, students may choose one of two payment options:

• They may continue to be billed on a per credit basis.
• They may choose to be billed the package price for the entire program.  Tuition paid for courses taking prior to matriculation will be credited to the students account.
  • The package price for students trained in a CAPTE accredited program is $10,000, billed over 6 equal installments of $1,667/semester.
  • The package price for internationally-trained students is $11,000, billed over 6 equal installments of $1,833/semester.

Fees:

• Application: $25
• Registration: approximately $50 per semester, subject to change
• Technology: approximately $50 per semester, subject to change
• Portfolio review (if course waiver is requested): $200
• Additional expenses for textbooks and course materials will also apply

Degree Requirements (12-22 credits)

The program consists of 18 credits (9 classes) for therapists educated in CAPTE-accredited programs and 22 credits (11 classes) for internationally educated therapists. The curriculum emphasizes evidence-based practice and addresses core competencies to enrich the practice of physical therapy. Students with professional experience and/or coursework in certain areas may request waivers for up to 6 of these credits (3 courses, indicated in the course description below) by submitting a portfolio documenting their experience.  Detail instructions are included in ther acceptance packet.  Students submitting a portfolio will be charged a $200 portfolio review fee.

The program is entirely online.  Most courses include both synchronous (i.e., all students participate at a specific date and time) and asynchronous (i.e., on your own time) components.  Students are only required to take one course per semester, but many take two. Therefore, most students will take approximately two years to complete the program, although this may vary.

Students can start any semester.  Most courses can be taken in any order, with the following exceptions:

• PT 505 Clinical Decision Making must be taken before the Clinical Practice Series course.  
• PT 702 Case Analysis is designed as a capstone-like experience, and must be taken last

All courses are 2 credits.  Students must maintain a 2.7 cumulative grade point average to remain in good academic standing.  Failure to maintain this may lead to dismissal from the program.

The curriculum consists of Core Courses and the Clinical Practice Series.