Sports Residency, Graduate Certificate

About the Program

Arcadia University Sports Residency is in the process of accreditation by the American Physical Therapy Association as a post professional residency program.

• Sports Residency Applications for admission are accepted on a rolling basis.

  • Mentoring

  • Hybrid Didactic

  • On-field Management with athletic training department

  • Research opportunities

  • Entry level DPT teaching opportunities

• Clinical mentoring occurs at the resident’s current clinical practice site or alternative sites.

• Didactic curriculum utlilizes a hybrid model of online learning and onsite manual skills laboratory sessions.

• Opportunities for involvement in research based on interest.

• Opportunities exist to teach in the entry-level DPT curriculum.

• Residents are able to qualify for deferment of student loans. 

• The 18-credit residency program is one year in length.

Benefits to the resident include enhancing professional development, advancing knowledge and skill acquisition, and learning via direct mentoring.

Residents will graduate with a Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Certificate from Arcadia and be prepared to sit for the sports clinical specialization examination offered by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

The mission of the Sports Residency Program at Arcadia University is to develop and produce expert physical therapists who provide best practice using evidence in the examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, and outcome of sports related conditions that lead to injury. Graduates of the residency program will demonstrate competency in compliance with the Description of Specialty Practice and Description of Residency Practice for Sports as described by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). This planned program of post-professional education is designed to advance the knowledge and skills of the physical therapist in sports specific content to best support enhanced patient care through clinical mentorship and didactic education. The program will work to guide and promote growth of physical therapy residents and faculty in sports through on-going continuous improvement and strategic initiatives. The residency will provide sufficient content, knowledge and skills to prepare residents to sit for the sports clinical specialization examination offered by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

Laboratory Sessions: The courses in the program utilize a hybrid model of online learning with integrated manual skills laboratory sessions. The manual skills laboratory sessions will occur over 4 weekends per year. The program is highly interactive and capitalizes on the wealth of knowledge clinicians bring with them.

Program Requirements

(18 credits)

1. The didactic component of the program consists of six 2-credit courses. Two courses deal with general concepts relevant to the management of all advanced management of sports related injuries and the spine. The remaining four courses are specific to certain regions of the body, and each includes relevant anatomy, biomechanics, imaging, medical screening as well as current best evidence related to examination and intervention with emphasis on the most prevalent conditions for each region. The regional course content includes a laboratory component for development of manual skills.

2. On-field Management with Athletic Training department: In addition, a mentoring component is required, which will be completed at the resident’s place of employment or alternative site under the guidance of a board-certified sports and orthopedic clinical specialist or equivalent advanced certification. The residency will culminate in the completion of a final capstone project. At minimum 100 on-field athletic coverage hours is required and will be completed in collaboration with the Arcadia University Athletic Department. Benefits to the resident include enhancing professional development, advancing knowledge and skill acquisition, and learning via direct mentoring. Opportunities exist to teach in the entry-level D.P.T. curriculum and to serve as mentors and lecturers for the residency curriculum upon completion of the residency.

3. Outside Employment in an Orthopaedic clinical setting. 

• PT 656 Neuromuscular Tissues and Motor Control (2 credits)
• PT 680 Evidence Based Practice and Clinical Reasoning (2 credits)
• PT 694 Advanced Sports Physical Therapy Practice of the Spine (2 credits)
• PT 682 Upper Extremity: Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist & Hand (2 credits)
• PT 693 Medical Management of the Athlete (2 credits)
• PT 684 Lower Extremity: Hip, Knee, Ankle & Gait (2 credits)
• PT 789R1 Independent Study-Orthopaedic Residency (2 credits)
• PT 789R2 Independent Study-Orthopaedic Residency (2 credits)
• PT 799R3 Independent Study-Orthopaedic Residency (2 credits)