Ph.D. Program in
Physical Rehabilitation Science
The Carver College of Medicine and the Graduate College administratively coordinate the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. The Program is located within the medical complex of The University of Iowa. Advanced study toward a Ph.D. degree in Physical Rehabilitation Science is available. The requirements for the doctor of philosophy degree consist of a minimum of 72 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, including 12 semester hours of dissertation research. With the approval of the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and the Dean of the Graduate College, graduate work from other institutions may be applied toward degree. Grade point average, scores on the Graduate Record Examination, written recommendations from three sources, and clinical experience are among the parameters considered for admission. The graduate program is designed to increase the students' knowledge and problem-solving ability, especially in the areas of prevention, evaluation, and treatment of disability. Although the curriculum is sufficiently flexible to accommodate a variety of needs, the program is primarily geared to train future professors of physical therapy and rehabilitation science; therefore, teaching and research are emphasized. Graduate assistantship support is available. Graduate assistants pay in-state tuition and fees.
Program organization for advanced degree study is designed around three primary specialty content areas (cardiopulmonary, musculoskeletal and neuromuscular) with designated content area directors and associated faculty
At the time of application, the student is required to identify a specialty content area of interest in order to consider faculty adviser alignments. On mutual consent a student may change advisors. Although the thesis chairman provides advice and guidance, the primary responsibility for the writing and defense of the thesis rests with the student. Approval of the primary course instructor is necessary to substitute previous experiences and/or course work for required courses in the curriculum. This may involve taking an oral and/or written exam. No semester hours will be waived for basic professional training level (bachelor, certificate or professional master's degree) specialty courses.
The student, with the advisor's counsel, is responsible for formulating his/her individual plan of study. Formal approval for the plan of study, first by the advisor followed by the Advanced Degree Review Committee and Program Director, must be obtained within the first 9 s.h. of graduate study.
Physical therapy licensure in the state of Iowa and malpractice insurance are highly recommended.
For more information or questions about the Ph.D. program contact Dr. Kathleen Sluka, Director of Ph.D. Studies, kathleen-sluka@uiowa.edu.For additional information about The University of Iowa, you may also visit the UI General Catalog.
Send comments about this site to: physical-therapy@uiowa.edu
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