The mission of the South College Doctor of Physical Therapy program is to provide an innovative, career-focused education that develops Doctors of Physical Therapy who are highly skilled, mindful, and empathetic care providers, who are passionate lifelong learners, who are servant leaders in their local community, and who are highly engaged in their professional and broader health care communities. Graduates will be equipped to deliver exemplary care in a multidisciplinary, team-oriented, and value-based healthcare environment.
The School of Physical Therapy is committed to the development of future Doctors of Physical Therapy, ready to meet the demands of clinical practice in the 21st century with exemplary entry-level skills, marked professionalism, and compassion.
The DPT program is designed for the delivery of a contemporary and evidence-based curriculum using faculty and contributors that are dedicated educators, clinicians, researchers, and leaders in the physical therapy profession. Faculty and contributors facilitate student learning and professional growth with student-centered active learning experiences, modeled clinical and scholarly excellence and steadfast professionalism. Using a blended learning model, our curriculum combines the best aspects of online learning activities and interactions, hands-on laboratory intensive sessions, and collaborative clinical education experiences into an innovative and dynamic learning experience. In so doing, we will transform physical therapy education, improve scalability and access to DPT education, increase flexibility for traditional and nontraditional learners, increase the level of active learning in courses, and seek to achieve quality student experiences and outcomes. Our graduates will be prepared for skillful, mindful and compassionate clinical practice, lifelong learning and professional development, and selfless service to their community and profession.
The South College School of Physical Therapy will deliver an accredited DPT program that embraces the core values of the profession. The program has the following goals:
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is designed for students desiring to complete advanced studies in physical therapy. Students must possess strong analytical reasoning, cognitive, and affective skills demonstrating competency, flexibility, responsibility, and critical thinking skills to facilitate problem solving. The program requires successful completion of 135 total quarter credit hours. The structured curriculum requires courses in foundational sciences, clinical sciences, and physical therapy patient and practice management. The accelerated curriculum is delivered in eight consecutive quarters over a period of 24 months.
The DPT curriculum is delivered via a hybrid, or blended, learning model that incorporates best practices for online, onsite, and clinical education principles into an innovative, accelerated, and challenging curriculum. Current evidence regarding the use of technology and distance learning philosophies serves as a foundation for the curriculum. Our emphasis on adult learning principles and an active learning environment are reflective of contemporary educational theory and practice. Faculty for the School of Physical Therapy use traditional and systems-based approaches to organize a sequential, lock-step curriculum for all enrolled students. Didactic education delivered in a blended learning format is conducted during quarters 1-4, the first 3 weeks of quarter 5, and quarter 6. Each academic quarter consists of 9-10 weeks of distance education and 2-3 weeks of onsite lab immersion instruction. From a traditional perspective, most of the biological and physical sciences are taught during the early academic quarters and provide the foundation for clinical science and physical therapy science courses that are taught concurrently or subsequently. From a system-based perspective, clinical and physical therapy sciences are addressed as regional and age-specific courses for the musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, integumentary, endocrine, and genitourinary systems.
Clinical education is conducted during an 8-week clinical experience in quarter 5, a 12-week intermediate clinical experience in quarter 7, and an 11-week terminal clinical experience in quarter 8. These final two experiences are often combined into a single, 23-week, clinical internship. Each student is exposed to a variety of clinical settings during these experiences, which may include outpatient, acute care, subacute care, neuro rehabilitation, skilled nursing, home care, industrial, and pediatric facilities. While the emphasis remains on development of strong entry-level skills as a generalist PT, this variety of exposures provides each student with an appreciation for the breadth of specialties within the PT profession, the multitude of clinical presentations and disorders within each specialty, and role of PT in the management of these patients/clients. Additionally, this variety provides the students with clinical experiences that best prepare the student for national licensure.
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at South College Knoxville Campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. To file a complaint with CAPTE, contact them directly by phone or email. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 865-251-1753 or email akoszalinski@south.edu.
South College Atlanta Campus is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. On December 1,2022, the program submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in the professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, through achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress towards accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
Graduation from a physical therapist [assistant] education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website.
South College Nashville is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on December 01, 2023. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
Licensure as a Physical Therapist is regulated by individual states and typically overseen by a State Board of Physical Therapy. All 50 states require graduation from a CAPTE accredited program as well as passing the NPTE in order to obtain a license and practice as a Physical Therapist. The South College DPT program is a CAPTE accredited program which aims to prepare graduates to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). Some states have unique licensure requirements. For example, a jurisprudence exam is required in some states to test the graduate’s knowledge of state laws, rules, and practice acts that govern physical therapy practice. Some require satisfactory background checks. These unique requirements are not associated with preparation in the South College program. The following link provides contact information for individual state licensing authorities: https://www.fsbpt.org/FreeResources/LicensingAuthoritiesContactInformation.aspx
Graduates of the DPT Program are encouraged to take state and nationally recognized licensing examinations as soon after graduation as possible. Further information regarding the NPTE, jurisprudence exams, and state licensure can be obtained at http://www.fsbpt.com/.
In order to be considered for admission to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at South College, the following criteria must be met:
South College seeks to make available all online programs/courses to residents of Tennessee and other states, and to allow completion of required clinical or practical experiences in those states. The program works through the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) process and with states directly to ensure that when authorization or licensure is necessary, required approvals are secured (such as California where South College is approved as an Out-Of-State Registered Institution). Tennessee is a member of SARA and South College is an approved SARA institution. As such, we adhere to a set of national standards for interstate offering of post-secondary distance education courses and programs. SARA also covers all interstate placements in clinical or practical situations among SARA member states, no matter the nature of the main program. However, not all states are SARA members. While we do monitor the laws in each state, authorization of distance education is a dynamic environment and prospective students should check this site often for updates. It is the student’s responsibility to understand current circumstances or special requirements in their state of residence. Please see the South College Doctor of Physical Therapy webpage and click on Admission for more information.
As the DPT program is an academic program that leads to a professional license required in many states, it is highly recommended that applicants first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in their home state BEFORE beginning the academic program located outside of the state. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the appropriate licensing board in his/her home state to confirm whether a South College program will meet the requirements for licensure in that state. The following link provides contact information for state licensing authorities: https://www.fsbpt.org/FreeResources/LicensingAuthoritiesContactInformation.aspx.
All courses required for the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program, both didactic and clinical, must be completed at South College. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at South College does not grant advanced placement, credit for experiential learning, or transfer credits from another program or institution.
Criminal background checks and drug testing are becoming mandatory at medical institutions as a requirement of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Individuals working in health care facilities often must consent to and be cleared to work through criminal background investigations and/or drug screenings. This is also a common policy/requirement in many physical therapy corporate entities and individual clinics.
In order to ensure patient safety and security, South College requires a criminal background check prior to any applicant being admitted. An additional background check and/or drug testing may be required prior to beginning clinical experiences in year two of the program. Applicants should be aware that a prior criminal background could restrict the ability to obtain professional state licensure. Acceptance into a South College program does not imply or guarantee that a student will be able to obtain such licensure.
All Doctor of Physical Therapy students are required to carry health insurance (including hospitalization) throughout the entire program. It is the responsibility of the student to purchase health insurance and provide proof of insurance. Health concerns should be addressed with your primary care provider. South College does not have student health facilities, but we do have an agreement with Cherokee Health Systems to provide services to our students living in Knoxville or attending onsite lab intensives. Students are financially responsible for any services rendered by Cherokee. Once matriculated into the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, students must show compliance with the health policy including personal health insurance coverage within one month of the start of classes. Failure to do so may result in being liable for dismissal from the program. Students must re-certify their health status (including proof of health insurance) prior to beginning the clinical year (year 2) of the program. Students may not engage in clinical activities until compliance has been met.
Prior to entering the South College Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, students must submit health provider proof of a health examination and updated information of immunization health certificate indicating TB testing results and HBV immunization series.
Specific related requirements include:
Prior to entering the clinical phase (year 2) of the program, students must again update their immunization and health certificate and provide proof of the following:
Students are required to have a personal laptop computer and a mobile device (i.e., tablet, iPad). Minimum requirements and specifications are listed in the DPT Student Handbook.
South College does not discriminate on the basis of disability in education programs and activities pursuant to the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Rehabilitation Acts Amendments of 1974 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Please refer to the Disability Services Policy published in the South College Catalog and the Student Handbook for complete information.
Physical therapy is a mentally, physically, and psychologically demanding profession. Throughout the DPT curriculum, students acquire the foundation of knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors that are necessary for a successful career as a physical therapist. Technical standards reflect those abilities that a physical therapist must possess for safe and effective clinical practice. Prospective and current students must meet the following technical requirements with or without reasonable accommodation for admission, progression, and graduation in the DPT Program.
General Abilities
The student is expected to possess functional use of the senses of vision, touch, hearing, taste, and smell. All data received by the senses must be integrated, analyzed, and synthesized in a consistent and accurate manner. In addition, the individual is expected to possess the ability to perceive pain, pressure, temperature, position, equilibrium, and movement.
Observational Ability
The candidate is expected to observe the patient accurately and assess health, illness, movement and functional capacity. Inherent in this observation process is the use of the senses and sufficient motor capability to carry out the necessary assessment activities. These expectations apply to virtual and in person experiences.
Communication Ability
Communication includes speech, language (verbal and non-verbal), reading, writing, and computer literacy. Students should possess the capability to engage in effective and empathetic communication with patients, enabling them to extract information about mood and activities while also discerning non-verbal cues. This involves being sensitive and conveying compassion. Physical Therapy education presents exceptional challenges in the volume and breadth of required reading and the necessity to impart information to others. Students must be able to communicate quickly, effectively, and efficiently in oral and written English with all members of the healthcare team.
Interpersonal, Behavioral, and Professional Attributes
Ethical conduct is a fundamental aspect of their educational journey that students must consistently demonstrate. Students should have the emotional and psychological capacity to fully utilize their intellectual capabilities, exercise sound judgment, and promptly fulfill all duties related to the practice of Physical Therapy. Additionally, they must cultivate mature, sensitive, and productive relationships with patients, caregivers, and healthcare teams. Students should also demonstrate the adaptability and flexibility to perform efficiently and effectively in high-pressure situations with both physical and mentally challenging workloads. It’s crucial for students to excel with physically and mentally demanding workloads and operate efficiently under pressure. Necessary personal qualities include a genuine concern for others, integrity, accountability, and self-motivation.
Motor/Psychomotor Ability
Students must possess sufficient motor function to conduct examination procedures and interventions considered standards of physical therapy practice. Students must be able to execute movements required to provide general and therapeutic care. Students must have the motor and psychomotor ability to direct or execute immediate care to an ill or injured patient during an emergency consistent with the physical therapy practice act.
Critical Thinking Ability
The candidate is expected to have the ability to develop and refine problem-solving skills. This includes the ability to measure, calculate, analyze and synthesize objective as well as subjective data and make decisions that reflect consistent and thoughtful deliberation and clinical judgment. In addition, the candidate should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of structures. Students must have the ability to use computers for searching, recording, storing, retrieving, and communicating information.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply to the program. However, it is the responsibility of the student to notify South College in writing with medical documentation from their provider, and verbally if there is any reason why the abilities and/or expectations described cannot be met. Students will review these technical standards during the final stage of admission to the program and attest to their ability to perform these skills.
Students who indicate verbally and in writing (with medical documentation) that they cannot meet one or more of these requirements will be reviewed by South College to determine what, if any reasonable accommodations might be possible to facilitate successful completion of the degree requirements if admitted to the program.
Applicants who cannot complete these tasks, even with reasonable accommodation, are not eligible for admission. Any previously made offer of admission may be withdrawn if it becomes apparent that the student cannot complete essential tasks even with accommodation, or that the accommodations needed are not reasonable and would cause undue hardship to the institution, or that fulfilling the functions would create a significant risk of harm to the health or safety of others. If you have any further questions or concerns regarding these technical standards, please contact the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.
Students with documented disabilities are entitled to receive approved accommodations or modifications, auxiliary aids, or appropriate academic adjustments that will enable them to participate in and benefit from all educational programs and activities of the College. All accommodations, modifications, and services are provided on a case-by-case basis and may vary depending on the needs of the student and his/her classes (online, on ground, or both). Reasonable accommodation refers to ways in which the College can assist students with disabilities to accomplish learning activities. Reasonable accommodation does not mean that students with disabilities will be exempt from completing certain tasks. Applicants who cannot complete essential program tasks, even with reasonable accommodation, are not eligible for admission. Any previously made offer of admission may be withdrawn if it becomes apparent that the student cannot complete essential tasks even with accommodation, or that the accommodations needed are not reasonable and would cause undue hardship to the institution, or that fulfilling the functions would create a significant risk of harm to the health or safety of others. Certain aspects of the academic program may be considered essential as designed. Accommodations which create a fundamental change of an essential element of the program will not be granted. Students may receive the same or similar accommodations in other areas of the program where the accommodation does not create a fundamental change to an essential program element.
Steps for requesting, continuing, and/or waiving accommodations can be found in the DPT Student Handbook (Section 5.20.0 - Services for Students with Disabilities).
South College does not discriminate on the basis of disability in education programs and activities pursuant to the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Rehabilitation Acts Amendments of 1974 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Inquiries and charges of violations concerning these acts should be directed to the designated Disability Services Coordinator at the campus.
Quarterly Tuition ($11,975 per quarter x 8 quarters)
8-20 credit hours ($11,975)
1-7.5 credit hours ($800 per credit hour)