Physical Therapy (PhD)

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The Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Therapy program is designed to address the demand for qualified faculty and researchers in physical therapy programs in the USA and world-wide to create academic leaders in Physical Therapy education. This minimum 3-year, full-time program (with part-time options available) is designed for individuals whose long-term career aspirations are to teach and perform research. The PhD in Physical Therapy (PhD in PT) program meets these needs by enhancing knowledge in important areas such as the teaching of physical therapy courses, academic leadership, and conducting and disseminating research.

A minimum of 45 additional credits is required for individuals who hold a DPT/tDPT degree in order to obtain the PhD in PT degree; for individuals who are physical therapists and whose highest degree is a master’s degree, a minimum of 55 credits is required. Required core courses (40 credits) include: teaching and educational leadership (6 credits), research design and methods, statistics and critical review of the literature (11 credits), PhD seminar (3 credits), movement analysis and instrumentation (3 credits), motor control & motor learning (3 credits), and the PhD dissertation (pre-candidacy, minimum of 3 credits; candidacy research, 11 credits). The additional 5 or 15 credits, depending upon prior degree held, is determined according to the individual student’s needs and goals.

Integrating theory and practice allows graduates to understand and implement the best evidence-based approaches needed to address current issues in physical therapy practice, education and research. Core courses are designed to provide students the background and skills necessary to successfully navigate leadership roles in an academic and/or research environment. Other elective courses augment the student’s preparedness for success in teaching and scholarship.

More information about the University of Michigan-Flint PhD in PT program is available at: https://www.umflint.edu/graduateprograms/physical-therapy-phd/

Admission Information

The Graduate Programs Office serves as the primary source of information for all prospective graduate students, providing detailed guidance and resources to facilitate the application process. Up-to-date and comprehensive details regarding admissions procedures, requirements and deadlines can be found on the program page on the Graduate Programs website.

Program Processes

The PhD program has several components in addition to coursework:

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination is designed to assess the Ph.D. in Physical Therapy student’s knowledge in his/her chosen area of scholarship (breadth and depth), and critically evaluate the literature in terms of substance, methodology, and statistics.

Preliminary Examination

The preliminary examination is the student’s dissertation proposal defense. For the examination, the student prepares in writing a research proposal and presents an oral presentation in defense of the research proposal which has been prepared in consultation with the Dissertation Chair and Committee. Prior to the students taking the examination, the Ph.D. in PT faculty, Associate Director for Ph.D. in PT program and the PT Department Director must approve the Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee, led by the Chair, must approve the Dissertation topic and the proposal outline.

Candidacy

A student becomes a candidate in the Ph.D. in Physical Therapy program after completing the required and elective coursework (34 - 44 credits) and passing both the qualifying and preliminary examinations with a minimum GPA of at least 3.3 (B+) (on a 4.0 scale). The student must achieve a grade of B (3.0) or better in each course. At this time, the student is allowed to register for PTP 995 and receives a certificate acknowledging this progress by achieving candidacy, “all but dissertation” (ABD) or Ph.D. candidate (Ph.D.c) status.

Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

The dissertation (minimum of 11 credits) must contain research work completed by the Ph.D. in Physical Therapy candidate. The dissertation must include one to three manuscripts ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. The candidate must submit a final written copy of the dissertation to the dissertation committee for approval four weeks prior to the scheduled oral defense. The dissertation is defended at a final oral examination open to faculty, other students, and the interested public.

Academic Rules and Regulations

See the College of Health Sciences (CHS) and Graduate Study sections for rules and regulations pertaining to all College of Health Sciences graduate programs.

Prerequisites

PTP 662 - Critical Inquiry I (3), or an equivalent course covering research design, methods, and critical analysis of the literature, and the role of evidence based practice
PTP 663 - Critical Inquiry II (3), or an equivalent course covering common statistical topics and procedures in quantitative research including the application of data analysis using statistical software
One from:
PTP 681 - Teaching, Learning & Health Education (2)
PTP 881 - Teaching, Learning and Health Education (2)
PTP 761 - Evidence-Based Practice (1)
PTP 602 - Independent Research (1-10) , optional, elected for 1-4 credits

Requirements (45 or 55 credits)

Students with a previous DPT or tDPT are required to complete a minimum of 45 credits; students with a master’s degree are required to complete 55 credits.

Core Courses (40 credits)

Higher Education Teaching and Leadership (6 credits)

Scholarly Activity, Research Design, Statistics, and Critical Review of the Literature (11 credits)

PTP 820 - Quantitative Research Methods (3-4) , elected for 4 credits
PTP 821 - Statistical Analysis for Quantitative Research (3-4)
HCR 621 - Qualitative Research Methods (3)

Movement Analysis and Instrumentation (9 credits)

PTP 810 - Ph.D. Seminar (3)
PTP 816 - Movement Analysis and Instrumentation (3)
PTP 817 - Motor Control and Motor Learning (3)

Dissertation (14 credits minimum)

PTP 990 - Dissertation: Pre-Candidacy (1-3) , elected for a minimum total of 3 credits over 2-3 semesters
PTP 995 - Dissertation: Candidacy (1-5) , elected for a minimim of 11 credits, at least 1 per semester of candidacy

Electives (5 or 15 credits)

A plan of study for the remaining 5 credits (for students with a previous DPT or tDPT degree) or 15 credits (for students with a previous master’s degree) is created depending on the student’s chosen areas of teaching and research concentration appropriate preparation for the teaching practicum, and individual needs and goals.

HCR 500 - Epidemiology (4)
PTP 815 - Ph.D in PT Independent Study (1-4) , may be elected over multiple semesters
Students may petition for other course electives specific to their needs and goals.

Note

It is expected that each PhD in Physical Therapy student will spend sufficient time on campus for completing coursework, conducting research, interacting with other graduate students, and fostering intellectual activities.