Program Overview

DPT Physical Therapy Program

The DPT Physical Therapy program at Chapman University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in physical therapy, preparing them for careers as autonomous, culturally competent physical therapy practitioners and leaders in healthcare.

Learning Outcomes

The program has established the following learning outcomes:

• Personalized Education: Students will engage with faculty for mentoring in teaching, research, service, and patient care, allowing for the development of unique abilities, talents, and individual professional goals.
  • Students will demonstrate patient handling skills meeting or exceeding expectations in at least 3 different practice settings.
  • Students will demonstrate clinical reasoning skills meeting or exceeding expectations in at least 3 different practice settings.
  • Students will demonstrate scientific thinking through the research process during self-selected student-faculty collaborative research projects.
• Inter-professionalism: Students will integrate concepts and principles from different health fields and apply the information to patient/client management as a member of an interprofessional healthcare team.
• Knowledge of Physical Therapy: Students and graduates will be adept in the delivery of evidence-based patient/client care.
  • Graduates will successfully pass the Federation of State Board of Physical Therapy Examination.
  • Chapman DPT graduates will have an above-average knowledge of Physical Therapy content areas as measured by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy.
  • Students and graduates of the DPT program will practice evidence-based practice.
• Professional Development: Students will develop professional characteristics that reflect the profession's core values, consistent with those required to be autonomous, culturally competent physical therapy practitioners and leaders in healthcare.

Course Requirements for the Degree

Course requirements for the DPT degree can be found in the University Catalog.

Annual Learning Outcomes Assessment Report(s)

The faculty of the DPT program measure student attainment of program learning outcomes goals on an annual basis. The assessment processes used by this program are outlined in the Learning Outcomes Assessment Process document.

Program Review

Program review represents Chapman's commitment to excellence in academic programs through periodic review of educational effectiveness. Every 5 to 7 years, program faculty members prepare a self-study report, which is reviewed by external, expert reviewers, numerous Chapman faculty governance councils and committees, and the Office of the Provost. Program review provides an opportunity for each program to reflect on its educational effectiveness as well as its contribution to the university's mission and strategic plan. The results of program review guide institutional planning, budgeting, and decision-making.