Excellence in physical therapy education is developed in cooperation with the larger University and health science community that is student centered and focused on academic distinction. Our program seeks to enhance the professional development of every student and faculty member through a variety of academic, scholarly and service opportunities. This philosophy is well represented by the program's physical resources and integrated curriculum that links foundational and medical sciences, clinical practice and professionalism.
Mission Statement
An education in physical therapy at Quinnipiac University embodies both the University's commitment to core values: high quality academic programs, a student-oriented environment and a strong sense of community and the American Physical Therapy Association's core values: accountability, altruism, compassion/caring, excellence, integrity, professional duty and social responsibility. The program in physical therapy prepares students to become competent and compassionate entry level physical therapists, able to practice in a variety of settings serving diverse populations across the lifespan.
To achieve its mission, the program in physical therapy:
- Builds on a strong foundation of liberal arts and sciences
- Cultivates critical and reflective thinking, clinical decision-making, and life-long learning by utilizing an evidenced based learning model, authentic assessments and a variety of learning experiences that include interactive technology. This learning model features small lab sizes, hands-on activities, visits to area clinics and opportunities to engage in professional development forums and community interdisciplinary collaboration
- Provides both in class and in clinic opportunities for students to engage in the essential elements of patient/client management
- Supports faculty teacher-scholars who are effective teachers and who collectively engage in scholarship, professional development, direct patient care and University and community service
Based on the stated mission, the Department of Physical Therapy has set forth the following goals for the program, and its students and faculty:
- To provide a high quality entry-level education, provide continuing education for the clinical community, provide effective staff support, develop and provide PT clinical partnerships, develop and provide high quality clinical education opportunities, and provide opportunities for student service
- For students to demonstrate the skills necessary for entry-level clinical practice, participate in research and/or service learning, demonstrate effective education of patients, families, peers, other health professionals and the community, and to participate in service
- For faculty to provide effective teaching, participate in scholarship, and participate in service
Our entry-level doctor of physical therapy program is divided into a three- or four-year pre-professional component leading to a BS in health and sciences studies and a three-year professional graduate component leading to the doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree.
We offer excellent facilities for studying physical therapy and athletic training/sports medicine. The 180,000-square-foot School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing facility features $3.5 million in cutting-edge equipment and 24 teaching laboratories, including an orthopedics lab, a rehabilitative sciences lab, a clinical skills lab, an intensive care unit, a health assessment lab, a physical exam suite, a physical diagnostics lab, a motion analysis lab and other special amenities that set it apart from other universities offering health sciences programs. Learn more about the North Haven Campus