146
GOLL 898 Dissertation Seminar III 1 credit Prerequisite: GOLL 822 Research Methods II and GOLL 897 Dissertation Seminar II Co-requisite GOLL 823 Research Methods III This course prepares students to deal effectively with the psychosocial, emotional and spiritual dimensions of developing, defending and executing doctoral research. The process of completing a doctoral dissertation presents personal challenges relating to time management, balancing competing priorities, overcoming writing blocks, developing discipline, and maintaining commitment to a goal. Doctoral candidates often face competing demands, negative environmental cues, social or institutional detractors, and internalized messages that foster a fear of success, the threat of failure, and the unknown consequences of achieving a life intension. This course provides students an opportunity to acquire life skills for navigating these common impediments to translating their academic aspirations into reality. GOLL 899 Dissertation 1-6 credits Prerequisites: GOLL 821, 822, 823 Research Methods I, II, III; GOLL 896, 897, 898 Dissertation Seminar I, II, III; GOLL 818, 819 Doctoral Statistics I, II: Doctoral Candidate Status The dissertation is the capstone experience in a student’s academic career. In addition to supplementing a body of knowledge, it represents an original piece of work that establishes the student as an expert on a specific topic. The dissertation project should make a contribution to professional practice and/or knowledge. It should embrace the skills and knowledge that student has gained from course work, readings, and discussions. The doctoral candidate should have a passion to investigate and analyze an issue or practice aspect that will increase others’ understanding of it through his or her research. Dissertations will be individual projects.
Physical Therapy The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Degree Chairperson: Kristine S. Legters, PT, DSc
INTRODUCTION Physical Therapy is a health care profession that primarily focuses on the preservation, development, and restoration of optimal function. Physical therapists provide evaluative, rehabilitative, and preventive health care services designed to alleviate pain; prevent the onset and progression of impairment, functional limitation, and participation restrictions resulting from injury, disease, or other causes; and restore, maintain and promote overall fitness, health and optimal quality of life. Physical therapists work with individuals of all ages who demonstrate movement dysfunction, or the potential for such dysfunction, of the neurological, musculoskeletal, integumentary, and cardiopulmonary systems. Physical therapists practice in a hospital setting or provide services in out-of-hospital settings through home health agencies, in skilled nursing facilities, in industrial settings, through public health agencies, in private physical therapy clinics, in public schools and in a variety of other nontraditional settings.
VISION Gannon University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in Erie, PA will be a leader in educating autonomous physical therapists who participate in integrative and collaborative practice to facilitate high quality health and educational outcomes. We will be practitioners of choice in the community, recognized as experts in movement, function and health. As leaders we will embrace our social responsibility, promote humanistic care, and contribute to the profession’s body of knowledge.
MISSION The mission of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Gannon University in Erie, PA facilitates holistic patient/client-centered management related to movement, function and health. We prepare our graduates to be knowledgeable, service-oriented, reflective practitioners. Our graduates render evidence based, professional judgments concerning patient/client needs by virtue of critical thinking, interprofessional collaboration, lifelong learning, and ethical principles. They possess the intellect, psychomotor proficiency, leadership capabilities, and core values to meet the current and future needs of the profession, the health care system and society.
