Dual Degree Option Master of Occupational Therapy Doctor of Physical Therapy
Clinical Excellence through Graduate Education
Dual Degree Option at USA
The University of St. Augustine is excited to be able to offer you a unique degree opportunity – the Dual Degree Option. This degree offers you the chance to earn both a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree and a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree together in only three years and four months. This is the same amount of time it would take to earn just one degree at another university! The interdisciplinary nature of the OT and PT curriculums allows you to complete one degree program (MOT) and then re-enroll in the second degree program (DPT) as a fourth trimester student. At this point, you only have to complete four trimesters of the DPT program to earn the additional degree! The program also has over 40 weeks of internship and fieldwork experiences where learning takes place in a real-world setting. The University’s pioneering efforts in Physical and Occupational Therapy education brought distance education and its associated technologies to our degree and non-degree programs. By using distance education, we are able to bring education anytime, anywhere and to supplement all programs with the ability to review and study online. Our students, even when on clinical affiliation, continue to receive instruction from the University through our distance education platform. We strive to offer the highest quality classroom instruction and online courses while taking pride in making the entire educational experience accessible and interactive for students. This blended learning approach allows our students to have a vast range of learning techniques at their fingertips. All online courses were developed with an in-depth understanding of the educational needs of our students, how they will best retain the information provided to them and the ease of accessibility to key university support services and staff to offer assistance along the way. Our lab classes are taught in a hands-on setting, while some portions of the course content are presented through a variety of interactive distance activities and augmented by in-class discussions. All courses utilize some online learning component. This program is currently offered at our campuses in San Marcos, CA and St. Augustine, FL. We are proud to be the only university in the country to offer this dynamic option to become a more versatile and skilled clinician! To learn more about Blended Learning, please visit: www.usa.edu/blendedlearning.
University Mission Statement
The mission of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is the development of professional health care practitioners through innovative, individualized, and quality classroom, clinical, and distance education.
Upon completion of the Master of Occupational Therapy Program, graduates will demonstrate the ability to:
Upon completion of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, graduates will demonstrate the ability to:
• Exhibit the skills of a professional occupational therapist through a commitment to lifelong learning. • Advocate for the profession of occupational therapy while collaborating with other members of a health care team. • Practice clinical reasoning skills based on foundational knowledge and professional skills in order to provide optimal interventions for client problems in varied settings. • Ensure optimal and culturally competent verbal and written communication of occupational therapy services. • Implement principles of ethical and professional behavior in the delivery of occupational therapy services. • Use effective leadership skills to advance the role of occupational therapy. • Evaluate evidence-based information by accessing resources and interpreting information for competent interventions.
• Engage in personal and professional development and lifelong learning activities. • Practice physical therapy in a manner that supports cooperative relationships with patients/clients, other health care providers, and the community. • Perform evidence-informed physical therapist practice based on foundational knowledge and professional clinical skills. • Interact in a professional manner that demonstrates effective communication for various audiences and purposes. • Implement principles of ethical and professional behavior in physical therapist practice. • Display qualities of leadership in physical therapist practice to advance the profession of physical therapy and the well-being of society. • Apply critical thinking to evidenceinformed decision making in physical therapist practice.
Possible Career Opportunities for a Dual Degree Graduate
• Private Practice • Rehabilitation Centers • Hospitals • Home Health Agencies
• Nursing Homes • School Systems • Pediatric Burn Centers • Wellness Facilities
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Visit our website at www.usa.edu for more information or to download an application. If you have any further questions, please contact us at admissions@usa.edu or call (800) 241-1027.
Accreditation The University is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency, and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This national accreditation helps ensure that the school has been carefully evaluated and has met nationally recognized standards of education. For more information contact The Distance Education and Training Council at 1601 18th Street, NW, Ste. 2, Washington, DC 20009, 202-234-5100, www.detc.org. The entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and the entry-level Flexible Doctor of Physical Therapy degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314, telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: www.capteonline.org. The transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Health Science and Doctor of Education degree programs and the Residency and Fellowship programs are not subject to accreditation by CAPTE and therefore are not accredited by CAPTE. The entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy degree programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, 301-652-2682. Graduates take the certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam the individual will be an Occupational Therapist (OTR). In addition, most states require licensure to practice. State licenses are usually based on this NBCOT certification. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT examination or attain state licensure.
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