Mar 28, 2024  
Graduate Catalog 2018-2019 
    
Graduate Catalog 2018-2019 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)/Athletic Training (M.S.)


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Physical therapy is a challenging and satisfying profession — one with many career pathways from which to choose. One particular pathway is developing a career that specializes in sports medicine. Certified athletic trainers have expertise in preventing, recognizing, managing and rehabilitating injuries that result from athletics and other physical activity. The Dual Degree program DPT/MSAT has been established at Shenandoah University for those students who wish to become members in both professions sharing a common link to become a sports medicine expert clinician. The Dual Degree program offers the student all the courses required to meet the standards to take the physical therapy licensure examination and the athletic training BOC certification examination. Courses are shared between programs where there is didactic coursework that overlaps between the two professions.

The Dual Degree DPT/MSAT has two possible pathways of completion, Track 1 and Track 2.  

Track 1 Admission Requirements

This Dual Degree program involves formal admittance into the DPT and MSAT programs as established on the respective pages of this catalog. Additional admission requirements beyond the formal acceptance into each program are listed below:

  1. No more than five Dual Degree DPT/MSAT students are admitted annually due to availability of clinical affiliation sites for this program.
  2. Applicants must submit a typed letter with the application to the DPT and MSAT programs stating a request for being admitted into the Dual Degree program.
  3. Applicants who wish to pursue the Dual Degree program and who have been formally admitted into the DPT and MSAT programs are ranked on a competitive basis using the admissions criteria established for the DPT and MSAT programs. Admission into the Dual Degree DPT/MSAT program is granted to the top five applicants.

Track 1 Application Deadline

Dual major DPT/MSAT applications must be postmarked by October 1.

Track 2 Dual Degree DPT/MSAT Program

Track 2 Dual Degree DPT/MSAT is a pathway in which an enrolled MSAT student can apply by Fall year 1 of MSAT program. Interested students follow the PTCAS criteria.

Track 2 Admissions Process

Track 2 Dual Degree DPT/MSAT is a pathway in which an enrolled MSAT student can apply by October 1 of Fall year 1 of MSAT program. Interested students follow the PTCAS criteria. 

Degree Requirements

The dual DPT/MSAT degree requirement is successful completion of the credit hours of the combined programs with a grade point average of 2.8 or better.

Pre-Clinical Screening

The Pre-Clinical Screening is conducted at the end of the first semester of study in the Physical Therapy curriculum. Students will be asked to demonstrate understanding of medical terminology and proficiency in medical documentation. Faculty will evaluate each student’s mastery of these topics at the end of the first year fall semester, prior to being approved for matriculation into the physical therapy integrated clinical experiences.

Students must complete the following requirements:

  • Pass a medical terminology competency exam with a grade of 70% or higher;
  • Pass a medical documentation competency exam with a grade of 70% or higher; and
  • Successfully document a patient experience with a grade of 70% or higher.

Students who do not satisfy the Pre-Clinical Screening requirements will not matriculate to the physical therapy integrated clinical experiences.

Physical Therapy Comprehensive Examination

The physical therapy comprehensive examination is administered at the end of the fall semester of the third year and is intended to identify the student’s preparedness to enter his/her full-time clinical internships. Prior to the final two full-time clinical internships, students are required to pass the written and oral components of the comprehensive examination. Successful completion of both components of the comprehensive examination is required of all students as a condition for continued progress through the curriculum.

Track 1 Requirements


Subtotal: 13 credits


Subtotal: 20 credits


Subtotal: 19 credits


Subtotal: 10 credits


Subtotal: 21 credits


Subtotal: 19 credits


Summer, Year 3


Subtotal: 3 credits


Subtotal: 14 credits


Subtotal: 15 credits


Summer, Year 4


Subtotal: 3 credits


Subtotal: 7 credits


Total: 144 Semester Credits


Track 2 Requirements


Requirements for the Dual Degree DPT/MSAT Degree

Summer, Year 1

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

AT       501     Risk Management and Emergency Care for Athletes        3

AT       511     Advanced AT Techniques    1

AT       521     Functional Human Anatomy I          2

AT       523     Therapeutic Exercise I         1                     

AT       531     Pathology/Evaluation of Athletic Injury I  3

AT       552     Therapeutic Modalities        3

                        Subtotal Hours          13

Fall, Year 1

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

AT       504     Psychological Intervention/Referral In Athletic Training            3

AT       505     Evidence-Based Practice in Athletic Training        1

AT       562     Imaging in Athletic Training            1

AT       571     Sports Nutrition        3

AT       581     Clinical Field Experience I    4

                        Subtotal          12

Spring, Year 1

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

AT       533     Clinical Medicine       3

AT       621     Functional Human Anatomy II        3

AT       653     Ethics/Professionalism in Athletic Training          2

AT       582     Clinical Field Experience II   4

                        Subtotal          12

Summer, Year 2

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

AT       624     Therapeutic Exercise II        2

AT       631     Pathology/Evaluation of Athletic Injury II 3

AT       643     Advanced Rehabilitation of Athletic Injury            3

AT       699     Casting and Bracing in Athletic Training    2

                        Subtotal          10

Fall, Year 2

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

PT       603     Gross Human Anatomy I      4

PT       607     Examination and Intervention         4

PT       623     Histophysiological Aspects of Movement I            3

PT       643     Evidence-Based Practice:  Introduction to Research Design       3

PT       653     Professional Issues I             3

                        Pre-Clinical Screening

PT       761     Clinical Conference I 1

                        Subtotal Hours          18

Spring, Year 2

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

PT       604     Gross Human Anatomy II     4

PT       610     Musculoskeletal System I     3

PT       624     Histophysiological Aspects of Movement II           3

PT       656     Integrated Clinical Experience I      1

PT       672     Functional Neuroanatomy   3

PT       685     Psychosocial Aspects of PT Practice I         2

PT       694     Medical Fundamentals         1

                        Subtotal Hours          17

Fall, Year 3

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

PT       709     Musculoskeletal System II    3

PT       721     Pathology       3

PT       751     Integrated Clinical Experience II     1

PT       762     Clinical Conference II            1

PT       771     Adult Neurotherapeutics     4

PT       781     Gait Analysis and Biomechanics      3

PT       796     Evidence Based Practice I    1

AT       593     Clinical Field Experience III for Dual Degree MSAT/DPT            2

                        Subtotal Hours          18

Spring, Year 3

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

PT       703     Pediatric Physical Therapy 4

PT       710     Musculoskeletal System III   4

PT       734     Professional Issues II for Dual Degree DPT/MSAT          1

PT       752     Integrated Clinical Experience III    1

PT       797     Evidence Based Practice II   1

PT       890     Advanced Medical Fundamentals for Dual Degree DPT/MSAT  3

AT       594     Clinical Field Experience IV for Dual Degree MSAT/DPT            2

                        Subtotal Hours          16

Summer, Year 4

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

PT       753     Clinical Internship I   3

                        Subtotal Hours          3

Fall, Year 4

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

PT       744     Prosthetics and Orthotics     2

PT       821     Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy            3

PT       831     Professional Issues III          2

PT       861     Clinical Conference III          1

PT       881     Advanced Topics       1

PT       893     Evidence Based Practice III 2

AT                   670                 Healthcare Administration               2

                        Comprehensive Examination

                        Subtotal Hours          13

Spring, Year 4

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

PT       832     Establishing a Physical Therapy Practice/Direct Access  3

AT       691     AT Clinical Field Experience V for Dual Degrees  6

AT       711     Theories and Practice of Conditioning Athletes    3

AT       774     Senior Seminar          1

                        Subtotal Hours          13

Summer, Year 5

Course                        Title    Credit Hours

PT       856     Culminating Clinical Experience      3

                        Subtotal Hours          3

Total Semester Hours          148

MSAT Program Expenses (beyond tuition and lab fees)

ATCAS Application Fee $85

Advance Tuition Deposit $500

Campus Parking Fee $130

Text Books Year 1 $1,200

Text Books Year 2 $540

Athletic Training Clinical Field Experience Uniform $80

Criminal Background Check $50

Technology Fee (per semester) $170

iMLearning Fee $295

Student Services $160

CPR Fee $40

Graston Technique Manual $39.99

All fees are approximate and are subject to change.

All SU students must be covered by health insurance. To purchase health insurance through SU, please visit the Wilkins Wellness Center at the following link: www.su.edu under Student Life and then Health & Wellness Health Services.

Students must participate in the SU iMLearning Program. Refer to technology fee above.

A unique feature of the SU MSAT program is that clinical field experience sites are either on campus at Shenandoah University, at surrounding high school settings and in NCAA programs in various locations throughout the United States. Shenandoah University Division of Athletic Training is not responsible for, nor will it be able to determine, rental and other associated living costs involved with clinical education at distant sites. Such costs incurred by the students will be determined by current market conditions in the town/city and/or country in which the clinical site is located. Prospective students are encouraged to research market conditions of distant clinical sites to determine what additional costs may be involved during those clinical experiences. This will allow students to make informed decisions on costs associated with clinical field experiences outside of the Winchester area. Listings of the SU MSAT clinical field experience sites may be found at www.su.edu/at.

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