Physical Therapy is a health care profession concerned with the habilitation and rehabilitation of individuals having limitations resulting from pathological, surgical, or traumatic conditions. The profession is also concerned with prevention of disability in an effort to promote maximal use of an individual's capacities. Physical therapists are trained to evaluate neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory disorders. Physical agents, such as heat, cold, light, electricity, massage, and exercise are used to promote healing, relieve pain, maintain or restore strength, and improve joint range of motion and functional capabilities. Physical therapists play key roles in: 1) rehabilitating injured workers to return to their jobs, 2) rehabilitating senior citizens after debilitating disease to enable them to remain independent 3) helping handicapped children to live within the least restrictive environment, 4) preventing and treating sports related injuries, and 5) conducting research in the basic and clinical sciences. Knowledge of the psychological and social ramifications of disability affecting the individual and his or her family is an integral part of physical therapy intervention.
Physical therapy is practiced in diversified settings, including hospitals, clinics, skilled nursing facilities, sports medicine programs, public schools, and private practices. Legislation in Montana permits direct public access to physical therapists for evaluation and treatment without a physician referral. Even so, physical therapists remain committed to functioning as an integral member of the health care team.
The physical therapy educational program at The University of Montana seeks to prepare physical therapists who have a broad base of skills upon graduation, and who will be able to implement physical therapy services primarily in rural settings. These types of settings require a physical therapist to serve not only as a provider of direct patient care, but to fulfill the roles of administrator, supervisor, teacher, consultant, and researcher. Students successfully completing the professional program meet the competencies for physical therapy as determined by the Commission on Accreditation in Education of the American Physical Therapy Association, receive a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy degree, and are prepared for state licensure.
The program is fully accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association.
Specific high school courses are not required but a background is recommended in mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, English, and other communication skills.
The pre-professional curriculum usually requires three years of study at any accredited college or university.
A high school graduate who fulfills the requirements for admission to The University of Montana will be admitted to the Pre-Professional Physical Therapy Program as a freshman with a Pre-Professional Physical Therapy major. Application can be made by submitting a uniform University of Montana application to the office of Admissions.
Students from community colleges, other colleges or universities, or from other programs at The University of Montana may transfer into the Pre-Professional Physical Therapy Program at the beginning of any semester. Students who plan to apply for entrance into the Professional Physical Therapy Program are encouraged to transfer into the Pre-Professional Program as early as possible and be advised by a physical therapy advisor on a semester basis.
The Professional Physical Therapy Program is a 23 month curriculum covering two academic years plus two summer sessions. Enrollment is limited to 24 students in each class (first and second professional years). A student who has successfully completed the Pre-Physical Therapy Program requirements must apply for admission to the Professional Program. An applicant must demonstrate that at the time of matriculation into the program all prerequisite courses will have been completed successfully, and that The University of Montana's General Education requirements have been met.
Because the professional program is sequential, students must enter the program in the autumn semester of the first professional year.
An applicant who has not previously been a student at The University of Montana must apply to the Office of Admissions and be admitted as a regular University of Montana student before being formally accepted into the Professional Physical Therapy Program. Former University of Montana students, unless they have attended another school since their enrollment at the University, need only apply to the Professional Program. Application forms and information about admission policies are available from the Physical Therapy Department, McGill Hall; an application fee is required.
The following policies and procedures should be noted:
The application form and the supporting documents for admission to the first professional year must be forwarded directly to the Chairman, Student Selection Committee, Physical Therapy Department no later than February 15, preceding the autumn semester of the year for which admission is requested.
Preference will be given to Montana resident students. To be considered for admission, an applicant who is a resident of Montana must have obtained a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.50 (on a four-point scale) in all college courses for which the applicant has registered, as well as a minimum of 2.50 in the required pre-professional courses. Non-resident applicants must have attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 in all courses for which the applicant has registered, as well as a minimum of 3.00 in the required pre-professional courses. To qualify as a resident applicant, the student must be a Montana resident on the closing date for submission of the application for admission.
In addition to these requirements, applicants must demonstrate an appreciation and knowledge of the practical duties and responsibilities of the physical therapist through direct exposure in a variety of clinical settings (a minimum of 120 hours of work or observation and work under the direct supervision of a physical therapist).
After completed applications have been received, the Selection Committee will screen the applications based on GPA in required courses, overall GPA, stated purpose, work experience, and letters of recommendation. Based upon the results of this screening, only those applicants who appear best qualified will be invited for a personal interview.
Although an invitation to appear for interview does not assure the applicant a place in the class, the final selection will be made from those interviewed. All applicants will be notified in writing of their status.
Conversion to the Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy has been approved and is scheduled for autumn 1996. Information regarding the new program can be obtained from the Physical Therapy Department.
Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.
Once admitted into the Professional Physical Therapy Program, all students must achieve a 2.00 (C) grade or higher in all required courses in the physical therapy curriculum. Because courses in the curriculum are sequential, a student who fails to achieve a 2.00 (C) grade in any course will not be allowed to continue in the next semester of the professional program. The student must retake the course at the next offering. Students who fail to progress in the expected manner for two consecutive years will be dismissed from the Physical Therapy Program subject to review by the Academic Requirements Committee and the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences. Students must also comply with all department academic and professional conduct policies as outlined in the Physical Therapy Department Student Handbook.
Because the program is academically intense, and because courses may be offered at various times during the day, evening and on Saturday, employment is not recommended. All students enrolled in the program are expected to maintain a full-time academic course load (minimum of 12 semester credits) during each semester of the program.
*Semester of enrollment depends on beginning letter of student's last name.
**As you review your suggested course of study, keep in mind the General Education Requirement when considering electives. Because of the limitation in elective credits in the professional curriculum, students are required to complete the majority of the General Education requirements during the pre-physical therapy curriculum.
Total credits required for graduation: 155
U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G= for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R.
U 195 Special Topics Variable cr.(R-4) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 280 Introduction to Physical Therapy and the Health Professions 3 cr. Offered alternate years. Introduction to the physical therapy profession, including clinical practice theories in areas of specialization, and a survey of related health care professions.
U 296 Independent Study 1-12 cr.
U 352 Neuromusculoskeletal Pathology 2 cr. Coreq., PT 364 and 365 or consent of instr. The pathology and medical and surgical treatment of musculoskeletal and neurological diseases and disabilities.
U 361 Clinical Clerkship I 1 cr. Prereq., enrollment in the PT program. Clinical experience in physical therapy departments with an emphasis on observation, treatment and mentorship.
U 364 Applied Clinical Anatomy and Kinesiology 4 cr. Prereq., course in human anatomy and consent of instr. Anatomy of the neuromusculoskeletal system and body cavities in relation to movement, function and clinical correlates.
U 365 Applied Clinical Anatomy and Kinesiology Laboratory 1 cr. Coreq., PT 364. Clinical applications of PT 364.
U 366 Neurosciences for the Health Professions 4 cr. Prereq., PT 364, 365 or consent of instr. Anatomy of the head and neck, and neuroanatomy of the human nervous system with emphasis on evaluation of central nervous system lesions and pathological conditions.
U 367 Neurosciences for the Health Professions Laboratory 1 cr. Coreq., PT 366. Application of PT 366.
U 368 Physical Therapy and the Health Care System 2 cr. Prereq., consent of instr. An introduction to physical therapy and its relationship to the health care system. Topics include medical terminology, medical record keeping, patient motivation and compliance, and professional issues in physical therapy.
U 376 Therapeutic Exercise and Biomechanics 3 cr. Prereq., PT 364, 382, 383. Therapeutic exercise principles, prescription and equipment. Biomechanical analysis and application to pathomechanics and injury.
U 377 Musculoskeletal Evaluation and Gait 3 cr. Prereq., PT 364, 365, 382, 383. Musculoskeletal assessment and treatment; including posture, gait analysis and instruction, and orthopedic special tests.
U 382 Physical Therapy I 4 cr. Prereq., consent of instr.; coreq., PT 364, 365. Physiology, indications, contraindications, and application of physical agents; patient transfer and positioning procedures; manual muscle testing, gonimometry and massage.
U 383 Physical Therapy I Laboratory 1 cr. Coreq., PT 382. Clinical applications of PT 382.
U 386 Motor Development through the Life Span 2 cr. Coreq., PT 364, 365 or consent of instr. Survey of human motor development: including embryology, pediatrics and geriatrics.
U 390 Clinical Internship I 4 cr. Prereq., PT 361. Six weeks of supervised clinical experience emphasizing patient evaluation and treatment.
U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-4) Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
U 452 Clinical Medicine and Surgery 2 cr. Prereq., PT 352. Special lectures in medicine and surgery as related to physical therapy with emphasis on recogniton of signs and symptoms of disease as well as implications for treatment. Topics include cardiac, pulmonary, renal, and gastrointestinal disease; diabetes; hematology; cancer; AIDS; substance addiction; and radiology
.U 461 Research in Physical Therapy 4 cr. Prereq., Math 241 or equiv. Basic principles of research and measurement; planning and implementing the inquiry process; investigation and analysis of published research; research and writing on a special interest topic.
U 462 Clinical Clerkship II 2 cr. Prereq., PT 361, 390 and consent of instr. Clinical experience in physical therapy departments with emphasis on patient evaluation and treatment, and department organization and administration.
U 466 Advanced Anatomy Laboratory cr. Prereq., PT 464, 465, 366, 367. Regional dissection and study of the back, neck, upper extremity and lower extremity, including clinical correlates.
U 471 Research and Writing in Physical Therapy 3 cr. Prereq., PT 461. Research and writing on a special topic as related to physical therapy.
U 478 Rehabilitation of the Neurological Patient 3 cr. Prereq., PT 366, 367, 364, 365, 382, 383. Neurologic assessment and treatment; including adult neurology, neurodevelopmental procedures, spinal cord injury, wheelchair and adaptive equipment needs and architectural barriers.
U 479 Rehabilitation of the Neurological Patient Laboratory 1 cr. Coreq., PT 478. Clinical applications of PT 478.
U 484 Physical Therapy II 3 cr. Prereq., PT 382, 383. Evaluation and treatment procedures; including units in arthritis, prosthetics, orthotics, manual therapy and chronic pain.
U 485 Physical Therapy III 3 cr. Prereq., PT 484. Continuation of PT 484; including units in obstetrics, burns, respiratory, peripheral vascular disease and cardiac rehabilitation.
U 486 Physical Therapy Practice and Administration 2 cr. Prereq., consent of instr. Organization and management of the physical therapy department with emphasis on the therapist's role as administrator, supervisor and consultant.
U 488 Electrophysiological Testing and Therapeutics 2 cr. Prereq., PT 382, 383 and consent of instr. Theory and application of electrodiagnosis and electrotherapy procedures; includes laboratory.
U 489 Clinical Internship II 4 cr. Prereq., PT 462 and consent of instr. Seven weeks of supervised clinical experience in all aspects of professional practice.
U 490 Clinical Internship III 4 cr. Prereq., PT 489 and consent of instr. Continuation of PT 489 but in another physical therapy setting.
UG 494 Seminar Variable cr. (R-6)
UG 495 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-4) Prereq., consent of instr. Offerings of visiting professors or one-time offerings of current topics.