Physical Therapy

Faculty

Renée M. Hakim, Ph.D., PT, NCS, Chair
Anthony F. Carusotto, DPT, CLT
Tracey L. Collins, M.B.A., Ph.D., PT, GCS
Peter M. Leininger, Ph.D., PT, OCS,
Dana R. Maida, DPT, GCS
Nicholas P. Rodio, DPT
Janette Scardillo, DPT, MPT, CBIS
Jennifer Schwartz, DPT, NCS
Lori M. Walton, Ph.D., DPT, CLT

Overview

There is no undergraduate major in Physical Therapy. The University of Scranton offers the DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) program as a full-time, first professional, entry-level degree with no option for part-time study. Qualified candidates will have earned a baccalaureate degree, completed all of the required prerequisites, and met the academic and professional behavior standards set forth the by the Department of Physical Therapy.

In concert with the Catholic and Jesuit mission of the University of Scranton, the Department of Physical Therapy aspires to graduate knowledgeable, service-oriented, confident, adaptable, culturally competent, and reflective physical therapists. The Department of Physical Therapy promotes the quest for excellence and knowledge along with a commitment to life-long learning, social responsibility, and advocacy. Graduates are expected to render independent judgments that are ethical and based on the best clinical practices and scientific evidence currently available. The Department fosters a spirit of caring for the whole person and strives to prepare its graduates as “men and women for and with others”.

The professional phase of the program requires three complete years of course work, comprised of six semesters and three summer sessions. Following completion of all prerequisites and acceptance into the DPT program, courses begin in June with Anatomy for PT lecture/lab. Two ten-week clinical experiences occur during the second and third summer sessions and one fourteen-week clinical experience occurs during the entire final/spring semester of the program. Clinical sites are located primarily in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions of the United States, but the department also maintains clinical contracts throughout the country.

Visit the Physical Therapy Department online at www.scranton.edu/pt.

A complete description of the DPT admission requirements, essential functions, curriculum and course descriptions can be found in the Graduate Studies Catalog.

DPT Guaranteed Seat

A select group of incoming freshmen who indicate an interest in the DPT program on their applications for admission will be offered a guaranteed seat in the DPT program as they enter The University of Scranton. The guaranteed seat is conditional and is based on the overall strength of the student’s application to the DPT program. All of the requirements for undergraduate students admitted in fall 2021 and offered a guaranteed seat to the DPT in 2025 are delineated in the 2021 Graduate Studies Catalog.