Doctor of Physical Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Total Credits Required: 113 Credits
The 24-month, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT) prepares graduates with the necessary skills to meet the demands of clinical practice in the current century. Using a hybrid learning model, the curriculum combines online learning activities and interaction, hands-on laboratory immersion sessions, and collaborative clinical education experiences. The DPT program delivers a contemporary and evidence-based curriculum using faculty and contributors that are dedicated educators, clinicians, researchers, and leaders in the professions.
The clinical education component of the program consists of three unique clinical experiences of 32-weeks in total. The first rotation is 8-weeks in length and is scheduled during the first term of the second year in the program. Clinical experiences II and III occur at the end of the curriculum (Terms 10 and 11) and are 8-weeks and 16-weeks respectively.
Students are required to participate in a variety of experiences across the continuum of care. This means that students will be assigned clinical experiences in different settings and/or with different clinical presentations and diagnoses. Available clinical sites are across the United States and abroad, and students should anticipate participating in clinical rotations outside of their current geographical region.
DPT Program Mission: Hawai‘i Pacific University innovative Doctor of Physical Therapy program develops movement specialists who provide evidence-informed, collaborative, and empathic care. We are committed to building a professional ‘ohana of diverse and open-minded leaders who anticipate and respond to the needs of the global community.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
Students demonstrate safety, professional ethics, initiative, and effective communication to understand and motivate patients/clients and enhance clinical outcomes.
Students demonstrate effective performance and knowledge related to physical therapy examination, evaluation, diagnosis/prognosis, and interventions to enhance clinical outcomes.
Graduates are prepared for professional leadership roles, post-professional learning opportunities, and clinical specialization.
ACCREDITATION
Honolulu Program
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in Honolulu, HI at Hawaiʻi Pacific University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (808) 356-5298 or email dpt@hpu.edu.
Las Vegas Program
Hawai’i Pacific University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. On May 1, 2024, the program submitted an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the [professional/technical] phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.