Ph.D. in Rehabilitation and Movement Science
The Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation and Movement Science is a collaborative effort among faculty in the areas of Exercise Science, Physical Therapy and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The purpose of the program is to prepare rehabilitation and movement science scholars through a rigorous academic program that focuses on the development of teaching and research expertise in the applied science disciplines.
This collaborative degree program uniquely addresses the multi-faceted nature of our current health care delivery system and prepares applied scientists to approach health and rehabilitation initiatives from an integrative rather than competitive perspective.
The program encourages applications from individuals in rehabilitation and movement science fields such as physical therapy, exercise physiology, sports medicine and physical medicine. To be considered for admission applicants must have completed at least one of: a master’s degree in a related area, 30 hours of post-baccalaureate work (e.g. course work at 500 level or greater) or a first-professional degree program (e.g., DPT, MD, etc).
Applied Physiology
The applied physiology concentration prepares students to teach, conduct research and direct external funding initiatives in the area of exercise physiology, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and physiology particularly associated with metabolic and chronic disease states.
Neuromusculoskeletal Dynamics
The neuromusculoskeletal dynamics concentration prepares individuals for teaching, research and clinical initiatives associated with the identification and rehabilitation of movement disorders.
Program Objectives
Graduates will be able to:
- Analyze the multi-factorial elements of rehabilitation and human movement
- Apply collaborative/interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary rehabilitation and movement issues
- Develop and test theories and applications of normal and dysfunctional movement
- Plan and implement sound instructional strategies in the preparation of rehabilitation and movement science professionals
- Design, conduct and describe research that will advance knowledge in movement science and will improve rehabilitative practice
- Evaluate relevant scientific literature and interpret results to improve health and human movement using a multidisciplinary approach
- Contribute to the scientific literature through completion of a doctoral dissertation and other collaborative research endeavors