Doctor of Physical Therapy

Blending online education, hands-on lab immersions and clinical education, the Augustana DPT Program utilizes technology and hybrid learning strategies to reach students in their chosen communities from around the country. The hybrid learning model brings together students and faculty from diverse backgrounds to learn with and from one another.

Hands-on lab immersions occur at the National Sports Center — a unique space in Blaine, Minnesota, providing the opportunity for students and faculty to interact with one another, refining hands-on skills and deepening the clinical reasoning developed through the didactic courses. The center is 30 minutes from Minneapolis–Saint Paul (MSP) International Airport and features free parking in close proximity to restaurants, as well as affordable local accommodations.

Clinical education at Augustana provides students with exposure to varied physical therapy practice settings and a wide range of patient populations across the lifespan. These full-time experiences occur during the second and final year of study and immerse students into clinical settings as they learn to excel as a Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Effective Nov. 8, 2022, Augustana University has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703.706.3245; email: accreditation@apta.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 605.202.6175 or email dptadmissions@jmswierski.com.

Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.

Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) at fsbpt.org or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website).

Accreditation Contingency Plan

Augustana University has developed the following accreditation contingency plan that protects prospective and enrolled students.

If the program fails to achieve initial accreditation status, the contingency plan is as follows:

(1) Inform all enrolled and prospective students of CAPTE’s decision to deny initial accreditation status and the program’s decision, plan, and timeline for reconsideration. (2) Inform the cohorts of CAPTE’s position that, due to the program’s pre-accreditation status, students may continue in the program and, upon graduation, are eligible to take the NPTE. (3) Temporarily suspend the admissions process. (4) Submit the request for reconsideration and exhaust all appeals available to the institution. (5) If the initial accreditation status is still not granted, permanently stop admissions and refund the supplemental registration fees to prospective students. (6) enrolled students will be eligible to complete the program of study and sit for the NPTE.

Licensure, Reciprocity & Complaints

The mission of the Augustana DPT program is to prepare innovative doctors of physical therapy who are empowered to integrate career and service, devise novel solutions to critical problems and embrace lifelong learning to improve the human experience in a diverse world.

The goal of the curriculum is to develop innovative future Doctor of Physical Therapy who are dedicated to service in the community and profession, committed to academic excellence and passionate in their ongoing pursuit of knowledge and professional development.

Health Insurance

All Augustana DPT students are responsible for purchasing and maintaining health insurance coverage throughout the DPT program. Distance education students should seek health services in their local communities. During on-site lab intensives, students will need to seek medical care for illnesses or injuries at local urgent care facilities or emergency rooms. Students are financially responsible for any services rendered by these medical facilities. Students are responsible for maintaining personal health insurance coverage during their entire tenure in the DPT Program.

Everyone deserves access to affordable, quality health care coverage and services. You can find and enroll in affordable health insurance plans at  Healthcare.gov.  You may also find information about Open Enrollment, How to get or stay on a parent’s plan, how to enroll or change health insurance plans, and tips about the Health Insurance Marketplace on this site. 

Please note that students without health insurance cannot participate in patient contact activities both in the didactic and clinical phase, and therefore cannot successfully complete the program.

Immunizations

Before entering the Augustana DPT program, students must submit proof of health insurance and updated proof of immunizations. Health and immunization forms require completion and signature by a licensed healthcare provider. Suggested references are the Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers and COVID-19 Vaccines for Healthcare Personnel.

Specific related requirements include proof of:

1. Personal health insurance throughout the entire program.
2. Annual Tuberculosis (TB) two-step testing through one of the following: Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), QuantiFERON-Gold Blood Test (QTBG) or documentation from a healthcare provider assessing tuberculosis status with a copy of any diagnostic reports.
3. Hepatitis B vaccine series (three doses) OR immunity by titer.
4. MMR vaccine (two doses) OR immunity by titer.
5. Varicella history, vaccination (two doses) OR immunity by titer.
6. Influenza vaccine (required annually during influenza season - October through May).
7. Tetanus, Diphtheria & Pertussis (Tdap) vaccine within the last 10 years.
8. COVID-19 Vaccine | Students will be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine as currently determined by the CDC and FDA. COVID-19 vaccination is required to begin the program.

Before entering the clinical phases of the program (Year 2), students must update their immunization and health certificate and provide proof of:

1. Updated annual Tuberculosis (TB) testing.
2. Influenza vaccine (required annually during influenza season - October through May).
3. Current personal health insurance throughout the clinical year.
4. For some clinical sites, a physical examination may be required at additional expense.
5. COVID-19 vaccine booster as recommended by CDC, FDA and the specific clinical site.

For more information about immunization of Health Care Workers, go to the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Professional Liability and Workers' Compensation Coverage

Students enrolled in the DPT Program are covered by professional liability insurance for at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) per occurrence and three million dollars ($3,000,000) in the aggregate. Students will be provided workers' compensation insurance coverage for clinical education experiences that occur in states where it is required. The Clinical Education contract will specify if the state and clinical education site require students to have worker's compensation coverage. Certificates of insurance are provided to the clinical education sites where coverage is required.