Received by the Graduate Council—March 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
Fourth Meeting/2009-10 Academic Year
February 8, 2010
SECTION C – Items previously in Section B, now reported for inclusion in the Graduate Catalog.
p. 1 of 5
COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES
School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
BOT/ Other Catalog Change
Page 145, 2008-09 Graduate Catalog
IBHE
School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
(AHCD, AHPT, AHRC, AUD, COMD)
↓
Graduate Faculty
↓
The School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders offers graduate programs leading to the
Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Physical Therapy (M.P.T.), and Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) and the
Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degrees. The M.A. curriculum prepares students for careers as entrylevel speech-language pathologists and rehabilitation counselors. Students admitted to the professional
physical therapy program through the limited admissions undergraduate major in health sciences in fall
2009 will be the last cohort to begin the M.P.T. program in spring 2011. The M.P.T. program is the
graduate component of the physical therapy curriculum and prepares students to function as entry-level
practitioners. The Au.D. is an entry-level degree that prepares individuals for professional practice in the
area of audiology. The D.P.T. program prepares individuals to function as entry-level practitioners in
physical therapy.
The M.A. specialization in speech-language pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic
Accreditation in Speech- Language Pathology and Audiology of the American Speech- Language-Hearing
Association.
↓
The M.P.T. and DPT programs is are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation
of Physical Therapy Education.
↓
Master of Arts in Communicative Disorders
Communicative Disorders
Specialization in Audiology
Rehabilitation Counseling
Speech-Language Pathology
Master of Physical Therapy (M.P.T.)
Physical Therapy
Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.)
Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)
Received by the Graduate Council—March 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
Fourth Meeting/2009-10 Academic Year
February 8, 2010
SECTION C – Items previously in Section B, now reported for inclusion in the Graduate Catalog.
p. 2 of 5

BOT 3/26/09, IBHE 12/8/09, GCCC Section B 11/10/08. Will appear in the 2010-11 Graduate Catalog.
BOT/ Other Catalog Change
Page 147, 2008-09 Graduate Catalog
IBHE
Master of Physical Therapy (M.P.T.)
↓
Requirements (50-52)
AHPT 603 - Psychosocial Issues in Physical Therapy (2)
↓
AHPT 670 – Seminar in Physical Therapy (2)
Students admitted to the professional physical therapy program through the limited admissions
undergraduate major in health sciences in fall 2009 will be the last cohort to enter the M.P.T. program in
spring 2011. The M.P.T. program will be replaced by the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
BOT 3/26/09, IBHE 12/8/09, GCCC Section B 11/10/08. Will appear in the 2010-11 Graduate Catalog.
BOT/ Other Catalog Change
Page 147-148, 2008-09 Graduate Catalog
IBHE
Doctor of Audiology
The Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) is an entry-level degree that
prepares individuals for professional
↓
Admission
↓
Requirements
↓
Students must complete the minimum academic and clinical requirements for professional certification
issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Doctor of Physical Therapy
The Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) program prepares individuals to function as entry-level physical
therapists. Successful completion of this accredited academic program in physical therapy will meet one of
the eligibility requirements for state licensure.
The faculty of the physical therapy program has determined that for students to successfully complete the
professional physical therapy program, they must have abilities and skills in observation, communication,
motor function, intellectual performance, and professional behavior. A student must, with or without
Received by the Graduate Council—March 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
Fourth Meeting/2009-10 Academic Year
February 8, 2010
SECTION C – Items previously in Section B, now reported for inclusion in the Graduate Catalog.
p. 3 of 5
reasonable accommodation, possess these technical skills upon admission to the physical therapy program.
A copy of these technical standards for the physical therapy program can be obtained from the Physical
Therapy Program Office.
In addition to the usual costs for a university student, physical therapy majors are responsible for the costs
involved in
appropriate clinical attire
transportation to and from, and room and board at, clinical facilities
proof of Hepatitis B, rubella, mumps, rubeola, and varicella immunity
annual TB tests
student professional liability insurance
clinical site specific requirements
maintenance of CPR certification
professional textbooks and supplies
Full-time clinical experiences are an integral part of the curriculum, providing the student opportunities to
apply academic knowledge under the supervision of skilled physical therapists. Clinical experiences,
offered throughout the United States, are scheduled by the NIU physical therapy faculty. Students are
required to complete two full-time six-week clinical experiences, as well as two full-time eight-week
clinical experiences. Specific clinical sites may require background checks and/or drug testing.
Admission
Admission to the D.P.T. is limited and competitive. To be assured consideration for admission to the
D.P.T. program, prospective students must submit separate and completed application materials to the
physical therapy program and to the Graduate School no later than October 1 for the following fall session.
Applicants must meet or exceed the following admission requirements:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, in progress or completed
Competitive scores on the GRE General Test
A minimum 3.00 GPA (on a 4.00 scale) in the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate course work
A minimum 3.00 GPA (on a 4.00 scale) in the following prerequisite courses:
AHPT 405 - Physical Therapy and the Rehabilitation Process (3)
3 semester hours of general psychology
3 semester hours of developmental psychology
3 semester hours of abnormal psychology
3 semester hours of statistics
3 semester hours of research methods
5 - 8 semester hours of anatomy and physiology
8 semester hours of general biology with laboratory
8 semester hours of general chemistry with laboratory
Received by the Graduate Council—March 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
Fourth Meeting/2009-10 Academic Year
February 8, 2010
SECTION C – Items previously in Section B, now reported for inclusion in the Graduate Catalog.
p. 4 of 5
8 semester hours of general physics with laboratory
Provisional acceptance may be granted pending completion of admission requirements. Contact the
physical therapy program regarding admissions.
Program Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 106 semester hours that include the following:
AHPT 602 - Communication and Educational Skills for Physical Therapists (3)
AHPT 608 - Physical Therapy Research I: Evidence-Based Practice (2)
AHPT 609 - Physical Therapy Research II (3)
AHPT 610 - Foundations of Physical Therapy I (3)
AHPT 611 - Foundations of Physical Therapy II (3)
AHPT 612 - Foundations of Physical Therapy III (3)
AHPT 613 - Foundations of Physical Therapy IV (4)
AHPT 614 - Foundations of Physical Therapy V (3)
AHPT 615 - Neurological Basis of Human Movement (3)
AHPT 616 - Motor Development for Physical Therapists (3)
AHPT 617 - Pathology for Physical Therapists (3)
AHPT 618 - Pharmacology for Physical Therapists (2)
AHPT 620 - Clinical Experience I (1)
AHPT 621 - Clinical Experience II (1)
AHPT 622 - Clinical Experience III (4)
AHPT 636 – Physical Therapy Management of Individuals with Acute Medical Problems (3)
AHPT 637 - Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy (3)
AHPT 639 - Evaluation and Treatment of Musculoskeletal Disorders (4)
AHPT 641 - Physical Therapy Management of Complex Musculoskeletal Disorders (4)
AHPT 642 - Medical Issues in Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy (3)
AHPT 651 - Medical Issues in Neurological Physical Therapy (2)
AHPT 652 - Neurological Rehabilitation (6)
AHPT 657 - Pediatric Physical Therapy (2)
AHPT 660 - Clinical Experience IV (4)
AHPT 700 - Physical Therapy Administration(3)
AHPT 701 - Professional Roles in Physical Therapy (1)
AHPT 702 - Physical Therapy Management of Complex Patients I (2)
AHPT 703 - Physical Therapy Management of Complex Patients II (2)
AHPT 709 - Physical Therapy Research III (2)
AHPT 710 - Practice Issues in Physical Therapy (2)
AHPT 760 - Clinical Experience V (6)
AHPT 761 - Clinical Experience VI (6)
Received by the Graduate Council—March 1, 2010
GRADUATE COUNCIL CURRICULUM COMMITTEE (GCCC)
Fourth Meeting/2009-10 Academic Year
February 8, 2010
SECTION C – Items previously in Section B, now reported for inclusion in the Graduate Catalog.
p. 5 of 5
AHPT 798 - Comprehensive Examination in Physical Therapy (1)
AHRC 628 - Psychosocial Aspects of Disability (3)
BIOS 546 - Gross Human Anatomy (6)
BOT 3/26/09, IBHE 12/8/09, GCCC Section B 11/10/08. Will appear in the 2010-11 Graduate Catalog.