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Main Page Contact Michelle Gordon, 912.961.3173 For Immediate Release First Doctoral Program Offered at AASUSavannah, GA--December 5, 2005--The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved a consortium of Armstrong Atlantic State University and North Georgia College and State University joining with the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) in offering a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) on their respective campuses. Graduates of the new three-year post baccalaureate degree will receive their diplomas from MCG with the option of graduating in Savannah or Augusta. In Savannah, courses will be taught using an outcome-based learning approach that AASU has successfully applied to its master's level program. The current faculty, labs, and clinical sites will continue to be used supplemented by distance learning instruction from MCG. AASU will continue to admit 20 students per year. Barry Eckert, dean of the College of Health Professions, explained that the trend in physical therapy instruction has been toward granting doctoral degrees, something that is encouraged by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. The result is that patients receive a higher level of skilled treatment and broader care management. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the physical therapy field is expected to increase faster than the average of allied health occupations as growth in the number of individuals with disabilities or limited function spurs demand for therapy services. While the first doctoral candidates will enter the program in June 2006, AASU will "teach out" its remaining master's degree candidates over the next two years. Eckert said, "We are very excited to collaborate with the Medical College of Georgia to offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy on our campus. This adds to the broad range of professional degrees in the College of Health Professions. The DPT further increases our level of expertise and expands the level of patient care that our graduates can provide to the citizens of Georgia." Individuals interested in the MCG Doctor of Physical Therapy program on the Armstrong Atlantic campus should contact the Department of Physical Therapy at 912.921.2327. For more information about the consortium, contact the MCG Department of Physical Therapy at 706.721.2141. |
11935 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia 31419 912.927.5277 800.633.2349
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