Curriculum
The student will complete a minimum of 54 credit hours of coursework (excluding dissertation credits) including a minimum of 36 credit hours of coursework taken on the Duquesne University campus. Total program is a minimum of 72 credit hours. The specific blend of coursework will be dependent upon the details and scope of the current undertaking as well as the past educational and professional experiences of the student.
1. Research Design and Statistics
| Research Methods* | 3 credits |
| Statistics I* | 3 credits |
| Statistics II* | 3 credits |
| Statistics III* | 3 credits |
| Qualitative Research* | 3 credits |
| Clinical Outcomes & Evidence Based Practice Research | 3-6 credits |
2. Anatomy Courses
| Specialized Topics in Anatomy I* | 3 credits |
| Specialized Topics in Anatomy II | 3 credits |
3. Concentration Courses
| Orthopedics & Biomechanics – Overview* | 3 credits |
| Orthopedics & Biomechanics of the Upper Limb – Shoulder | 3 credits |
| Orthopedics & Biomechanics of the Upper Limb – Elbow | 3 credits |
| Orthopedics & Biomechanics of the Upper Limb – Wrist and Hand | 3 credits |
| Orthopedics & Biomechanics of the Lower Limb – Hip | 3 credits |
| Orthopedics & Biomechanics of the Lower Limb – Knee | 3 credits |
| Orthopedics & Biomechanics of the Lower Limb – Ankle and Foot | 3 credits |
| Prevention of Musculoskeletal Injury | 3 credits |
| Musculoskeletal Biomechanics | 3 credits |
| Integrative Biomechanics of the Lower Limb | 3 credits |
| Physical and Therapeutic Modalities | 3 credits |
| Bioinstrumentation | 3 credits |
| Seminar in Orthopedics & Sports Medicine* | 1 credit |
| Supervised Research* | 1-3 credits |
| Directed Research* | 1-3 credits |
4. Independent Study Courses
| Independent Study I | 1-3 credits |
| Independent Study II | 1-3 credits |
| Independent Study III | 1-3 credits |
5. Electives
| Neuroscience | 4 credits |
| Scientific Writing | 3 credits |
| Grant Writing | 3 credits |
| Motor Learning** | 3 credits |
6. Education Courses
| Theories of Teaching & Learning* | 3 credits |
| Technology and Education | 3 credits |
| Psychology of Learning | 3 credits |
| Teaching Practicum I* | 3 credits |
7. Dissertation Courses
| Dissertation I* | 9 credits |
| Dissertation II* | 9 credits |
*Required Course
**Course available through Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education
Comprehensive Academic Project
The Comprehensive Academic Project (CAP) is intended to serve a role similar to that of a traditional comprehensive or qualifying examination. The CAP is an academic experience that requires the student to demonstrate his or her depth and breadth of knowledge relevant to his or her specific concentration of study in Orthopedics and Clinical Biomechanics. The CAP will take place after all required course work is completed but before the dissertation proposal. The CAP will consist of both a written and an oral component. To proceed to candidacy, the student must pass both written and oral portions of the CAP. The written component consists of a typed manuscript written by the student in journal format, which describes a formal supervised or directed research endeavor the student experienced during his or her studies within the Rehabilitation Sciences Ph.D. program at Duquesne University. The required quality of the paper must be at a sufficiently high enough level that it may be submitted to a peer reviewed scientific journal with a reasonable chance of being accepted. The oral component must consist of a public presentation to members of the student’s Program Committee and will be open to Duquesne University faculty, and students. The general format of the oral presentation is that of a professional podium presentation followed by questions and answers. The specific project selected for the CAP must be approved by the student’s Program Committee prior to commencement of the project. The CAP serves as a measured directive that assesses the student’s capability to successfully complete a dissertation. A Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Science will be issued to all students who have successfully completed all program requirements up to and including the CAP.
Dissertation
Every student is required to complete a written dissertation and to successfully orally present and defend his/her completed dissertation. Every student working on a dissertation must maintain continuous enrollment (register each semester either for credit or for continuous registration) until the dissertation is complete. Students are strongly encouraged to become intimately familiar with dissertation format, procedures and deadlines by visiting the library’s web site for electronic theses and dissertations