Post-Baccalaureate Certificate of Advanced Studies in Women's Health Physical Therapy

Both novice and intermediate physical therapists working primarily with women and who are interested in lifelong learning can benefit from this certificate program, in which the student enrolls in 12 semester credit hours of coursework. This Certificate will allow physical therapists to earn a recognized academic certificate that can be applied as evidence of continued competence for licensure (CCU) renewal (see Texas Physical Therapy Association) and/or an advanced degree.)

The purposes of this Post-Baccalaureate (Post-Professional) Certificate are to 1) advance and validate the educational and clinical foundation of physical therapists choosing to practice primarily with women, 2) provide a means through formal higher education to address self-identified weaknesses in specialized knowledge and/or skills, and 3) assist prospective students to move from novice or intermediate practice in women’s health physical therapy toward expert and/or specialist practice. In addition, the 4 courses form the didactic component of the Baylor-TWU Women’s Health Physical Therapy Residency, an APTA accredited residency program.

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

1. examine and evaluate patients, holistically develop physical therapy diagnoses, determine prognoses, implement individualized evidence-based physical therapy interventions, and measure patient outcomes in patients with primarily pelvis and abdominal health issues.
2. communicate effectively with patients who have pelvis, abdominal, and other health issues, their caregivers, healthcare team members, and the community.
3. function effectively on a healthcare team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan interventions, and meet patient care objectives.
4. acquire, interpret, and apply new knowledge in support of evidence-based practice and life-long learning.

Admissions

All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.

The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.

Degree Requirements

Total Semester Credit Hours Required

12 semester credit hours (SCH).

Course List

Code	Title	SCHs
PT 6603	Female Anatomy for Physical Therapists	3
PT 6613	Women's Health for Physical Therapists	3
PT 6623	Physical Therapy Management of Women's Health I	3
PT 6633	Physical Therapy Management of Women's Health II	3
Total SCHs		12

Course Requirements

A Certificate from TWU School of Physical Therapy implies mastery of the knowledge and skills in the certificate area. Therefore, in addition to the Graduate School requirement that students who enroll in graduate courses must maintain a 3.0 GPA on all graduate-level courses taken at TWU, only one course where a C was earned will be applied toward the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Women’s Health Physical Therapy.