Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Movement Science

Overview

The mission of the PhD program is to promote interdisciplinary and translational research that will impact on the field of Physical Therapy by preparing individuals to conduct independent research and to assume roles as faculty members and researchers in academic and clinical settings.

Building on the strengths of our faculty, the program provides students with the theoretical foundations for understanding typical function of the human movement system and disorders of that system that could lead to limitations in mobility and function. The strength of our faculty is their active engagement in research that examines the cellular, mechanical, and physiological and perceptual systems that support human movement.

By providing the opportunity for admission to those who are not physical therapists, we seek to enrich the profession with individuals from diverse backgrounds who can contribute to translational and interdisciplinary research. Human movement science is one of the most rapidly evolving areas of Neuroscience and one in which translational and interdisciplinary research is critical and fundamental. The rapid advance in knowledge is in large measure due to the application of principles of engineering and computer technology to the study of brain function.