Physiotherapy and Kinesiology

Overview of the study program

The well-being and health needs of our society have continued to evolve over the years: an aging population, increased socio-cultural, professional and daily activities...

In keeping with the university’s core values, the Department of Physical Therapy aims to prepare professionals who are able to meet the ever-demanding health needs in our local community and beyond. The program is based on a client-centered approach that promotes first and foremost the individual’s ability to make the discoveries and decisions needed for recovery. Faculty members are experts in providing evidence-based knowledge, disseminating the practices of professional discipline, and designing field training and scholarly activities that enhance critical thinking skills needed for reasoning and clinical decision making.

Our department’s intended goal is in line with the principles outlined by the World Health Organization’s statement: “Physiotherapists assess, plan and implement rehabilitative programs that improve or restore human motor functions, maximize movement ability, relieve pain syndromes, and treat or prevent physical challenges associated with injuries, diseases and other impairments. They apply a broad range of physical therapies and techniques such as movement, ultrasound, heating, laser and other techniques. They may develop and implement programmes for screening and prevention of common physical ailments and disorders (WHO).”

Mission

The mission of the Physical Therapy Department in The American University of Europe, AUE-FON is to promote and maintain the highest level of achievement through continuous learning, research quality, and community services in the field of physical therapy. The Department offers a comprehensive liberal educational program through varieties of teaching methodology, laboratory, clinical experiences and field training which are culturally and ethically sensitive. Graduates of the Department will be able to function in a constant changing and diversifying health care settings. The Department provides evidence-based practice according to the highest professional standards by the incorporation of recent research findings into professional practice.

To achieve its mission, the department relies on highly specialized and dedicated staff members worldwide as demand.

Objectives

Upon completion of our undergraduate Physical Therapy program, students will demonstrate a working ability to:

  • Practice the evidence-based knowledge and skills in physical therapy.
  • The opportunity to practice in different areas of interest in physical therapy.
  • Intensive training in problem solving, laboratory skills, and practical skills.
  • A well-rounded education that includes communication skills, the ability to function well on a team, an appreciation for ethical behavior, and the ability to engage in lifelong learning.

This curriculum is expected to prepare students to thrive and to lead. It also prepares them to achieve AUE Educational Program Objectives:

  • Use various reasoning strategies to draw clinical conclusions and make decisions.
  • Integrate and apply the code of highest ethical standards of physical therapy practitioners in the community.
  • Promote and maintain continuous cooperation and interaction with local, regional and international health care organizations. 
  • Reinforce their learning in the undergraduate program with future research.

Purpose of the program

In short, the future physiotherapist will be able to:

  • Perform a check-up and clinical evaluation in physiotherapy.
  • Diagnose and design the most adequate therapeutic working and clinical management strategy.
  • Use various reasoning strategies to draw clinical conclusions and making decisions. Treat by performing individual or group management in physiotherapy and in different contexts.
  • Preventing different conditions.
  • Teach prevention and screening in therapeutic education and public health.
  • Effectively manage individual practices as well as the efficient use of resources.
  • Participate in research in Physiotherapy and Public Health.
  • Commit to continuing education and information for future professionals.

Learning Outcomes

The program aims to enable students to:

  • Be reflective physical therapy practitioners with the requisite skills, knowledge and professional attributes consistent with those expected of newly qualified staff.
  • Be equipped with the graduate skills and attitudes that are necessary to enable them to function effectively in the complex, changing environment of the modern workplace.
  • Become independent autonomous practitioners.
  • Evaluate knowledge which arises from practice.
  • Evaluate knowledge from both a theoretical and practical perspective.
  • Implement safe and effective assessment, examination and treatment in the scope of physiotherapy practice.
  • Understand and implement research-based and evidence-based practice to the field/scope of practice.
  • Collaborate with others and be members of a multidisciplinary team that prioritizes patient care.
  • Function effectively within an interprofessional team.
  • Develop key and transferable skills.
  • Develop leadership potential.
  • Engage in the analysis of academic discourse.
  • Use information and information technology effectively to inform and support patient care. Plan maintenance and support programs for prevention of future injuries or reoccurrences.
  • Engage in health promotional activities.
  • Link their undergraduate learning outcomes with future continuing professional development.

Career Potential Opportunities

Physical Therapy graduates can give home-care services or work in private clinics, rehabilitation centers, hospitals inpatient rehabilitation facilities, elderly care centers, industrial workplaces or other occupational environments, sports, fitness and wellness centers.

They can also teach in schools and universities, hold administrative positions, or conduct research studies.

Workplaces are public or private institutions, such as:

  • Hospitals;
  • Private clinics or physiotherapy practices;
  • Medical and long-term care facilities for the elderly;
  • Rehabilitation centres specializing in neurological, cardio-respiratory, musculoskeletal, burnt...;
  • Sports centres and clubs;
  • Thermal centres;
  • Patients' homes (home treatments);
  • Teaching;
  • Community Health Networks;
  • Schools;
  • Private industries;
  • Management/administration;
  • Research facilities.

Programmatic Learning Outcomes

At the end of this program, the graduate is able to:

  • Collect and interpret information about the patient/client's needs.
  • Make the diagnosis based on the information collected.
  • Create and perform physiotherapy interventions for simple and common problems.
  • Plan, perform and adjust the patient/client's functional assessment.
  • Assess physiotherapy intervention with critical, evidence-based scientific reasoning.
  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary care teams (doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, speech therapists, etc.).
  • Adapt communication to intervention objectives and context.
  • Educate the patient/client and his or her family from a health promotion perspective.
  • Working alone and as a team to achieve goals and produce positive results in the context of physiotherapy.
  • Develop, conduct and present relevant scientific research in physiotherapy.
  • Develop its autonomy, its proactivity in the acquisition of new knowledge and new skills.
  • Act within an ethical, ethical and legal framework.

Pedagogical principles

Teaching in the department is mainly based on the following methods and principles:

The course is student centered

  • Encouraging exchanges between students and trainers.
  • Group work: encouraging discussion, communication and cooperation between students.
  • Personal work: case studies, projects, and documentary research.
  • Implementation of interactive teaching and active teaching methods.

  • Clinical teaching: demonstrations and practical applications.

  • Optimizing learning by helping teachers and students better manage available time.

  • Stressing on the critical thinking and mindfulness.

  • Delivery through differentiated instructions.

     

Principles of evaluation

This Physical Therapy program is always actualized and is a present-day system. Attendance to all theoretical sessions, practical work and internships is therefore mandatory. However, from a tolerated absence threshold, the student is allowed a 30% absences from regular sessions before the system automatically withdraw him (AW). Note also that the participation is graded. To obtain a BSc Degree in Physical Therapy, students must successfully complete a total of 132 credits . The standard duration of study is 8 semesters.

The competency assessment for a teaching unit is carried out during the semester of study, through:

Individual examinations in two phases, including a partial mid-semester exam and a final exam at the end of the semester. Learning activities, evaluated during course sessions (TP, Project, Quiz, etc.)

The evaluation of clinical internships is carried out through:

An evaluation carried out by the instructor of the place of internship.

A teaching unit is considered passed, when the calculated final score is above or equal to the required average as follows: 60 % (D) taking into consideration the cumulative GPA.