2018 NSU Fact Book

65 of Health Science, and Doctor of Health Science. A Bachelor of Science in Medical Sonography is offered at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus and a Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Sonography is offered at the Tampa Campus. The sonography programs offer undergraduate degrees and prepare graduates for work in the field of vascular technology. General sonography includes subspecialties for obstetrics and gynecology exams; abdominal, neurological, and breast exams; and exams of structures such as joints and tendons. Cardiac sonography examines the anatomical structure and function of the heart. Vascular sonography studies the anatomical and physiological characteristics of all arteries and veins in the body. All diagnostic medical sonography uses ultrasound to obtain images and is, therefore, considered noninvasive, having no known risks or side effects in comparison to other widely used medical imaging methods. Sonographers are important members of the diagnostic medical imaging or surgical team. They work closely with radiologists, cardiologists, and vascular or general surgeons, as well as other allied health professionals. The Master of Occupational Therapy Program, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, opened in 1994. Occupational therapists provide services to enhance and restore function and life satisfaction to people whose daily life performance has been interrupted or jeopardized by disease, injury, disability, life stress, or other factors. The 29-month Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) Program is among the nation’s most clinically intensive M.O.T. programs, with an integrated first-year curriculum, four clinical rotations in year two, and six months of required clinical internships. The entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program (O.T.D.) is offered in a hybrid format from NSU’s Tampa Campus and is completed in three and a half years. The postprofessional programs in occupational therapy began in 1995 and offer two doctoral courses of study. The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (Dr.O.T.) Program prepares occupational therapy practitioners to become leaders in health policy and program development, while the Ph.D. program has more of a research focus. The Doctor of Philosophy in Occupational Therapy (Ph.D.) Program strives to develop scholarly practitioners who will serve as leaders in advancing the knowledge base of their discipline through research. Practitioners with earned postprofessional clinical doctoral degrees can also enter the Ph.D. program through a bridge program that allows for transfer of up to 12 credits. The Dr.O.T. and the Ph.D. are offered through distance- learning formats. The entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) Program at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus is a full-time, on-campus program that takes three years to complete. The entry-level D.P.T. program in Tampa is a hybrid program combining online and face-to-face instruction and takes four years to complete. The entry- level D.P.T. programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: (703) 706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org ; website: capteonline.org . The Transition Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (T-D.P.T.) is a postgraduate program designed for working physical therapists who want to advance their clinical knowledge and skills to that of the Doctor of Physical Therapy. This program is a hybrid program combining online courses with an on-campus component two days per semester for each core course taken. The program is designed for practicing physical therapists who entered the profession through entry- level bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Therapy (Ph.D.) program is designed for physical therapists whose professional interests include the aspiration to be an educator, a commitment to research, or the acquisition of leadership skills so as to serve as consultants in the health care arena. The Ph.D. program requires 60 semester hours beyond the master’s degree or the entry- level doctoral degree. Doctoral courses are conducted in a distance, hybrid format with minimal time on campus. The Physician Assistant Programs, located on the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus and on NSU’s campuses in Fort Myers, Jacksonville, and Orlando, Florida, are accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on