2021 NSU Fact Book

82 NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SCIENCE This department is an interdisciplinary group of programs designed for the health care professional with a desire to advance both academically and administratively within his or her respective career. Offering distance education from the undergraduate to doctoral level is consistent with the university’s and college’s commitment to lifelong learning. The department offers the following online degree programs: Bachelor of Health Science, Master of Health Science, Doctor of Health Science, and Ph.D. in Health Science, as well as accelerated M.H.Sc./ D.H.Sc. and M.H.Sc./Ph.D. Dual Degree programs. 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 Bay Regional Campus. Additionally, the department offers a dual degree program allowing students to obtain their B.S. in Sonography and an online M.H.Sc. degree. The 27-month entry-level Bachelor of Science in Medical Sonography Program curriculum includes the ultrasound specialties of abdomen (extended), small parts, obstetrics and gynecology, and vascular sonography. The 24-month entry-level Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Sonography Program curriculum includes the ultrasound specialties of adult echocardiography and vascular sonography. 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; obstetricians and other women’s health specialists; and thoracic, cardiac, and vascular or general surgeons, as well as other allied health professionals. DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY The Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) 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 M.O.T. program is among the nation’s most clinically intensive, 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 Bay Regional Campus and is completed in three and a half years. The postprofessional pro- grams 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 (Ph.D.) in Occupational Therapy 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. DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY 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 Bay 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 Commis- sion 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 Colleges and Academic Centers