Doctoral Programs

There are increasing numbers of opportunities for the prosthetist-orthotist interested in pursuing doctoral education in the United States.

The University of Washington's PhD Program in Rehabilitation Science targets students from rehabilitation professions (prosthetics and orthotics, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language pathology, rehabilitation counseling, medicine, nursing, and engineering). The goal of this program is to prepare researchers, educators, and leaders in Rehabilitation Science to contribute to the development of rehabilitation practices, research, and policy-making. This unique interdisciplinary program addresses the broad area of Rehabilitation Science and allows students to develop an individualized course of study that compliments their professional areas of interest.

The Georgia Institute of Technology, through the School of Applied Physiology provides students with a terminal academic degree plan to pursue a PhD with a focus on O&P as part of a T32 Training Grant in which students receive full funding by the National Institute of Health. Research in the School of Applied Physiology at Georgia Tech is organized around the physiology of movement: motor planning and control, the mechanics of movement, and the physiological responses to activity. Students participate in a core curriculum that provides an integrated understanding of physiology and a base of quantitative tools and research processes. Students learn about the complex processes of how a person wearing an orthosis or prosthesis interacts with the device and the world. Regardless of a graduate's career aspirations, he or she will be in a position to lead research to challenge existing knowledge or create new knowledge, work in academic institutions or service delivery systems.