A.T. Still University

OUR UNIVERSITY
ATSU began with the founding of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM), located in Kirksville, Mo., in 1892 by Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., D.O. The University has a rich history of providing leadership for comprehensive healthcare education and research and is consistently ranked in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools” guide.

In addition to KCOM, ATSU has added three new schools in the last decade. The Arizona School of Health Sciences, founded in 1995, was the first school to occupy ATSU’s second campus in Mesa, Ariz. The School of Health Management, an exclusively online school, was founded in 1999 on the Kirksville Campus, and the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health was added to the Mesa Campus in 2003.

ACCREDITATION
A.T. Still University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602. Phone 800.621.7440. In addition, each program is accredited through its respective professional organization. Please refer to a specific program for information on its accrediation.

Since 1892, A.T. Still University has represented the best of both worlds, a long history as a leading institution in health education as well as a reputation as an innovator in the field. ATSU programs provide an interdisciplinary educational experience that opens the door to intellectual and professional advancement.

ADVANCED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
ATSU's Arizona School of Health Sciences offers a 42-credit hour distance education program for US licensed Occupational Therapists. The program offers the following areas of concentration: general practice, pediatrics, geriatric management, health administration, and public health management. Working toward a Master of Science (M.S.) in Advanced Occupational Therapy, the student will focus on areas including critical thinking, issues in mental health, legislation, and evidence-based practice.

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ADVANCED PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
ATSU's Arizona School of Health Sciences offers a 40-credit hour distance education program for the licensed Physician Assistant culminating in a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Advanced Physician Assistant Studies. The physician assistant program offers four areas of concentration to select from: family and emergency medicine, forensic medicine, sports medicine, and education and leadership (no clinical hours required for the education and leadership track). Graduates of the program will have demonstrated a competence in their respective specialty area along with a strong academic foundation that enhances their ability to practice in a varied clinical and administrative setting. For the P.A. without a bachelor's degree, a non-bachelor degree track is available (certain restrictions apply).

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GERIATRIC HEALTH
Geriatric health care is one of the fastest growing specialties in the United States. The number of people 65 years and older (currently about 34.7 million) will double during the next 30 years and the number of Americans aged 80 and older is expected to rise from 9.2 million today to 31.6 million by the year 2050. Professional opportunities for Geriatric Health graduates are numerous and varied.

ATSU’s School of Health Management (SHM) offers a 33 credit hour, 11-course distance education program culminating in a Master of Geriatric Health (M.G.H.) degree that prepares the student to be a leader in the field of Geriatric Health. The online program is designed to meet the needs of the busy professional. SHM’s academic degree plan allows the student to complete the program in as little as 18 months up to 42 months.

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HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Health administrators are responsible for the business side of health care. They manage everything from facilities to purchasing to finance. As the health delivery system expands, and the pressure to provide additional services at reduced costs grows, the role of the professional administrator, even in clinics, is expected to also grow. Health administrators face unique challenges due to the changing nature of patient care, and the expected increase in the need for health care services. Health Administrators have to be good decision makers. They frequently have responsibility for a physical plant with expensive, specialized equipment, and hundreds or thousands of employees. An understanding of finance, information systems, human relationships and leadership skills is essential to a successful career.

ATSU’s School of Health Management (SHM) offers a 33-credit-hour, 11-course distance education program culminating in a Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.) degree. Graduates of this program enter a fast-growing segment of the U.S. labor market. The U.S. Department of Labor forecasts that there will be 45,000 annual job openings for medical and health services managers between 2002 and 2012. SHM’s academic degree plan allows completion of the program in as little as 18 months up to 42 months.

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HEALTH EDUCATION
The Health Education program is designed with an emphasis on teaching health educators to use a systematic process based on learning theory to plan, design, implement and evaluate effective program and course offerings. This program provides students with in-depth pedagogical training enhancing their skills thus enabling them to become better teachers, mentors, clinicians, and leaders. The audience for this program is varied by design and includes physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and other practitioners as well as faculty and staff who work in the health care field.

Doctor of Health Education (D.H.Ed.)
ATSU's School of Health Management (SHM) offers a Doctor of Health Education (D.H.Ed.) degree program with five unique entry points for students in various stages of academic preparation from bachelors to terminal degrees. This program is designed to challenge students to examine the current state of healthcare education and their individual roles and responsibilities within it. Graduates will be recognized as innovative leaders in educating their patients, students, and peers, as well as achieving excellence in policy development, program design, management, implementation, and evaluation of local issues.

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HUMAN MOVEMENT
The Human Movement program is a partnership program between ATSU-ASHS and the National Academy of Sports Medicine® (NASM®). This program is geared to assist students in the development of comprehensive knowledge of human movement science, functional anatomy, physiology and kinesiology, as well as functional assessment and program design and will prepare individuals to obtain certification as a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) or Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) through the NASM®.

Graduates of ASHS' Human Movement (M.S.) program will receive the highest quality education in human movement, performance enhancement, and corrective exercise through a flexible distance education format that enables healthcare providers and those practicing human movement, fitness, and wellness to gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide leadership in advanced human movement services.

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MEDICAL FORENSICS
ATSU’s Arizona School of Health Sciences offers APA 644 – Medical Forensics as a non degree college credit course which introduces the students to all aspects of forensic medicine. This course is offered for medical and non-medical personnel alike. In addition, this course may also be used to satisfy one of the requirements to sit for certification for the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigator (ABMDI) Registry Exam. More information is available at the ABMDI website. This program is a 12-week program that is offered every Fall, Winter, and Spring session. The coursework is a self paced set of study modules that cover many different areas of forensic medicine. The course delivery methods include PowerPoint presentations, readings from the referenced text, postings and discussions with classmates, questions and case studies related to the module topics, and online quizzes.

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PUBLIC HEALTH
ATSU’s School of Health Management (SHM) offers a 60-credit-hour, 15-course program culminating in a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) degree. The academic plan allows students to complete the program in as little as 18 months up to 42 months. The program prepares the student to be a leader in the field of Public Health and allows the student to choose a concentration that best fits their needs.

Health Policy: This concentration addresses health services administration and policy development in public health settings. It focuses on the role of the health manager in formulating and analyzing health policy.

Health Planning: This concentration is for students interested in health services administration and the planning functions of public health. It focuses on comprehensive program assessment, planning and service delivery that are fundamental building blocks of public health systems.

Environmental Health: This concentration addresses health services administration and the environmental aspects of public health. It is a complex, multifaceted field of protecting against environmental factors that may adversely impact human health or the ecological balances essential to long-term human health and environmental quality.

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TRANSITIONAL AUDIOLOGY
The Au.D. transitional degree program is a program for the practicing Audiologist. The broadly experienced, self-motivated audiologist will receive advanced standing in appropriate areas and follow an individualized course of study, including required courses in areas of deficiencies and chosen electives. Areas of study include procedures for diagnosis and treatment of audiovestibular system disorders, advanced hearing aid technology, practice development and management, counseling and professionalism.

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TRANSITIONAL PHYSICAL THERAPY
The Doctor of Physical Therapy transitional degree program is a distance education professional doctorate program designed for practicing physical therapists already holding a bachelor’s or master’s degree who wish to enhance their skills and professional status. Graduates of the ATSU physical therapy program possess the most current knowledge in the field. The program uses the web-based tools to provide frequent, high-quality peer/faculty interaction.

The length of each student’s plan of study depends upon a prior learning assessment (PLA) of current knowledge and skills as defined by the American Physical Therapy Association’s “Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education, Version 2000”. The Physical Therapist Evaluation Tool (PTET) is used to organize information and to facilitate tle PLA in a cost-effective manner. Exceptional physical therapists may complete the program in as little as one year. The average time will be 12 to 18 months. Each student should expect to spend eight to 10 hours of study per week for each course to successfully complete the program. Students take one to two module every six weeks. Programs are available for non-USA educated, non-degree seeking and non-USA trained physical therapists.

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