Academic Program Proposal

Date Proposal Activated	Institution and Proposal	Academic Program Name	Objection Deadline	MHEC Final Action	Final Decision Date
8/4/2015	Shenandoah University Proposal	OOS Renewal	2/4/2016	Authorized	3/3/2016
OOS Renewal Program Description
<p>Program descriptions for previously approved programs:</p><p>The Doctor of Physical Therapy program is designed for the entry level student and allows the graduate to enter the physical therapy profession and to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) to obtain state licensure. This program is accredited through the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The curriculum consists of three years of coursework in both the classroom and clinical environments. The didactic curriculum consists of courses in the foundational and clinical sciences taken at the campus in Winchester. The current clinical education program consists of three part-time and three full-time clinical experiences beginning in the spring of the first year. During the part-time clinical practicums, students are in the clinic one day per week. Full-time clinical internships can be anywhere in the nation as well as international placements. The program requires 100 credit hours. </p><p>The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program requires students to think critically and act professionally in independent, interpersonal and community-based problem-solving experiences. Graduates of this program enter the field as skilled and compassionate occupational therapists, serving a diverse range of patient populations in a variety of health care and community-based settings.</p> <p>The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is an accredited, eight-semester, 30-month, graduate-level program. The Physician Assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). </p><p>Program descriptions for newly proposed programs:</p><p>The Doctor of Pharmacy program is designed to meet the educational needs of pharmacists for the future. The experiential component of the curriculum affords students the opportunity to work with practitioners in a variety of exciting practice environments. This diverse training program allows students to explore different areas of pharmacy practice while gaining a wealth of practical experience. The Pharm.D. program is a competency based curriculum emphasizing pharmaceutical care. The curriculum is comprised of 142 semester credit hours spanning 8 semesters in 4 academic years.</p><p>The Master of Science in Nursing program offers several areas of concentration to further specialized professional knowledge. The RN-to-MSN degree option in the Division of Nursing enables students who are registered nurses without a BSN to obtain an MSN degree within one of four specialty areas: Nurse-Midwifery, Family Nurse Practitioner, Health Systems Management, and Psychiatric Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner. Students in the RN to MSN program take 13 credits of undergraduate nursing bridge courses and between 37-48 credits of graduate courses, depending on their specialty area. Graduates have the competencies taught in their chosen specialty and, for the Nurse-Midwifery and Family Nurse Practitioner specialties, are eligible to take the appropriate national certification exams.</p> <p>Area of Concentration:</p><p>Family Nurse Practitioner is designed to provide the nurse with the necessary skills and knowledge to assume the role of a primary health care provider in a variety of clinical settings. Didactic and clinical course content focuses on assessment and management of health promotion and health maintenance strategies, risk reduction, common acute and chronic alterations in health status for individuals and families across the lifespan, and role development.</p>