• First receive permission from the DPT program director.
• Once permission is received, register for the desired course just like you would a DPT course.

• To apply you will need:
• A letter of permission from your DPT program director
• A one to two page double spaced, typed statement on why you want to take this course
• Resume
• Official transcript from your school that you received your bachelor’s degree
• Start the application process by clicking here
• Click on “Create a Guest Account”
• Indicate that you want to be a non-degree seeking student as you complete this application (You can take up to 12 credit hours as a non-degree seeking student. The courses that you complete as non-degree -seeking student can be applied to the certificate degree if you decide later to earn a Graduate Certificate in Primary Care Physical Therapy for Underserved Populations).

• To apply you will need:
• A one to two page double spaced, typed statement on why you want to take this course
• Resume
• Official transcript from your school that you received your bachelor’s degree
• Start the application process by clicking here
• Click on “Create a Guest Account”
• Indicate that you want to be a non-degree seeking student as you complete this application (You can take up to 12 credit hours as a non-degree seeking student. The courses that you complete as non-degree -seeking student can be applied to the certificate degree if you decide later to earn a Graduate Certificate in Primary Care Physical Therapy for Underserved Populations).

• Start the application process by clicking here
• Click on “Change of Graduate Program” from the list of forms
• Complete the first page and then click on “Submit”
• Click on the box that indicates that you are adding a program on the second page of this e-form
• Click on “Submit” when you complete the application

• To apply you will need:
• A letter of permission from your DPT program director
• A one to two page double spaced, typed statement on why you want to earn this certificate
• Resume
• Official transcript from your school that you received your bachelor’s degree
• Start the application process by clicking here
• Click on “Create a Guest Account”
• Indicate that you want to be a degree seeking student as you complete this application

• To apply you will need:
• A one to two page double spaced, typed statement on why you want to take this course
• Resume
• Official transcript from your school that you received your bachelor’s degree
• Start the application process by clicking here
• Click on “Create a Guest Account”
• Indicate that you want to be a degree seeking student as you complete this application.

This certificate program is tailored to prepare physical therapy students and licensed physical therapists to work as members of primary care teams with a skill set that enables them to be an entry point for patient/clients into the healthcare system through existing direct access legislation.

This model of physical therapist practice is designed to increase access to preventive and rehabilitative holistic healthcare and foster physical therapists as valued members of interprofessional teams that promote health, disease prevention, disease management and community engagement in underserved and marginalized populations.

You will earn a graduate certificate of completion.

You will need to complete 15 credit hours to earn this certificate.

You will also need to complete the National Safety Council Emergency Medical Response Training prior to Enrollment in PTC 796 (Physical Therapists' Role in Disaster Emergency Preparation and Management.)

• You can apply for this program if you are a licensed physical therapist or similarly credentialed in another country OR a student in good standing in a CAPTE accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
• You will need to write a one- or two-page double-spaced paper on your interest in primary care PT for underserved populations.
• If you are a student DPT, you will be required to get a letter from your program director that states that you are in good standing and have permission to enroll this program or take a course from this program.
• Finally, the UAB Graduate School will ask you to send your transcripts.

No, you will not have to take the GRE to apply to this program.

This online program will cost approximately $10,320 - this is an estimate based on $682 for each semester hour of coursework. For the most current UAB tuition figures, please visit the UAB graduate tuition website and scroll down to "Online Courses Offered."

Yes, you can take one course or several courses that interest you. All but one of our courses are two-credit hour courses. The cost of a 2-credit hour (30 contact hours) course is approximately $1,364. For the most current UAB tuition figures, please visit the UAB graduate tuition website and scroll down to "Online Courses Offered." To register for a course, the prerequisites are the same as applying for the program minus the paper concerning your interest in primary care PT for underserved populations.

You will be either taking one or two courses a semester for up to seven semesters. All the courses are two credit hours except one which is one credit hour. At this time the courses offered are only offered once a year. After several cohorts complete the program, this will change.

No, this program is totally online. All classes are informed through a research-based curriculum development process. All classes will be created following Quality Matters guidelines.

Yes, this program is delivered online and asynchronously for most of this curriculum. A small portion of this curriculum will be held synchronously in the evening or weekends.

We believe that the skills that you will learn in this program will be useful for any populations because they are patient-centered and promote empathy which results in better outcomes for any population or individual you treat.

Applications to our Graduate Certificate in Primary Care Physical Therapy for Underserved Population program are submitted through the UAB Graduate School. This process is completed online. Click here to begin the process.

Registration for a single course in our Graduate Certificate in Primary Care Physical Therapy for Underserved population program is also done through the Graduate School. Here, you will apply as a Blazer non-degree seeking student. This process is also done online. Click here to begin the process.

David M. Morris, PT, PhD, FAPTA

Morris is professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where, since 1991, he has taught in the entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy and PhD in Rehabilitation Science degree programs.

Morris earned a BS in physical therapy from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; a MS in physical therapy education and a PhD in health education/promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also a Credentialed Fellowship Graduate from the APTA Education Leadership Institute Fellowship. His educational and scholarly interest include the PTs role in health promotion, prevention in wellness; examination and management of PT patients/clients social determinants of health, and inclusion excellence in PT education and clinical practice.

He has held multiple leadership roles in several APTA components including being a member of the founding Executive Committee and serving two terms as President for the APTA Aquatic PT Section. He also served three terms as Vice President and two terms as President for the Alabama Chapter of the APTA. He has authored and/or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters concerning the topics of aquatic physical therapy, neurologic physical therapy and the PTs role in health promotion, wellness and prevention.

Diane Clark, PT, DScPT, MBA

Clark is an associate professor emerita and former Program Director of the Doctor of Physical Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

During her tenure at UAB, Clark implemented two integrated clinical experiences for students at two pro bono clinics. Equal Access Birmingham was a student-led physical therapy clinic that introduced students to underserved and uninsured populations. The second clinic served uninsured patients who had complications from uncontrolled diabetes.

Currently, Clark is course director for two courses in the Graduate Certificate in Primary Physical Therapy for Underserved Populations. She volunteers at shelters for the homeless and serves at the Food Connection, an organization that provides meals to those unable to access healthy foods. Her research has focused on personal leadership and primary care physical therapy.

Jeremy Fletcher, PT, DPT, OCS

Fletcher is a distinguished physical therapist specializing in program development and primary care physical therapy. With a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of South Alabama and nearly two decades of clinical experience, Fletcher has made significant contributions to both military and civilian healthcare systems.

Fletcher’s expertise in program development is exemplified through his roles at the Veterans Recovery Resources, where he served as Chief Operations Officer and Director of Community Integration. Here, he successfully planned and executed a $4M SAMSHA grant program, improving access to integrated mental and physical health services for veterans. Additionally, he secured over $6M in funding to establish the nation’s first Veteran-specific Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic.

In the realm of primary care physical therapy, Fletcher has played a pivotal role. As an Assistant Professor at the University of South Alabama, he developed and taught graduate-level courses, including those focused on primary care in physical therapy for underserved populations. His commitment to integrating physical therapy within primary care settings was further demonstrated during his tenure at Winn Army Community Hospital, where he was among the first embedded physical therapists in a Patient-Centered Medical Home, overseeing the intake and evaluation of injured soldiers.

Currently, Fletcher continues to impact the field as the founder of Community Health Strategies LLC and a practicing physical therapist at Encore Rehabilitation LLC. His work consistently emphasizes holistic and innovative approaches to physical therapy, ensuring optimal outcomes for diverse patient populations.

Donald H. Lein Jr., PT, PhD

Lein is the Bergman/Pinkston Endowed Professor and the director of the Graduate Certificate in Primary Care Physical Therapy for Underserved Populations.

He was part of the Alabama delegation that introduced and helped pass HOD P06-18-22 in the American Physical Therapy Association’s position on primary care physical therapy, which reads: PTs make unique contributions as individuals or members of primary care teams and are entry-point providers into the health care system.

He currently works in a multidisciplinary team in the UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Center at Kirklin Clinic where he helped develop many of the patient education materials including the award-winning website https://www.uab.edu/shp/toneyourbones. In addition to working in a multidisciplinary team, his work in the clinic also includes helping patients adopt healthy behaviors as part of their treatment to prevent or treat osteoporosis and its related fractures. Lein’s research efforts include peer-reviewed presentations and publications that concern primary care physical therapy and health promotion.