Empowering Movement, Transforming Lives: Your Journey Starts Here!

The programs offered in the Department of Physical Therapy program at Carlow University encompass the Mercy mission to serve the community by promoting the dignity of every person, advocating for equity and inclusion to address matters of social justice. At Carlow, we believe that non-technical skills are equally essential to your health professional training as the technical skills. Our programs emphasize three important habits of healthcare practice: Heart (professional formation/responsibilities), Head (cognitive knowledge), and Hand (clinical skills). It is the training in the habits of the heart that will allow you to act above and beyond your technical responsibilities and advocate for your patients. We strive to graduate healthcare professionals who would use the following principles within their professional practice.

  1. Healthcare equity is the cornerstone of a healthy society.
  2. Health and wellness promotion for the population/community is essential in conjunction with individual patient care.
  3. Every individual is a leader who must be prepared for a dynamic healthcare environment.
  4. Clinical decision-making shall be based on the three pillars of evidence-informed practice (using the best available research evidence, applying clinical experience/expertise, and incorporating patients’/clients’ beliefs and values with empathy and compassion).
  5. Physical therapy graduates and clinicians must be proficient in clinical competencies based on the contemporary standards of physical therapy practice.

Small

class sizes to provide individual attention

International

clinical experience opportunities

Engage

in experiential learning on Carlow campus

Faculty & staff

Our faculty comprises practicing clinicians with a wealth of experience in physical therapy, blending real-world insights with academic rigor. As experienced educators, they impart their passion for the profession to students, nurturing a commitment to clinical excellence. Join us to learn from the best and embark on your journey towards mastery.


Accreditation

Effective 04/25/23, Carlow University, Doctor of Physical Therapy program, has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org). If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please email: dptprogram@carlow.edu. Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/ professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.

Department Points of Pride

  • Emphasis on Interprofessional education
  • Focus on community health and service learning
  • Inculcate the habits of the Heart, Head, and Hand
  • Develop healthcare leaders and entrepreneurs

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Make a difference in the world through the Carlow University Department of Public Health

Carlow’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology is committed to hands-on, inter-professional collaborative education. The program was inspired by the view that effective team collaborations improve the quality of clinical service delivery. It is our belief that frequent hands-on training transforms learning from theoretical knowledge into high-quality, evidence-based, person-centered care. Students train to prevent, assess, and treat communication and swallowing disorders within a clinically focused learning environment comprised of faculty, clinical educators, and students from several different professions including:

  • Education
  • Nursing
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Physician Assistant
  • Respiratory Therapy

Unique to Carlow University, students learn the value of clinical application through extensive clinical skills labs that will prepare you with the knowledge and skills needed to enter professional practice as a licensed, certified speech-language pathologist working in any clinical environment.

undergraduate programs
minors

100%

of all Healthcare Management and Health Care Data Analytics Majors can earn a Minor with no additional time towards graduation.

7

distinct tracks are offered to Public Health Majors including 2 into graduate programs and 1 into 2nd Degree Nursing.

Faculty & staff

Our faculty and staff have decades of real-world senior leadership experience, and constantly share that expertise with our students.  You will be learning from people who have “been there” and “done that” at the highest levels.  By learning from industry leaders our graduates have a tremendous advantage over other students.  The Carlow Department of Public Health Professors will prepare you for life in the healthcare industry.  

Accreditation

All programs in the Department of Public Health are Middle States accredited, with the Respiratory Therapy program having additional certifications as required for that field of study.

Fostering collaborative excellence. Discover the advantages of a transformational educational experience in Carlow University’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology

Carlow’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology is committed to hands-on, interprofessional collaborative education. The program was inspired by the view that effective team collaborations improve the quality of clinical service delivery. It is our belief that frequent hands-on training transforms learning from theoretical knowledge into high-quality, evidence-based, person-centered care. Students train to prevent, assess, and treat communication and swallowing disorders within a clinically focused learning environment comprised of faculty, clinical educators, and students from several different professions including:

  • Education
  • Nursing
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Physician Assistant
  • Respiratory Therapy

Unique to Carlow University, students learn the value of clinical application through extensive clinical skills labs that will prepare you with the knowledge and skills needed to enter professional practice as a licensed, certified speech-language pathologist working in any clinical environment.

MS in speech-language pathology
Department of Speech-Language Pathology Clinic with woman wearing a medical device

#3

in Best Healthcare Jobs and #10 in Best Jobs according to 2024 U.S. News & World Report

100%

Carlow SLP students said Carlow was the right fit for them 

Faculty & staff

At Carlow, we are devoted to a teaching-learning climate of compassion, mutual respect, and ethical accountability as these elements are fundamental to cultivating a higher level of professional practice. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to delivering transformational educational experiences through innovation, close faculty mentorship, and diverse learning experiences.

Accreditation

The Master of Science (M.S.) education program in speech-language pathology (residential) at Carlow University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

Nursing student Alysa Fairman (Class of ’21), works with Campus Lab School kindergarteners, including Thierno Bah, second from right, and Tabitha Parisi, right, as they color, during a safety presentation on Carlow University’s campus, Monday, Nov. 18, 2019. The nursing students used the five senses ato discuss safety information, as part of their pediatric clinical rotation. (Rebecca Droke/Carlow University)
mission, vision, goals & strategic plan
student outcome data

Discover the advantages of Carlow University’s Nursing Programs

As a graduate nursing department, we prepare exceptionally skilled providers, leaders and educators in doctoral, masters, and certificate tracks to meet the healthcare and health promotion needs of populations. Nursing graduate students have experiences with people nationally and internationally via didactic, clinical and study abroad opportunities. The School of Nursing educates practitioners of tomorrow and encourages a passion for evidenced-based practice, innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration in the spirit of social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion. 

We offer study in a hybrid face-to-face modality that incorporates twice monthly evening classes with online coursework to fit the needs of today’s full-time working nurse, while affording opportunities for 1:1 faculty engagement, and peer group networking and support. 

A fully online program is also available, for students out of the Pittsburgh region, and/or for those desiring a non-synchronous education program.  

View the School of Nursing’s program outcomes and accreditation information.

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

The high demand for qualified psychiatric nurse practitioners stems in large part from the increased normalization of mental health issues.

MASTERS programs
doctorate programs
CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

$2.6M

in scholarships awarded every year to IMPACT FNP graduate students 

4

competitive scholarships available to support the inaugural cohort of PMHNP MSN students.

200+

medical practices and clinics students can practice at facilitated by the Director of Clinical Education

Faculty & staff

Nursing, like all other health care professions, does not exist in isolation. Advanced practice nursing education must integrate other aspects of our humanity if the profession is going to truly do what it pledges to do from the outset of a nurse’s oath. A commitment to justice and mercy requires critical thinking and self-reflection. Carlow University has a rich tradition of service and a mission that flows from the Mercy Core Values. These values: Hospitality, Service, Discovery, and Sacredness of Creation, are embraced within a framework of reflective practice. We recognize that no single discipline can fully educate today’s advanced practice providers who care for families across the lifespan. We are a uniquely positioned university with the ability to fully utilize our colleagues in theology, art, pharmacology, biology, creative writing, and communications to guide discovery within our students. We are not only these disciplines, but more, together, each contributing to the development of a critically thinking, ethical, and merciful human being who will go into the community transformed, and ready to lead.

Department Points of Pride

  • On June 26th, 2023, Carlow University received over $2.6 million to increase the number of Family Nurse Practitioner graduates educated to provide primary care services, with advanced education in mental health, substance use disorders, and women’s and maternal health care. The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant – funded through the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is aimed at increasing access to primary care providers for those living in medically underserved communities. The goal of the grant is to make a BIG IMPACT on students, preceptors, and the underserved population through “Impacting Diversity and Education of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses for Healthy Communities”​.  Current full time FNP students are eligible to apply for up to $23,000 in tuition reimbursement.
  • HRSA Nursing Faculty Loan Program to repay 85% of tuition costs with post-graduate employment in the role of nursing educator.
  • 97% AANP & 100% ANCC certification exam pass rate for FNPs 
  • “Very Strong” NCC certification exam pass rate for WHNPs 
  • In 2023, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers Carlow University established a one-year pilot program, funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), to develop clinically sound evidence-based practicing NPs. FNP graduates have a year of residency (transition to primary care) after completion of an educational program at Carlow University. 
  • Carlow Graduate Nursing Department is a CEU provider through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) for professional development training for preceptors, clinical faculty, and students. 

Discover the advantages of Carlow University’s Psychology, Counseling, and Criminology Programs

Are you interested in a career that benefits from a strong understanding of human behavior and mental processes? At Carlow, we prepare students with the knowledge and skills for a wide variety of careers involved in working with people in diverse ways.

Our undergraduate majors provide students with foundational knowledge in psychology, neuropsychology, and criminology, with opportunities to specialize in such areas as Child Development, Counseling, Crisis and Trauma, and Applied Criminal Justice. There are opportunities for field placements or to participate in faculty-led research teams. Can’t decide on one major? We make it easy to double major or add a minor or a concentration to your major, so you can explore all your interests.

At the graduate level, Carlow offers programs that prepare students for careers in mental health-related fields, research, fraud and forensics, and more.

At Carlow, we understand the needs of a diverse student body. Some of our programs can be completed fully online, offering flexibility and opening doors for students who are otherwise unable to pursue a degree. In addition, we offer accelerated pathways that help save students time and money so that they can achieve their goals sooner at a more affordable cost.

Undergraduate programs
graduate programs
doctorate program
certificates
MINORS

$4.9M

Grant awarded to Carlow to support a School-Based Mental Health program

$90k

in stipends available annually to Professional Counseling students

$1.9M

Grant awarded to the Carlow Underserved and Rural Engagement (CURE) program

Faculty & staff

Accreditation

The PsyD in Counseling Psychology program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The MS in Professional Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP).

Discover the advantages of Carlow University’s Biology Programs

As a Biology or Health Science major at Carlow University, learn the scientific principles of living organisms, conduct student research, and prepare for your dream career or graduate studies in the healthcare, research, or environmental fields.

The biology major curriculum covers the entire scope of biological sciences from the structure and function of genes, proteins and cells to the ecology and evolution of organisms. 

Specializations have been designed to accommodate your potential career path (cardiovascular perfusion, health science, environmental science & management, human biology). 

Before graduating you will have the opportunity to conduct student research and/or complete a hands-on, experiential learning opportunity through the Senior Capstone course. Both provide an advantage for you as you pursue a career or graduate studies.

Undergraduate programs
graduate programs
minors

Faculty & staff

Our faculty and staff are devoted to creating an engaging and supportive learning environment, so our graduates are well prepared to achieve their goals with the skill sets needed to be successful in the 21st century workforce.

View our student teaching handbook
View our education department handbook

Department Points of Pride

Choose your concentration:

Environmental Science 

You will graduate career-ready with this dual-degree program that offers a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management. You will study how biological processes impact the environment and how to manage environmental issues in this 3+2 program in collaboration with Duquesne University’s Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences. 

Cardiovascular Perfusion 

As you work toward your bachelor of science degree in Biology through Carlow University, you will complete requirements at UPMC Shadyside, while beginning your clinical training. In this accelerated Cardiovascular Perfusion program, you will pursue Biology within the tradition of the liberal arts while accumulating the technical proficiency and professional skills required of health care professionals. 

The Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion is offered in coordination with the UPMC School of Perfusion. Up to 15 students per year are accepted into the Master of Science program. 

Human Biology 

Through this holistic and interdisciplinary scientific study, you will examine and understand the complexities of humans through a variety of diverse fields. Be prepared to enter professional training in all areas of health care, including medicine, dentistry, optometry, osteopathy, physician’s assistant, physical therapy, pharmacy and podiatry.

Discover the advantages of hands-on learning in chemistry and computer science courses at Carlow.

Degree programs in our blended department feature hands-on exploration in the various disciplines of the chemical sciences as well as a uniquely balanced computer science major that has been endorsed and supported by Google. 

Our department blends aspects of our major programs to create unique opportunities for minor programs that enhance and highlight various aspects of each degree program. 

Outside of the classroom, students can interact one-on-one with our professional faculty in a mentored research project or participate in various mentoring opportunities. Engagement with student organizations, professional tutors, and industry mentors can offer opportunities for enriching social engagement and professional development. 

Chemical experimentation and computer programming are both high-touch disciplines that help you develop critical skills like analytical problem solving and the ability to work effectively with a team. A degree in chemistry or computer science will give you the credentials you need to move forward in today’s technology-heavy world. Our graduates have found employment in major industries and have been accepted to graduate and professional programs at some of the top research institutions across the U.S. Study the computational and chemical sciences and join our growing list of highly successful alumni. 

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

Computer Science is for everyone.

Undergraduate programs
minors

We offer the opportunity for all students to participate in a unique industry mentorship program with Google Pittsburgh.

Our chemistry degree provides a foundation for your future career in medicine, pharmacy, or education through programs like Early Acceptance into Lake Erie College of Medicine (LECOM) Program, Pre-Pharmacy Program with Duquesne University’s Mylan School of Pharmacy, and Chemistry Secondary Education.

All STEM students are welcome to join our award-winning American Chemical Society (ACS) Student Affiliates Chapter.

Use your STEM education to gain hands-on work experience in our science labs while supplementing your financial aid.

Enjoy networking and individualized mentoring and coaching through our Celtic STEM Student Learning Community.

We support students outside the classroom with our peer and professional tutoring staff for major STEM courses.

14/30

of Glassdoor’s most satisfying jobs are based on computational and chemical sciences.

43%

of jobs in STEM cannot be filled due to skills gaps, primarily in chemistry and computer science.  

$80,000

average salary for computational or chemical scientists in PA, and recent unemployment rates for chemists fell to the lowest level ever recorded (0.6%).

Faculty & staff

Our faculty and staff are devoted to supporting and preparing the next generations of chemists and computer scientists. Our hands-on, student-centered approach to teaching and learning provides a unique, supportive environment to foster growth in all students in our programs.

Department Points of Pride

  • November 2023: The Computer Science program kicks off the Carlow-Google Mentorship program, a program unique to Carlow in which students are matched with Googlers as industry mentors.
  • October 2023: The Carlow chapter of the American Chemical Society Student Affiliates (ACS-SA) are nationally recognized with a Commendable status for their inclusive and educational on- and off-campus activities.
  • August 2023: The Google-endorsed Computer Science major program officially launched.
  • May 2023: Dr. Ericka Mochan of the Computer Science program was awarded the Max and Esther Sestili Award for Excellence in Teaching.
  • April 2023: Dr. Allison Rice of the Chemistry program was awarded a $5000 grant from the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh (SSP) under their annual College Equipment Grants program.
  • February 2021: The National Science Foundation awards the department $649,826 to fund STEM student scholarships in an S-STEM grant titled “Supporting Undergraduate STEM Graduation and Career Pathways Through Student and Faculty Learning Communities” (PI: Dr. David Gallaher).
  • August 2020: Dr. Ericka Mochan of the Computer Science program was awarded $4960 in the Dorothy Weber Cochran ’43 Award for Excellence in Faculty Scholarship and Research.
  • April 2020: Dr. David Gallaher of the Chemistry program was awarded a $6000 grant from the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh (SSP) under their annual College Equipment Grants program.
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Carlow University prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator, Jackie smith at jmsmith@carlow.edu or 412-578-6050.