DPT 801: Advanced Clinical Practice I
Develop clinical reasoning skills through evidence-based practice, pain neuroscience, ethical decision-making, clinical laboratory testing and medical imaging.
Residency in Sports Physical Therapy
Academic Certificate
Accelerate your expertise in the management of athletes.
Elevate your sports physical therapy practice through a unique post-professional residency bridging academic excellence and professional athletics. The Regis Residency in Sports Physical Therapy (RSPT) features an exclusive partnership with the Denver Nuggets and other sports settings, providing unmatched hands-on experience managing players in a training environment and on the court alongside Regis alumni.
Designed for working clinicians, this 12-month, 12-credit academic certificate program utilizes a flexible hybrid model (80% online) spanning three semesters. You will dive into a rigorous, evidence-based curriculum focused on advanced biomechanics and sport-specific performance, punctuated by two week-long, on-campus psychomotor intensives to hone your manual skills, clinical reasoning and exercise progression alongside our orthopaedic residency cohort. The program also requires you to complete 1,500 hours of direct patient care and sports event coverage.
Grounded in the Jesuit tradition of magis and cura personalis, the program develops the "whole clinician." Beyond elite event coverage and specialized mentoring, you will gain teaching experience as affiliate faculty in the DPT program. This comprehensive training fully prepares you to sit for the ABPTS Sports Clinical Specialist (SCS) exam and join the ranks of board-certified experts.
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Program Snapshot
Program Format
Five flexible online classes and two one-week-long, on-campus lab intensives
Credits for Completion
12 credit hours
Program Starts
Offered in August each year
Why Residents Choose Regis
Sample RSPT Classes
DPT 821: Sports Speciality Practice I
Apply clinical reasoning to the evaluation and management of athletic knee, foot and ankle conditions, including biomechanics, surgical interventions and return-to-play decisions.
DPT 802: Advanced Clinical Practice II
Explore medical management, pathology, pharmacology, clinical laboratory testing, practice management, leadership and holistic approaches to patient care.
Built on Expertise, Centered on Care
Mentoring
Residents complete 150 hours of direct 1:1 clinical mentoring, including 100 in-person hours, guided by Board-Certified Sports (SCS) and Orthopaedic (OCS) Specialists. You will gain elite sports medicine experience on-site in the training room and on field with collegiate and professional teams This hands-on training is enhanced by asynchronous clinical discussions, monthly faculty advising and collaborative mentorship through Resident Rounds alongside our orthopaedic residents.
Our Theoretical Framework
Built on the APTA Patient/Client Management Model, our sports residency combines advanced coursework, clinical reasoning and hands-on application. Through continuous evaluation, sport-specific biomechanical analysis and evidence-informed practice, you will develop the skills to optimize movement performance, prevent injury and support athletes throughout recovery and return to sport. Guided by the Jesuit values of magis and cura personalis, the program emphasizes excellence, compassion and whole-person care.
Program Details
Want to learn more? Here's something for you:
Get all the details on our Residency in Sports Physical Therapy Academic Certificate, including full course requirements.
To apply for the Residency in Sports Physical Therapy, please submit all application materials through the Residency and Fellowship Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS), including:
- Completed RF-PTCAS application
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts
- Physical therapist license verification
- Emergency response certifications
- Admissions essay
- Resume/CV
Tuition for the 2026-2027 academic year: $780 per credit hour
Total program credits: 12
Tuition is one part of the overall cost of attendance, which includes all expenses students may have, including basic living costs. For more information about tuition, fees and your estimated cost of attendance, visit our Cost of Attendance for Adult Undergraduates and Graduate Students page. Tuition and fees are subject to change.
Additional estimated costs include: RF-PTCAS application fee, background check, APTA and AOPT membership fees, cost of travel and lodging to Denver for the two one-week-long intensives and the Leadership Development Inventory fee. Technology fees are paid once during the program. For more information about the costs associated with residency and fellowship education, see the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education's (ABPTRFE) Financial Fact Sheet. This program is not eligible for Federal Aid, which includes state aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Regis University Residency in Sports Physical Therapy is a recognized candidate residency program within the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). All graduates of the residency will be considered graduates of an accredited program pending the completion of the candidacy process.
We teach both manual therapy techniques such as high-velocity low amplitude (HVLA) manipulation and dry needling as a part of our residency courses. These techniques are in addition to joint mobilization, neurodynamic mobilization, muscle energy, soft tissues techniques and exercise prescription taught within the program. For many years, Regis University's Division of Physical Therapy has been a leader in manual therapy techniques. In addition, the program will include dry needing psychomotor skills in addition to application for patient-based cases. From an advocacy perspective, the Regis residency program is very active in supporting the rights (and obligations) of Physical Therapists to include all available tools within the knowledge and training to support the health of society.
Students receive 30+ hours of training in dry needling. This may or may not meet the requirements of your individual state for utilizing this intervention as a part of your physical therapist practice. Please consult your state practice act for requirements as these vary significantly. All residents in training will need to comply with their state practice act prior to utilizing this technique in their clinical practice. Alternative skills will be emphasized for residents who have practice act restrictions to dry needling in their state of clinical practice.
Residents complete a minimum of 1,350 hours of clinical practice focused on orthopaedic and sports physical therapy during the program. This includes virtual rounds, 300 hours of didactic education, 150 hours of direct one-on-one clinical practice with one or more mentors and 200 hours of field coverage for athletic and sporting events, including up to 50 hours in training rooms.
Licensure is required by the start of the program; however, students (new graduates) who are not licensed at the time of application can be admitted conditionally. Students who start in the residency must have a valid physical therapy license in the United States and be licensed in the state of practice. The license must not be under suspension, revocation or probationary status.
Residency involves mentorship, peer interaction, collaboration and exposure to areas of advanced practice that you would not get just studying for the SCS exam on your own (or with a prep course). Our Residency program is unique as you will get a higher level of interaction with our OMPT fellows during the program in a variety of ways. Our faculty are all fellows of our OMPT program. In addition, our fellows will interact in courses, online resident rounds and two separate one-week-long, in-person intensives at Regis University. We will have a number of modules that will provide content to enhance SCS level clinical decision making, but more importantly, there will be many opportunities to advance your practice in other ways beyond just the didactic/knowledge component of practice.
We develop thought leaders, researchers, innovators, advocates and builders of the profession. We do not isolate our ideas; we share and promote them for all to use. The hybrid model allows flexibility for residents to practice in other areas of the country. Residents will gain on-field experience with professional, collegiate and high school athletes, allowing them to excel in a variety of athletic practice settings.
The majority of our residents are full-time or at least 80% time employed clinicians. One advantage of our residency program is that it can be completed by the full-time clinician without the need to cut back on hours or relocate. All of our courses utilize a hybrid online learning environment, which means that you can work on your course work any time of the day, and any day of the week. There are two one-week-long intensives in the fall and summer that require attendance on campus at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. The amount of time required per week depends on the courses you are enrolled in at the time. Residents should typically plan on approximately 8-10 hours per week; however, time varies depending upon your learning style.
A Culture of Excellence
The Residency in Sports Physical Therapy Academic Certificate is offered by the School of Rehabilitative and Health Sciences within the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions.