The University of Washington offers the Prosthetic & Orthotics Degree Program in their Rehabilitative Medicine Department. The program is designed to teach practitioners to create functional and comprehensive prosthetic limbs and tissue for individuals in need. Students learn how to design and fabricate a prosthesis or orthosis, as well as put together a treatment plan for individuals. Students must apply before January 15 and provide a letter of application discussing the motivation for embarking on the course, as well as a list of employment and volunteer work, GRE scores, two sets of official transcripts from all colleges attended and three letters of recommendation, which are submitted online. ABC certification exam is not necessary for this program.
The St. Petersburg College of Health Sciences features an Orthotics and Prosthetics program. Located in Florida, this bachelor's degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. It is a two-year program for entry-level practitioners. Once completed, graduates can enter a residency program in prosthetics or orthotics and may qualify for the American Board for Certification National Certification exam. Students must obtain official transcripts from high school or their GED and colleges previously attended. At least 15 minimum semester hours of completed general education coursework and a cumulative GPA of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale is necessary to be admitted into this program. Students will also provide a background and drug check screen.
The Eastern Michigan University offers the Orthotics & Prosthetics program at the College of Health & Human Services. The program is one of two master's programs on orthotics and prosthetics in the United States. Students prepare academic work and then embark on a one-year residency before they take a certification exam provided by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics. Acceptance into the program requires completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited school with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students must complete six hours of anatomy & physiology, three hours of chemistry or inorganic chemistry, six hours of math, college algebra and trigonometry and three hours each in physics and psychology. Students supply three letters of recommendation and show completion of the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Lastly, students must supply a 1,200- to 1,500-word essay describing their motivation for the career path.
Students can enroll in a Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program at the School of Applied Physiology at Georgia Tech. This four-year program is a combination of traditional lectures and lab courses. Students participate directly with health care facilities and hospitals and work in hands-on situations with patients with prosthetic needs. Applicants must have received a bachelor's degree from an accredited university and must provide three letters of recommendation, unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended, as well as resume, copy of passport or birth certificate and a valid driver's license from the state of Georgia. Georgia Tech does not require the ABC certification exam scores.