Accreditation
Effective November 2, 2021, the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) 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 call 509.249.7725 or email dpt@pnwu.edu.
Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status 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.
Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such, the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy Status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on the FSBPT’s website.
CAPTE Timing and the Licensing Exam
The DPT program will be evaluated for full-accreditation status in the third year of the first cohort (2024/2025). Accreditation is anticipated to be received in the spring of 2025 prior to graduation of the first cohort which will be May 2025. Based on Rule 7.2 (see below), graduates of the first cohort will be able to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as early as July 2025.
New Rule: 7.2 Definition of Candidate for Accreditation
Candidate for Accreditation is a pre-accreditation status, awarded prior to enrollment of students in the technical (PTA programs) or professional (PT programs) phase of the program, which indicates that the physical therapy education program is progressing toward accreditation. All credits and degrees earned and issued by a program holding candidacy are considered to be from an accredited program.
Complaints to the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) is a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. CAPTE grants specialized accreditation status to qualified entry-level education programs for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. The only mechanism through which CAPTE can act on an individual’s concerns is through a formal complaint process. For more information please visit the CAPTE website.
Process for filing a complaint with CAPTE:
- http://www.capteonline.org/Complaints/
- https://www.capteonline.org/about-capte/what-we-do/accreditation-process
Did you know? Every new Doctor of Physical Therapy program must follow the accreditation process set forth by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Here is PNWU School of Physical Therapy’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program’s story.
PNWU submitted a Request for Authorization under the Degree-Granting Institutions Act to Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC)
PNWU submitted a Substantive Change Proposal to Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
PNWU receives approval from WSAC
PNWU receives approval from NWCCU
PNWU SOPT submits an Application for Candidacy (AFC) to CAPTE with plans for implementation of the DPT program.
On-site review was performed to verify the AFC and a written report was submitted by the reviewers to the committee to summarize the results.
CAPTE reviewed the AFC and report to determine if PNWU SOPT has made satisfactory progress toward compliance with the standards and required elements of an accredited program.
The PNWU SOPT is granted Candidate for Accreditation status. PNWU SOPT is now allowed to admit students and implement the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
PNWU SOPT Self Study Report (SSR) due to CAPTE 75 days prior to official campus site visit.
CAPTE accreditors on PNWU Campus for official Site Visit to validate the information submitted by PNWU SOPT program.
PNWU SOPT anticipates completing the Accreditation Process. Federal regulations permit graduates of the initial cohort to sit for the National Physical therapy Examination (NPTE) regardless of final program accreditation outcome.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Mission and Vision
Accreditation
Curriculum Plan
Clinical Education Experiences
Admissions Requirement
Cost of Attendance
Academic Calendar
Information Sessions
Faculty and Staff
Know the PT Field
Student Financial Facts
SOPT Newsletter
Contact Information
Peggy R. Trueblood, PT, PhD
School of Physical Therapy
Professor and Program Director
509.249.7709
ptrueblood@pnwu.edu
For general questions about the DPT program, please email dpt@pnwu.edu or call 509.249.7725.