MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Effective May 30th, 2024, Faulkner University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program has been granted Initial Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
Graduation from a CAPTE accredited Physical Therapy education program is necessary to sit for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), which is required to practice physical therapy in all 50 states. Accreditation is a required, non-governmental, peer-reviewed process that occurs every 10 years for established programs and after 5 years following initial accreditation. CAPTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to accredit entry-level Physical Therapy programs.
“I want to congratulate Faulkner’s College of Health Sciences because our physical therapy program is fully, 100 percent accredited,” said Faulkner University President Mitch Henry. “We’re so thrilled for Dr. Heather Mount; our program director and we’re thrilled for Dr. Cassie Boyd; our interim dean for the College of Health Sciences. We are making an incredible difference in our community. We’re going to continue to produce health care providers that will do physical therapy to help people who are injured, those with special needs and those who are stroke victims, just as an example. We are blessed at Faulkner University to have people who truly care about health care in the state of Alabama and our city.”
The accreditation, under the leadership of Dr. Heather E. Mount, PT, DSc, Professor and Program Director at Faulkner University, comes as a result of a 6-year process which included multiple reports and 2 site visits to Faulkner’s College of Health Sciences in Montgomery, Alabama. In April 2021, Faulkner’s Physical Therapy program was granted Candidate for Accreditation status by CAPTE and admitted its first cohort of students. The accreditation process evaluates the quality of the educational program and ensures the program is meeting the standards established by CAPTE. The multifaceted evaluation includes curriculum, program assessment, faculty qualifications, policies and procedures, facilities, resources, administration, clinical education and programmatic outcomes. CAPTE evaluates all submitted documents, including the site visit reports and the institutional response, prior to granting accreditation.
“I am grateful to everyone at Faulkner University, including President Henry and Dr. Dave Rampersad, for their unwavering support during these past 6 years,” Mount said. “I am so blessed to have such amazing faculty and staff who have worked tirelessly to make this program successful. Our faculty are experts in their field and are passionate about educating the next generation of physical therapists. Without them, we would not be where we are today. Our students endured long hours of intensive study and many sleepless nights, but they are ready to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and beyond. We are so proud of all they have accomplished. Most of all, I am thankful for all of the blessings that God has bestowed on this program and the university. He is our reason for our work and to Him we give all the glory and praise.”
The program graduated the inaugural class of Doctor of Physical Therapy students at Faulkner’s College of Health Sciences’ Commencement on April 20, 2024.
Faulkner’s College of Health Sciences has a total of four programs: Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant Studies. All four programs have seats remaining for the fall semester. To apply, visit https://www.faulkner.edu/academics/college-of-health-sciences/