Physical Therapy

Mission Statement

The mission of the program is to recruit and prepare promising African Americans and underserved minority populations with leadership potential to become compassionate, and competent physical therapists, with expertise in clinical decision making, problem solving and research. The program is committed to attracting and sustaining a cadre of faculty who promote critical thinking, self-inquiry, active learning, community service, cultural sensitivity, ethical behavior and contribute to research, practice, and enhancement of the profession nationally and internationally.

Program Outcomes

• Licensure:  The two-year overall board passage rate for 2015-2016 is 99.4%.
• Graduation: The graduation rate for 2015-2016 is 50%.
• Employment: 100% of graduates seeking employment as physical therapists from 2015-2016 have been successful.

Career Paths

Physical Therapists (PTs) are health care professionals who diagnose and teat individuals of all ages, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and peform functional activities in their daily lives.  PTs examine each individual and develop a plan to prmote the ability to move reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability.  In addition, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness and wellness oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles.  State licensure is requires in each state where a physical therapist practices.

The Howard University Department of Physical Therapy trains undergraduate and graduate students whose goal is to become a physical therapists.  The Bachelor of Health Sciences with a pre-physical therapy concentation prepares students to apply to the post baccalaureate program in physical therapy.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is a post baccalaureate program, which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation on Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).  Graduates are awarded a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree upon completion of the program.  Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the state licensure examination and are entitled to full membership in the professional organization, the American Physical Therapy Association.

The Department of Physical Therapy also offers a post graduate Doctor of Physical Therapy Program for individuals who have previously have received a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy or Master of Physical Therapy degree from Howard University.  This program is not accredited CAPTE.  The post graduate program is only available to those Howard University graduates who have successfully completed either the BS or MPT degrees and are currently licensed as a physical therapist.

Accreditation

The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Howard University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), as well as by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

CAPTE        
1111 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
telephone: 703-706-3245
email: accreditation@apta.org
website: http://www.capteonline.org.

If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 202 806-7614 or email cburnett@howard.edu.