Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Doctor of Physical Therapy program finished the fall semester strong by becoming fully accredited and graduating its first class of doctors.
The PT program received confirmation in November that it had been granted accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). CAPTE is the only accreditation agency recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit entry-level physical therapist education programs. The UMHB physical therapy program is now one of less than 250 PT education programs across the United States that meets the high standards of accreditation.
“The accreditation of our Doctor of Physical Therapy program is a significant milestone for UMHB,” said Dr. John Vassar, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The accreditation process is long and demanding. I congratulate Dr. Colin Wilborn (Dean of the Graduate School and Research), Dr. Barbara Gresham (PT Program Director), and Dr. Jenise Engelke (Director of DPT Clinical Education) for successfully navigating this rigorous requirement.”
UMHB opened the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the fall of 2015, with a cohort of 40 students. Today 112 doctoral students are enrolled in the program, and it is the exclusive PT program for Baylor Scott & White Central Texas. The university renovated and expanded the historic Hardy Hall building to provide the state-of-the-art laboratories and classrooms needed for the program, and that investment bore fruit when the program’s first class of doctors graduated on December 8th.
“We are so excited for the faculty, staff, and students that have poured so much into the development of this outstanding program. The process has been long, but watching how God has continued to work at UMHB and through this program has been such a blessing,” said Colin Wilborn, graduate dean. “The accreditation of the DPT program strengthens UMHB’s continuing commitment to and promotion of health science education in the Central Texas region.”
