About the Department of Physical Therapy

Mission: The mission of the College of Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy program is to graduate competent, compassionate, progressive physical therapists capable of serving diverse populations through direct access and collaborative care across a variety of settings.

Vision: The vision of the College of Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy program is to be a recognized leader in advancing the physical therapy profession by cultivating life-long learners through excellence in clinical practice, research, leadership and service.

Objectives

The following goals are set to ensure students and graduates, faculty, and the Program meet or exceed expectations to remain in compliance with CAPTE Standards and the Program, College, and University Missions:

1. Students will be advocates for service to the community and the profession.
2. Students will demonstrate the skills necessary to practice physical therapy as autonomous practitioners at entry-level competencies, consistent with the American Physical Therapy Association’s Standards of Practice and Minimum Required Skills of Physical Therapist Graduates at Entry-level.
3. Graduates will demonstrate the skills necessary to practice physical therapy as autonomous practitioners at entry-level competencies, consistent with the American Physical Therapy Association’s Standards of Practice and Minimum Required Skills of Physical Therapist Graduates at Entry-level.
4. Graduates will be employed as physical therapists and provide quality collaborative care.
5. The Program faculty will be contemporary educators and scholars who communicate effectively, advise students, and provide service to the college, university, and/or profession.
6. Clinical education faculty will be contemporary educators who are effective in planning, coordinating, advising, and mentoring students in and across a variety of clinical settings.
7. The Program will admit exceptional students annually.
8. The Program will have adequate resources to meet program needs and strategic goals.

In addition, the Program has set strategic goals to continue to enhance the quality of the WSU Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and work towards our vision:

1. Faculty are recognized as contemporary practitioners, educators, leaders, and scholarly contributors to the physical therapy profession.
2. Students demonstrate academic excellence and are recognized both regionally and nationally for scholarly endeavors.
3. The Program faculty, staff, and students are recognized locally and nationally as leaders in service-connected activities.
4. The Program will provide a more diverse learning environment by increasing the number of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds.
5. The Program faculty, students, and graduates are recognized locally and nationally as leaders in their profession.
6. Graduates will be life-long learners demonstrating initiative and appropriate clinical decision-making abilities.

Accreditation

The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) granted the Wichita State University Doctor of Physical Therapy program another 10-year accreditation through 2032. WSU's PT program has maintained accreditation status since its establishment.

To Contact CAPTE: http://www.capteonline.org

If you need to contact the program/institution directly, please call 316-978-3621 or email physical.therapy@wichita.edu. The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Wichita State University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Avenue, Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia, 22305; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. 

CAPTE Program Outcome(s) Data
Student Assessment Performance Indicators 2022-2024

For the three recent academic years (2021, 2022, 2023) the performance of graduates of the Wichita State University Doctor of Physical Therapy program, as provided on the 2023 Annual Accreditation report to the American Physical Therapy Association, was as follows:

*Preliminary, awaiting final results

TBD = To be determined

• Graduation Rate: Number of students (in original cohort) who graduated at the normally expected time
• First-time Licensure Pass Rate: Percentage of graduates who passed the National Physical Therapy Licensure Examination (NPTE) upon first attempt
• Ultimate Licensure Pass Rate: Percentage of graduates who passed the NPTE, after all attempts
• Employment Rate: Percentage of graduates seeking employment who were employed as physical therapists within six months of passing the NPTE
• Matriculation Rate: Percentage of enrolled students in year 1 that consecutively enroll in year 2 of the program 

Surveys

To ensure the program is meeting its goals and expectations, we will send the following Qualtrics survey to employers of our Graduates each spring semester via email. However, if you are an employer of a WSU DPT Graduate, and did not receive the email by June 1^st, please email our Assistant Program Director at jennifer.celso@wichita.edu and ask for a link to complete the survey.

Qualtrics Employer Survey (Print Version)

Licensure

Licensure requirements are a function of state governments through a physical therapy board. To identify requirements, individual graduates must contact the state physical therapy board of the jurisdiction(s) where they plan to practice. Graduation from an accredited program is only one requirement; satisfactory completion of the physical therapy program does not guarantee licensure for graduates. A list of boards, contact information, and licensure examination information is readily accessible at the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy website at http://www.fsbpt.org

[return to top]