Accreditation of PT schools question...

[member0000]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone knows/understands how accreditation works, in terms of some PT schools being “candidates for accreditation”, but not being “fully accredited”? I’m not sure what PT schools being “candidates” means when it comes to the validity of a DPT achieved from that school? If you go to a PT school that is only a candidate for accreditation, and not yet fully accredited, how does that impact your degree? Thanks in advance.

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[Azimuthal]

It means that the school is new and is in the process of full accreditation, after the graduation of the first class and exam pass rates.

 

[Teresina2005]

A developing program must go through many steps to before they are able to admit students. The program must first hire a director. Then some progress is made outlining the program and obtaining verification from the various school boards, trustees, and state agencies to "okay" the program. Once this has occurred, the program will submit an "application for candidacy." If the APTA approve they can begin taking applications, hiring additional staff, and accumulating clinical sites. Prior to accepting students there will be a formal review by the APTA (assuming all the paperwork is in order) and they will (Lord willing) grant the "candidate for accreditation"status. Students can matriculate into the program at that time. The program will remain at this status for the duration of the inaugural class. Prior to the first class' graduation there will be anther formal review of the program. Barring no glaring issues, the program will receive "full accreditation" status.

One note to point out: In order to sit for your boards, you must graduate from an accredited DPT program. Should you get an interview at a developing program, you might want to ask what provision there would be in the unlikely case the program isn't accredited.

You can learn more about it on the APTA website. (I read the accreditation booklets, they are about 260pages each, hope this answers your questions and saves you some reading.)

Peace and God bless

 

[PTisfun]

A developing program must go through many steps to before they are able to admit students. The program must first hire a director. Then some progress is made outlining the program and obtaining verification from the various school boards, trustees, and state agencies to "okay" the program. Once this has occurred, the program will submit an "application for candidacy." If the APTA approve they can begin taking applications, hiring additional staff, and accumulating clinical sites. Prior to accepting students there will be a formal review by the APTA (assuming all the paperwork is in order) and they will (Lord willing) grant the "candidate for accreditation"status. Students can matriculate into the program at that time. The program will remain at this status for the duration of the inaugural class. Prior to the first class' graduation there will be anther formal review of the program. Barring no glaring issues, the program will receive "full accreditation" status.

One note to point out: In order to sit for your boards, you must graduate from an accredited DPT program. Should you get an interview at a developing program, you might want to ask what provision there would be in the unlikely case the program isn't accredited.

You can learn more about it on the APTA website. (I read the accreditation booklets, they are about 260pages each, hope this answers your questions and saves you some reading.)

Peace and God bless

One small semantic thing...APTA does not accredit PT schools. The APTA is a professional advocacy organization. CAPTE (Commission for the Accreditation of PT Education) is the one whose process you described. CAPTE is 'independent' of APTA....that is the party line at least.
One other thing....if you do not graduate from an accredited PT school, it is possible for you to take NPTE and get licensed...it is just a little harder. Those who go to non-CAPTE accredited programs outside of the US can give more details about it if there are any of this board, but basically the state you are applying for licensure (since the state gives you 'permission' to take NPTE) requires that you show your schooling is equivalent to a CAPTE accredited program. So applicants for licensure from a non-CAPTE accredited program have an extra step or 2 that applicants from a CAPTE accredited program do not have to worry about. Each state have its own steps that are required for licensure.