Marist’s DPT Program Receives Full Accreditation

POUGHKEEPSIE – Marist’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program has been granted “Accreditation” status for five years by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). Five-year accreditation is the maximum period granted to a new DPT program.

Marist’s DPT Program, which confers a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, admitted its first class in January 2018 with Candidacy Accreditation status; that cohort will graduate in December 2020.

“Gaining full accreditation status without any citations and for a 5-year period is an exceptional feat that is attributed to the dedication and excellent work of the faculty and staff and the support of the administration. We are gratified that we are able to send exceptionally qualified physical therapy graduates into the workforce,” said DPT Program Director Dr. Claudia B. Fenderson.

“Full accreditation for five years is the highest achievement possible for a new DPT program,” said Dr. Alicia Slater, Dean of the School of Science. “It is even more impressive that the bulk of this work was done under pandemic conditions which included a virtual site visit from the accrediting agency.”

The DPT program is a full-time, 36-month, 115-credit program designed to prepare students for the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) and for successful careers as doctors of physical therapy. The Program is housed in Marist’s Allied Health Building, which has a state-of-the-art gross anatomy laboratory, a movement analysis laboratory, standardized patient suites, a trauma simulation room, and a skills laboratory. The Program is committed to creating the next generation of physical therapists by offering the highest standard of excellence in physical therapy education. The curriculum merges didactic work with 36 weeks of full-time clinical practice. It prepares students to promote optimal functioning of current and future clients throughout their lifespan. Students are prepared to work in a wide variety of settings, including inpatient and outpatient orthopedic, neurologic, pediatric, and geriatric settings. The DPT program instills the importance of providing advocacy and service to the profession as well as to local and global communities.

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