CAPTE Approves FHU Physical Therapist Assistant Program for Candidate Status
Henderson, Tennessee (Aug. 3, 2022) — The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) has granted Freed-Hardeman University Candidate for Accreditation Status, according to Dr. C.J. Vires, FHU Provost and Vice President of Academics. The inaugural cohort of the PTA program will begin courses Fall 2022, with applications still being accepted at this time.
Students who have a bachelor’s degree or have completed required general education courses will be able to finish the program in three semesters. Those who do not yet have academic credit will need five semesters to complete the program.
Classes will be taught four days per week during the fall and spring semesters. The program is a three-semester blend of didactic and clinical education experiences. It includes 640 hours of clinical experience in both the outpatient and inpatient settings under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant who is supervised by a licensed physical therapist.
Dr. Ashley Prentice serves as the PTA program director. A 2012 alumna of FHU, she has been a practicing clinician since 2015. Brian Vaughn, with more than 20 years of experience in the outpatient clinical setting, will serve as the program’s director of clinical education. Both faculty members hold a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from Freed-Hardeman University.
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 and physical therapist education programs, according to its website. The organization currently accredits more than 250 physical therapist education programs and more than 350 physical therapy assistant programs, predominantly in the United States.
Effective July 19, 2022, Freed-Hardeman University has been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone: 703-706-3245; email:accreditation@apta.org. Individuals may contact the program/institution directly at 731-989-6097 or by email at aprentice@fhu.edu.
Candidate for Accreditation is an accreditation status of affiliation with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education that indicates the program may matriculate students in technical/professional courses. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status does not assure that the program will be granted Initial Accreditation.
The mission of Freed-Hardeman University Physical Therapist Assistant Program is to equip students with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service in order to provide holistic healthcare services to individuals and communities throughout the world. By growing in knowledge through dedicated faculty and a comprehensive curriculum focused on contemporary practice, the program will prepare graduates to serve as competent and ethical physical therapist assistants working under the direction and supervision of a licensed physical therapist.
