HU DPT Program Gets Decade Long Re-Accreditation

HU Physical Therapy Department

HU physical therapy students recite their pledge at a white coat ceremony.

Hampton, Va. – The Hampton University Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) program has been re-accredited for 10 years by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

“Students, future employers, and the general public can be assured that Hampton's DPT program has a solid, comprehensive curriculum delivered by a highly qualified faculty that prepares graduates to be competent physical therapists,” said Dr. Bernadette Williams, Chairperson of the HU Department of Physical Therapy.


The process for re-accreditation took two years, Williams said, adding that the DPT faculty underwent a thorough review of the entire curriculum, making revisions where necessary in course content, course objectives, learning experiences and/or student evaluation.

The program now has six full-time and one part-time faculty members, 42 students and 26 new students will begin matriculation in Fall 2011, Williams said.

HU was the first university to have a DPT program in Virginia, and is one of only eight Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCUs) with a physical therapy program.
The department was recently awarded a $1.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The funding will establish a family support center for underserved families with developmentally disabled pre-school children, which is a high priority of HU President William R. Harvey.

In 2007, 100 percent of the graduates passed their licensing exams on the first attempt, and 100 percent of graduates in the past two years passed their licensing exam.

Of the program’s most recent success, Williams is elated.

“I am absolutely thrilled,” she said. “As the program chair, there is no greater satisfaction than knowing that all of the hard work paid off.”

-Leha Byrd