Resources for Developing Programs

• General Information
• Decision Cycle Timelines
• Workshops (Developing Program and Self-Study)
• Outcomes Assessment in Physical Therapy Education - NEW!

General Information

Institutions interested in developing an education program for the preparation of physical therapists (PT) or physical therapist assistants (PTA) MUST:

• Be accredited, or a candidate for accreditation, by a regional (PT/PTA) or national (PTA) accrediting organization recognized by the United States Department of Education or by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation;

• Be degree-granting, or have an existing agreement with an accredited degree-granting institution that will award the degree at the completion of the program; and

• Have obtained all required approvals to offer the proposed program, including from the institution, state, and institutional accreditor.

Institutions seeking to develop a PT or PTA program must submit a bona fide Application for Candidacy (AFC) and a non-refundable fee of $12,000, which is submitted with the Application for Candidacy. The materials necessary for completion and submission of the Application for Candidacy are available from the APTA Department of Accreditation upon official written notification that the institution has hired a qualified, full-time program director. Submission to the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of a bona fide AFC is the first formal step in the accreditation process for a physical therapist education program. Should the Department of Accreditation consider the submitted AFC to be a bona fide application, a Candidacy Reviewer is assigned to review the AFC, conduct an on-site visit, and write a report that is used by CAPTE in its determination to grant Candidacy status.

The AFC is similar to a Self-study Report; it is the report through which the institution provides information about the program's potential to achieve compliance with the Evaluative Criteria. However, completing an AFC involves much more than just completing a written report. Significant program development must be accomplished prior to the submission of the AFC in order to demonstrate sufficient progress towards compliance with the Evaluative Criteria. CAPTE recommends that institutions allow for at least six months of program development after the program director is hired; for some institutions, more than six months of program development may be necessary depending on a variety of issues, including the experience and expertise of the program director. PTA programs with a planned 1+1 curriculum will need to allow additional program development time since the curriculum will have to be close to fully developed prior to submission of the AFC.

The rules regarding developing programs can be found in the Accreditation Handbook in Part 7: Procedures for Achievement of and Maintenance of Candidate for Accreditation. Institutions interested in developing a PT or PTA education program are advised to carefully review this information. In addition, the "Other Information" section of the Accreditation Handbook includes:

• Additional Information Regarding the Candidacy Program
• Additional Information About the Accreditation Process for Candidates and Established Programs

Please note that the Accreditation Handbook contains Additional Information Regarding the Candidacy Program as well as the Evaluative Criteria for Accreditation of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapist Assistants and the Evaluative Criteria for Accreditation of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapists. The Handbook should be carefully reviewed and monitored for updates.

Decision Cycle Timelines

CAPTE makes Candidate for Accreditation decision four times per year. The Application for Candidacy must be submitted at least five months prior to the planned matriculation of students into the entry-level program. Institutions must take program development into account when determining expected student matriculation. CAPTE uses the following decision cycle timelines:

*If these dates fall on a weekend or holiday, the Application for Candidacy must ARRIVE PRIOR TO the due date.

Timelines for the program must also consider that initial accreditation decisions are made by CAPTE only during their regularly scheduled meetings (end of April and October).  The related on-site visit for initial accreditation decisions always occurs in the last term of the charter class and must occur no later than ten weeks prior to the CAPTE meeting.  Since state licensing laws require graduates to be from CAPTE accredited programs, it is not advisable to have students graduate from a program prior to the program achieving accreditation.  Although CAPTE has the ability for its decisions to be retroactive to the date of graduation, not all states will accept retroactive accreditation.  In addition, graduation prior to accreditation delays the ability of students to take the licensing exam and, therefore, begin employment.

Workshops (Developing Program and Self-Study)

The Department of Accreditation holds two types of workshops that are relevant for developing programs: Developing Program Workshops and Self-study Workshops.

Developing Program Workshops are intended to provide information for institutions in the initial stage of development. The workshops are held at APTA Headquarters, 1055 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Click here for dates and the registration form. The program director and at least one appropriate representative of the institution must attend a workshop for developing programs offered by the APTA Department of Accreditation, prior to submission of the Application for Candidacy. Institutional representatives may choose to attend the workshop during the early phases of program development, e.g., during the feasibility study.

Self-study Workshops are held three times per year and address CAPTE's expectations for the Evaluative Criteria. Dates for upcoming workshops and a registration form can be accessed by clicking here. In addition, Department of Accreditation staff is available for individual appointments during the APTA's Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) and Annual Conference and Exposition. Sign up sheets are available in the APTA office in the Convention Center for each meeting. Or, you can contact staff prior to the meeting to schedule an appointment.

[Last updated: 09/03/09 | Contact: accreditation@apta.org]