Accreditation
Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states.
Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT;www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT's website.
Auburn University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional/technical phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional/technical courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory CAPTE Rules of Practice and Procedure (22.3.12) 53 progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
On 29th October 2024, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) acted to deny candidacy for the physical therapist education program at Auburn University. CAPTE reached this decision after a thorough review of all materials provided by the program, as well as information provided by on-site visitors. The deficiencies have been clearly identified in CAPTE’s Summary of Action, which we received on 12th November 2024.
Deny Candidacy is an adverse decision that can be reconsidered by CAPTE upon request from the program and institution. Reconsideration usually occurs at the next meeting of CAPTE in the spring or fall. If the program does not seek reconsideration, then the decision to deny will be final. If the program seeks reconsideration and the decision to deny is reversed, the program will be granted candidacy and will be able to start classes. If on reconsideration the original decision is upheld, then the decision to deny candidacy will be final unless the program appeals that decision to an Appeal Panel appointed by the Chair of CAPTE, in collaboration with the Sr. Director of Accreditation, and the Appeals Panel finds that the decision to deny should not stand.
In the interest of the public trust that the accreditation process serves, all enrolled and prospective students are hereby notified that candidacy of the physical therapist education program at Auburn University has been denied.
The AUPT Program has already taken the steps to appeal the decision and has been granted a reconsideration that will be made in the Spring meeting (April 2025) of the Commission. Auburn University is committed to the development of the physical therapist education program is actively addressing the identified deficiencies to meet CAPTE’s highest standards. Based on the timeline of this process, the current start date of the inaugural cohort is project to be delayed by a couple weeks to start in June 2025. Regular updates will be posted on the website and can be requested from the program by directing inquires to dpt@auburn.edu.
Questions regarding the candidacy status of this program or the reasons for the action to deny candidacy should be directed to the program faculty at dpt@auburn.edu. Questions about the candidacy or accreditation process may be directed to the Department of Accreditation, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, American Physical Therapy Association, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085.
