Florida Southern College School Of Physical Therapy Joins Select Ranks Of Nationally Accredited PT Programs

LAKELAND, Fla., Dec. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its fall meeting, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) granted full accreditation to Florida Southern College's School of Physical Therapy. The milestone marks the inclusion of the College's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program among the less than 300 accredited DPT programs in the nation.

"I am elated at the news of CAPTE's decision to grant full accreditation to FSC's School of Physical Therapy," said FSC President Dr. Anne B. Kerr. "The decision of CAPTE affirms the pedagogical excellence of the school's faculty. With Dean Nuzzo's leadership and the support of community partners such as Lakeland Regional Health, the Watson Clinic, Jean and Sal Campisi, and others, I am confident that the program will establish a legacy of excellence by preparing highly dedicated professionals with excellent patient care, communication, critical-thinking, patient-education, and research skills."

CAPTE is an accrediting agency that is nationally recognized by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The CAPTE accreditation process entails meeting all CAPTE standards, including continual self-evaluation, periodic external reviews, and regular reports to certify the educational quality of the physical therapy program.

Over the course of the two and a half year program, the DPT curriculum at Florida Southern College prepares entry-level physical therapy practitioners through dynamic engaged learning experiences that equip them with skills to provide patient-centered, evidenced-based care for a positive impact on the community. The program has 108 credit hours that includes 36 weeks of clinical education.

The College opened its newly constructed Jean and Sal Campisi, Sr. Academic Center for Physical Therapy in the fall of 2019. Dr. Nancy Nuzzo serves as the founding program director and dean of the School of Physical Therapy. The School's innovative teaching methods are supported by cutting-edge research and training technologies, including ceiling-mounted classroom cameras and display monitors, donated human body parts preserved through the plastination process, portable ultrasound units, an advanced balance assessment system, and gait analysis technology.

"We're proud to have accomplished our initial full accreditation status, which is only possible with the efforts of many people, including FSC administration, faculty, students, community partners, and dedicated clinicians," said Dr. Nancy Nuzzo, dean of FSC's School of Physical Therapy and program director of the DPT program. "The success of our DPT program is the result of an ongoing team effort among all of these parties. We thank our community partners for their tremendous support, and we look forward to our graduates serving their patients, the community, and the profession."

Combining evidence-based coursework with hands-on learning, students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program complete their degrees in two and a half years. The program faculty work closely with students in engaging training environments to equip them with the skills they need to become well-rounded clinicians and healthcare providers in one of the nation's top-rated, fastest-growing professions. Florida Southern's DPT program graduates its inaugural class of physical therapists in December 2021.

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in the state. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning, and boasts 30 NCAA Division II National Championships. Florida Southern is ranked at #8 among the "Best Regional Universities in the South" by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022 "Best Colleges" guide and is included in The Princeton Review's 2022 Best 387 Colleges guide and the "Fiske Guide to Colleges 2022." The 2021-2022 Colleges of Distinction guidebook praises Florida Southern's AACSB accredited Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise alongside the College's School of Education and its Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Poets&Quants, U.S. News & World Report, Fortune, and The Princeton Review further laud the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise and the Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences as foremost programs in the nation for business and nursing education. Home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, FSC has appeared on The Princeton Review's top 20 "Most Beautiful Campus" national listing for 12 consecutive years. Connect with Florida Southern College. 

SOURCE Florida Southern College