Midwestern University Physical Therapy Program Incorporates Hybrid Doctoral Track

The Physical Therapy Program at the Midwestern University College of Health Sciences is pleased to announce the addition of a hybrid residential/online track for their Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) degree program.

The 30-month combination of live online instruction and in-person on-campus classes and labs offers an accelerated curriculum option for D.P.T. degree seekers. This additional program was approved by both the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education (the program's accrediting body) and the Midwestern University Board of Trustees.

"Research has shown that program achievement metrics - licensing exam pass rates, graduation rates, employment rates, and meeting accreditation standards - for hybrid programs are similar to those of strictly residential programs," says Byron Russell, PT, Ph.D., Program Director, Physical Therapy. "Having this program flexibility gives our students options to receive a top-level education in physical therapy that caters to their individual circumstances, whether they want the convenience of online instruction or need the complete in-person experience."

The fully on-campus residential D.P.T. program has also been streamlined from a three-year curriculum to a two-and-a-half-year program, starting in the summer quarter of 2024. This was made possible by a curriculum review that identified and eliminated content redundancies and enabled restructuring that allowed increased curricular integration. The change will result in reduced tuition and a faster track to the workforce without sacrificing curriculum quality and maintaining and exceeding high accreditation standards.

"Between the restructured residential program and our new hybrid offering, we are convinced that Midwestern University offers a best-in-class value in physical therapy education," says Jared Chamberlain, Ph.D., Dean, College of Health Sciences. "Providing this flexibility to both faculty and students will allow us to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences using the cognitive, teaching, and social presences necessary for both the in-person and online environments. With our restructured curriculum, we can also shorten the time required to bring new professionals to a healthcare system that desperately needs them without compromising the quality of their preparation."