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Belmont University Adds Doctorate Degree

Belmont University continues to grow as a premier teaching institution in the field of health care. Belmont has announced that it is now offering a doctorate degree in physical therapy - this is the university’s first doctorate degree program.

The Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree is a clinical doctorate degree preparing professionals for clinical practice, clinical scholarship, and a professional career in a specific field. Adding the doctorate degree to Belmont’s curriculum required coordination and approval from Belmont’s faculty, the university’s Board of Trustees, the Tennessee Baptist Convention, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

All requirements have been met and the DPT degree will be awarded to the physical therapy graduates of the Class of 2001 at the summer graduation on Friday, August 10, 2001. In addition, the physical therapy graduates of the Class of 2000, having successfully completed all requirements for the DPT, will be eligible to convert their Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) degree to the DPT degree at the August graduation ceremony.

The physical therapy curriculum at Belmont has been developed to provide physical therapists with a strong foundation in basic health sciences and an understanding of the theoretical-based physical therapy practice. In May 2000, the program received full accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The inaugural class graduated in August 2000.

"We are proud of our program and believe that we compare favorably in all critical areas of accreditation: degree offered, faculty, facilities, curriculum, and clinical education," said Dr. David Greathouse, Professor and Chairman of Belmont’s School of Therapy. "The quality of our program has been verified by the success of our inaugural graduating class of 2000. All of our graduates have successfully passed the national licensing examination and all the graduates who sought employment in the field of physical therapy are currently employed in the profession."

Belmont University, like fellow members of the Associated New American Colleges, is a teaching university offering comprehensive liberal arts education with real-world, professional application. Academic options include more than 50 undergraduate majors, eight master’s degrees, a doctorate degree and a wide selection of adult and continuing education programs.

Posted by the Office of University Marketing & Communications, March 15, 2001

    Belmont University's fast-growing community of about 4,000 students comes from nearly every state and more than 25 countries. Belmont is committed to premier teaching with a focus on success in the real world. Our purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world's needs. With more than 50 areas of study, eight master's degrees and two doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon.

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