Whitworth Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Achieves Candidacy Status

Whitworth University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program has been granted candidacy status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The status allows Whitworth to admit students for the inaugural class that begins this fall.

“We are thrilled to welcome the first cadre of DPT students to Whitworth this fall,” says Carrie Hawkins, DPT, Ph.D., director of Whitworth’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. “This program will educate physical therapy students in the mind-and-heart tradition of the university, graduating professionals who are not only excellent clinicians, but also compassionate leaders of healthcare serving the community.”

Whitworth’s DPT program is a full-time professional program designed to be completed in just under three years. The curriculum is rooted in a liberal arts education and Whitworth’s mission to educate both the mind and the heart. The curricular design is centered on the movement system, social responsibility, faith and worldview, professional formation, and critical inquiry. 

Each semester will include a dedicated professional formation course specifically designed to help students explore leadership, worldviews, spirituality, professionalism, ethics, cultural competency, personal well-being, and teaching and learning. Students will practice interprofessional collaboration while engaging in contemporary clinical practice and community outreach in Spokane.

The DPT program will be evaluated for full accreditation status in the third year of the first cohort (2024-25). Accreditation is anticipated to be received in the spring of 2025 prior to graduation of the first cohort in May 2025. Graduates of the first cohort will be able to take the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as early as July 2025. 

For more information about Whitworth’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, click here.

About Whitworth University:

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts: 

Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.