FranU gained another pedigree today as it continues to expand its degree offerings as a fully fledged university, less than two years after the former Our Lady of the Lake College rebranded as Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University.
The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education has granted FranU candidacy for its new doctor of physical therapy program, the university announced today.
The decision from the CAPTE allows FranU to admit its first group of students for the program this fall, and is a big step toward full accreditation of the program. The decision comes just a few months after FranU announced the addition of the new physical therapy program along with a few other new degree paths.
“This represents a significant step in the evolution of physical therapist education in the state of Louisiana,” says FranU President Tina Holland in a prepared statement. “We are the first new program to be developed in Louisiana in over four decades, and the only private institution in the state with a DPT program.”
Currently, the only other DPT programs in Louisiana are offered at the LSU Health Sciences centers in New Orleans and Shreveport. FranU’s expansion is part of the college’s mission to train medical professionals to help close the shortage of qualified practitioners in the state. Bureau of Labor Statistics data suggests national demand for physical therapists is expected to rise as much as 34% by 2024.
Also today, FranU announced that it will be participating in the Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service for DPT admissions. By joining, the university says it will benefit from an expanded online applicant pool and a more streamlined application review process. FranU joins over 200 other physical therapist education programs participating in PTCAS and will be accessible to over 20,000 applicants nationwide. Applicants to the university’s DPT program for 2019 will be able to apply online via PTCAS next month.
