History & Background

The physical therapy program at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas is one of the first PT programs to be established west of the Mississippi River. The first group of students was admitted into our program in 1944.

Our program received its initial accreditation in 1945 and has been continuously accredited since. After our most recent review by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, our department was awarded full accreditation for a period of 8 years.

The educational component of our program transitioned from a certificate to a Bachelor's degree in the mid 1970s. Just a decade later we were one of the first programs to establish an entry-level Master's degree program. The first students in that program graduated in 1990. Beginning in June, 2004, we began the new, entry-level, three-year Doctorate degree program in physical therapy (DPT). The first students to graduate from this program will do so in 2007.

The department now has 15 full and part-time faculty. Our outstanding faculty produce about 20 peer-reviewed research papers, book chapters, books and review papers per year. External funding supporting faculty research activities now stands at approximately $900,000 annually. Faculty and students present an average of over 35 papers, symposia and workshops per year at state, national and international conferences.

Overview