WKU’s physical therapy doctorate program continues to move forward with approval of the program by the Council on Postsecondary Education.

Originally planned for the fall of 2012, the program hit a stumbling block earlier this year.

Due to the time involved in getting certification from CPE and still needing certification from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the program missed the March 1 deadline for the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

CAPTE approval is the final step in the long accreditation process. The next CAPTE review cycle will start December 1.

Harvey Wallmann, director of the program, said that accreditation from SACS is still in process and that the he and Kurt Neelly, academic coordinator for the program, will both be doing research and teaching while the program is finalized.

“We’re just moving forward now with research,” Wallmann said. “We’re going to be teaching classes in the fall too, along with our new faculty member.”

Two new faculty members have been hired for the program, Donald Hoover and Beth Norris. Hoover will begin July 1 and help teach exercise science classes in the fall. Norris will begin this fall.

The doctorate physical therapy is scheduled to launch in the summer of 2013. New applications will be accepted this fall leading up to the Jan. 15 deadline, to be considered along with applications submitted for the original Fall 2012 launch date.