Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) and Frederick Community College (FCC) have formalized an articulation agreement to streamline the transition for FCC Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) students aiming to pursue advanced degrees at HU.
Articulation agreements like this one establish a clear path between institutions and facilitate smoother transitions and credit transfers for students from community colleges to four-year universities. This particular agreement will benefit FCC’s PTA students by easing their progression to advanced studies at HU, allowing PTA students at FCC to transfer to HU’s Exercise Science bachelor’s degree program after completing their associate degree and obtaining licensure.
Lori Portzer, PhD, ACSM-EP, who serves as Associate Professor and Program Lead for Exercise Science at HU, highlighted these benefits: “This agreement represents an exciting pathway for learners and opens doors they didn’t have before. The ability to secure sustainable employment while earning an advanced degree, and gaining the real-world experience they need to thrive in the field, is a huge advantage. We’re thrilled to add Frederick Community College to our list of partner institutions, and we cannot wait to see their alumni beginning to arrive on our campus.”
Tonya Miller PT, DPT, PhD, Associate Professor Academic and Program Lead for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at HU, also shared her thoughts. “We are excited to partner with FCC and create educational opportunities for individuals working in the field of physical therapy. Our partnership allows working adults to pursue their careers and continue their education in exercise science as well as advance to a Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Together, we are addressing the student debt issue in healthcare by providing a work-earn-learn model.”
Visit the Exercise Science program page to learn more about Harrisburg University’s bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. A new Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program is launching, with the first cohort of DPT students slated for fall 2025.
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Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; phone; 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. Candidacy is considered to be an accredited status, as such the credits and degree earned from a program with Candidacy status are considered, by CAPTE, to be from an accredited program. Therefore, students in the charter (first) class should be eligible to take the licensure exam even if CAPTE withholds accreditation at the end of the candidacy period. That said, it is up to each state licensing agency, not CAPTE, to determine who is eligible for licensure. Information on licensing requirements should be directed to the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT; www.fsbpt.org) or specific state boards (a list of state boards and contact information is available on FSBPT’s website. Harrisburg University is seeking accreditation of a new physical therapist education program from CAPTE. The program is planning to submit an Application for Candidacy, which is the formal application required in the pre-accreditation stage, on November 1, 2024. Submission of this document does not assure that the program will be granted Candidate for Accreditation status. Achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status is required prior to implementation of the professional phase of the program; therefore, no students may be enrolled in professional courses until Candidate for Accreditation status has been achieved. Further, though achievement of Candidate for Accreditation status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation, it does not assure that the program will be granted accreditation.
