School of Physical Therapy Granted Accreditation Candidacy

Florida Southern College has announced that the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) has granted Candidate for Accreditation status to the College’s School of Physical Therapy. This important step in the pre-accreditation process indicates that a program is making substantial progress toward compliance with accreditation standards/requirements and can admit students and implement the program.

With CAPTE’s granting of candidacy, FSC’s School of Physical Therapy will begin its first classes in the fall of 2019. Each class in the doctoral program will accept up to 36 students, who will complete the course of study in 2½ years, including 36 weeks of clinical experiences.

“At the School of Physical Therapy, we believe that success comes down to focus and effort, and our team exhibits both,” said Dr. Nancy A. Nuzzo, the founding program director and dean of the School of Physical Therapy. “After two years of diligent program planning, development, and hard work, we are proud to have been granted Candidacy for Accreditation by CAPTE and to formally accept our first class.”

Dr. Nuzzo has more than 25 years of experience in the field of physical therapy, and has taught for 20 of those years while working as a practicing physical therapist. She came to Florida Southern after starting a physical therapy program at the University of Jamestown in Fargo, North Dakota.

Physical therapists are movement experts who help people of all ages and abilities to improve and maintain functionality and quality of life. Graduates of a physical therapy program are considered clinical doctors similar to physicians, dentists, and podiatrists, and provide services in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, outpatient and inpatient clinics, home health agencies, and nursing and assisted living facilities.

Students in FSC’s program will perform clinical rotations throughout the United States and at area locations such as Watson Clinic and Lakeland Regional Health. Both students and faculty will also provide pro bono services to underserved populations and will provide community outreach in education and screenings.

In response to an overwhelming regional need, Florida Southern College launched a new Doctor of Physical Therapy program in May 2018 to supply highly trained physical therapists to healthcare facilities in central Florida and beyond. FSC’s School of Physical Therapy will be housed on South Florida Avenue in the Dixieland Historic District. Set to open in the fall of 2019, the site consists of a new 11,000-square-foot classroom/laboratory structure and an adjacent 6,500-square-foot renovated building to be used for offices and student study spaces.