QU LAUNCHES DOCTORAL PROGRAMS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND PHYSICAL THERAPY
Subject to accreditor approval, Quincy University has announced it will soon offer doctoral degree programs in Occupational Therapy (OTD) and in Physical Therapy (DPT). These clinical doctoral programs will prepare students for careers in high-demand healthcare fields and mark the first time the university will offer doctoral degrees in its 165-year history.
“Today, Quincy University is taking a big step forward to meet the healthcare needs of our community and region,” said Dr. Brian McGee, QU president. “With today’s announcement, QU has begun the most important transformation of its academic offerings in the modern history of the university.”
Both the occupational therapy and physical therapy programs will encompass flexible, hybrid formats for curriculum, blending online and in-person learning for healthcare professions that are in high demand. Both programs will be led by highly qualified faculty and practitioners, bringing diverse expertise that meets the rigorous academic and professional standards required for the OTD and DPT programs.
“Planning and preparation for offering clinical doctoral programs at Quincy University has been years in the making,” said Dr. Sarah Vordtriede-Patton, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “It is exciting to be at the point that we can share our plans publicly. Adding to the excitement, highly qualified founding core faculty, who are each experienced educators, clinicians, and researchers, have been recruited in both physical therapy and occupational therapy.”
The Quincy University occupational therapy doctoral program will be led by experienced and highly qualified faculty, including Dr. Kristin Haas, Dr. Paula Costello, and Dr. Jaime Garafalo-Peterson. Together, these faculty leaders have over 35 years of experience in occupational therapy higher education.
The launch of QU’s hybrid occupational therapy doctorate program is a transformative step forward in shaping the next generation of occupational therapy leaders. The curriculum reflects Quincy University’s mission of developing servant leaders. Each occupational therapy graduate course builds upon the last, fostering continuous development in professional identity, clinical reasoning, and community engagement.
“With the flexibility of online learning combined with immersive, hands-on experiences, this program empowers students with a strong foundation in occupation-centered care, preparing them to make meaningful contributions to health and well-being in their communities,” said Dr. Kristin Haas, QU’s OTD Director. “Rooted in Quincy University’s mission of service and servant leadership, I am passionate about advancing the field of occupational therapy and guiding our students as they become compassionate, skilled practitioners.”
The Quincy University physical therapy doctoral program will be led by experienced and highly qualified faculty, including Dr. Kathleen Galloway, Dr. Jacklyn Malt, Dr. Christina DeHoff, and Dr. Steven Karas, who together have over 50 years of experience in physical therapy higher education and the expected American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) certifications.
The vision of the QU Physical Therapy program is to be recognized for fostering academic excellence, innovation, and service. The physical therapy program will be an accelerated seven-semester hybrid program. There will be synchronous and asynchronous online learning, with small group activity and a focus on case-based learning. Students will also come to campus periodically for in-person laboratory instruction. The program includes 31 weeks of full-time clinical education.
“The Quincy University DPT program looks to recruit highly motivated students who are self-starters and thrive on being continuous learners,” said Kathleen Galloway, QU’s DPT Director. “I am excited to see the potential that graduate healthcare programs could bring to the University and the Quincy health care community.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, both occupational therapy and physical therapy career opportunities are predicted to grow much faster than average between 2023-2033, with double-digit increases in percentage growth of employment in these professions. Leaders at QU found ample evidence of local and regional need for these degree programs.
“Working along accreditation timelines, we anticipate recruiting our first cohorts of students as early as next August for proposed January 2026 start dates,” said Vordtriede-Patton. “Quincy University has offered pre-physical therapy and pre-occupational therapy concentrations in bachelor’s degrees for years. Projected in just over a year from now, graduates of these programs will have the opportunity to continue their studies toward licensing in these areas of healthcare practice, while remaining in Quincy if they wish to do so. The hybrid format of the programs will also allow for a national draw in student recruitment.”
In support of new and existing academic programs, a $4.2 million capital projects grant from the State of Illinois has allowed the University to begin facility renovations at its North Campus. Work has begun to transform underutilized administrative spaces into laboratories, classrooms and faculty and staff offices that will be shared by the occupational therapy and physical therapy programs. Students in both hybrid programs will come to campus periodically for intensive lab experiences and have the option to return home for their clinical experiences.
For more information about the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program, contact Dr. Kristin Haas at occupationaltherapy@storesoo.com or visit http://bdzt.storesoo.com/occupationaltherapy. For more information about the Physical Therapy Doctoral Program, contact Dr. Kathleen Galloway at physicaltherapy@storesoo.com or visit bdzt.storesoo.com/physicaltherapy.
While Quincy University is well known for its undergraduate programs and its Catholic and Franciscan identity, the university has offered master’s degrees for over 35 years. The new opportunities for doctoral study and the initiation of two new doctoral programs will mark the largest and most important expansion of graduate education at QU since the 1980s, when the first graduate degree program was approved.
“While these new programs will be our first graduate and doctoral programs in the health sciences, I don’t believe they will be our last,” said McGee. “Over time, I expect we will see further opportunities for students seeking careers in science, the health sciences, engineering, and technology.”
Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. Quincy University offers undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs integrating practical experience and Franciscan values.
Faculty and advisors work with students to design customized success plans to help them graduate on time, find their passion and prepare them for life. QU is a member of NCAA Division II for intercollegiate athletics. For more information, please visit bdzt.storesoo.com or contact the Office of Community Relations at (217) 228-5275 or communityrelations@storesoo.com. Quincy University. Success by Design.
Applications for these programs have been submitted to the accreditor and are pending HLC approval. The Quincy University entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted
Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. Additional information about certification is available at www.nbcot.org.
Graduation from a physical therapist education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), is necessary for eligibility to sit for the licensure examination, which is required in all states. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education,3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085, 703-706-3245; accreditation@apta.org. 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).Quincy 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 May 1, 2025. 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.
