UT System Regents Approve Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree for UT El Paso

DALLAS – The University of Texas System Board of Regents today (Feb. 5) approved a new doctoral degree program in physical therapy (DPT) for UT El Paso. The proposed program still must be approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The DPT would replace the Master of Physical Therapy Program at UT El Paso. The transition is anticipated to help meet the demand for qualified physical therapy practitioners and for improved access to health care in El Paso. The degree is a professional doctoral qualification that enables recipients to be eligible for state licensure to practice physical therapy in Texas.

According to a recent report in Trends, the job market for physical therapists is expected to grow nearly 37 percent from 2004 to 2014, with an estimated 72,000 job openings during that time.

About The University of Texas System

Serving the educational and health care needs of Texans for more than 125 years, The University of Texas System is one of the nation’s largest higher education systems, with nine academic campuses and six health institutions. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $11.9 billion (FY 2010) including $2.5 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. Preliminary student enrollment exceeded 202,000 in the 2009 academic year. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates nearly three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually. With more than 84,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.