Doctor of Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant programs enroll newest classes

Elon’s School of Health Sciences welcomed two new classes of graduate students to the university community this week.

Elon’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program and Physician Assistant Studies program have welcomed new classes of students following a highly selective admissions process. The three-year, full-time Doctor of Physical Therapy Program enrolled 47 students while the 24-month, full-time Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program enrolled 38 students.

Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2022

Elon’s newest cohort of physical therapy graduate students represents undergraduate institutions such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the College of William and Mary, University of Georgia, and Elon University. The average age of these new Elon students is 24 years old, and they hail from 12 states including New York, California, Colorado, and Pennsylvania; and 2 students from China. These students have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.62 and an average GRE score of 307.

Elon’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program has built a reputation for excellence. In 2016, the program was reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy (CAPTE) and was commended for its Self-Study Report. The Department of Physical Therapy Education was created in 1996 offering a master’s degree, and enrolled its first doctoral students in 2003.

Physician Assistant Studies Class of December 2021

The Physician Assistant Studies program has welcomed its newest class of students who represent undergraduate institutions such as Clemson University, Ithaca College, Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The students have an average age of 25 years old and start the program with a variety of health care experience, with each bringing an average of 3,500 hours worked in health care. Their average undergraduate GPA is 3.75 and the average GRE score is 308. These new students come to Elon from 17 states including Oregon, Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

The Class of December 2021 is the eighth class for Elon’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program, which enrolled its charter class in January 2013. In 2016, the program achieved a major milestone with recognition and continued accreditation by The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, the national accrediting body.