MSU-Meridian to seat inaugural Doctor of Physical Therapy cohort in 2029

Contact: Marianne Todd

MERIDIAN, Miss.—Mississippi State University-Meridian is expanding its health professions offerings with a new Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program.

Designed to make doctoral-level training more accessible while helping meet a critical workforce need in Mississippi, the physical therapy program is expected to welcome its first cohort of 50 students in fall 2029, pending approval from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, or CAPTE. MSU School of Health Professions Dean Lesley Clack said the first student applications are expected in fall 2028.

The new program is made possible through funding provided by The Riley Foundation.

“We are grateful for this support,” Clack said. “Through this funding, we are able to continue to grow programs in the School of Health Professions and help address the shortage of physical therapists in Mississippi and the surrounding region.”

As of 2024, Mississippi had 1,868 physical therapists in the state, or one for every 1,575 residents

“The hybrid nature of the program gives students the flexibility to continue working while completing their education. At the same time, they will receive the intensive clinical training they need when they come to campus,” said Clack, adding that students will complete clinicals in or near their home communities.

The planned physical therapy labs, included in MSU-Meridian’s ongoing renovations, will house areas for orthopedic and sports rehabilitation, musculoskeletal care and neurological rehabilitation for patients recovering from stroke or spinal cord injuries.

Professor Alexis Ortiz, the program’s founding director and head, is tasked with creating the curriculum and will lead faculty recruitment and facilitate the accreditation process. Up to 10 faculty positions will be filled, beginning with a director of clinical education, Clack said.

Ortiz said the new program will encompass intense training.

“It’s not for everyone. Students need to be highly responsible and accountable and have good time-management skills,” Ortiz said.

Unlike Mississippi’s two established three-year residential DPT programs, MSU-Meridian’s program is an accelerated, seven-semester program. Students are required to complete 106 credit hours through online learning, on-campus lab work and clinical rotations.

Ortiz said the program’s flexibility makes it attractive to working adults, military personnel and other non-traditional students. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and complete required prerequisite coursework, Clack said. Doctor of Physical Therapy students often have backgrounds in kinesiology, exercise science or biology, but students with degrees in other fields also may apply. Clack said plans to create an early-acceptance program are underway so qualified MSU students have a direct pathway into the program.

For more information about MSU-Meridian’s School of Health Professions, visit www.healthprofessions.msstate.edu.

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