The Institute for Physical Therapy Education is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) to offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree as the entry-level preparation for physical therapy practice. The Institute gained its initial accreditation in 1996, offering a Master of Science in Physical Therapy Education. In 2000, the Commission granted approval for the Institute to offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and the first students received their DPT degrees in May of 2003. At that time, Widener was among the first ten programs nationwide to offer the DPT. Today more than 95% of all programs offer the DPT and it has become the preferred entry-point into physical therapy practice. The Institute had its last on-site visit in October 2005 and was granted a full ten year accreditation by CAPTE. The Institute’s next visit will occur in 2015.