College of Saint Mary’s DPT Program Receives Accreditation

OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary (CSM) is pleased to announce that its Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program recently received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. “The accreditation solidifies the strength of our program and serves as evidence of our pursuit of academic excellence,” said Dr. Mindy Barna, associate dean for health professions.

CSM launched its hybrid DPT program, which uniquely blends online learning and in-person instruction, in 2019. Classes began in the summer of 2020. The first cohort will graduate in December.

Prior to the pandemic, the DPT education community was resistant to hybrid programs. “Many leaders in physical therapy education, who were my mentors, had reservations about educating students through distance learning models,” said Dr. Kimberly Varnado, director of the physical therapy program. “CSM was an early adapter of the hybrid model without a residential cohort.”

The hybrid and competency-based model is taught by core faculty certified in online instruction. This allows students to study from the comfort of their own homes while attending onsite program sessions throughout the year.

Dr. Varnado said the CSM DPT learning community is excited to receive the initial accreditation status. “I’m honored to have been selected to build the program with this fantastic team,” she said. “I may be biased, but I think we have some exceptional students. Every day, we challenge each other to be the best versions of ourselves. I’m excited about the profession of physical therapy and healthcare because of what I’m seeing and hearing from our students. They care about addressing societal healthcare needs and are equipped and empowered to develop solutions.”

About the Program

• Learn from a hybrid model with core faculty certified in online instruction. This learning approach allows you to study from a location convenient to you and your life circumstances while attending onsite program sessions throughout the year.
• Our DPT faculty consists of more than a dozen scholars and clinicians from around the U.S. All hold doctoral degrees, and several have advanced clinical certifications representing various specialty training areas.
• Apply knowledge and skills learned in academic courses to clinical experiences at one of our many active clinical partner sites across the country in various settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, skilled nursing facilities, home health, schools, and outpatient clinics.
• Students complete two 16-week full-time clinical experiences in medically-complex and community-based settings.
• GRE is not required.
• Begin this program with a bachelor’s degree and receive your Doctor of Physical Therapy in just 2.5 years.