Preaccreditation Status Definitions

Program Director Hired
Programs are placed on the Developing Program list when the Department of Accreditation is officially notified that a Program Director has been hired. These programs are in the early stages of development; no students have been admitted to the technical (PTA) or professional (PT) phase.

Application for Candidacy Submitted
These programs are in varying degrees of development. They have begun the process toward accreditation by submitting an Application for Candidacy. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education has not yet granted Candidate for Accreditation status to these programs. No students have been admitted to the technical (PTA) or professional (PT) phase of the program.

Candidate for Accreditation
These programs have been granted Candidate for Accreditation status by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. Candidacy status indicates that a program is making satisfactory progress toward compliance with accreditation criteria, but it does not ensure that a program will achieve accreditation. They have admitted at least one class of students.

Accreditation Status Definitions

Accreditation
A program is granted accreditation when CAPTE has determined that the program is in substantial compliance with the intent of the Standards and Required Elements.

Probationary Accreditation
A program is granted probationary accreditation when CAPTE has determined that the program is out of compliance with the Standards and Required Elements such that the quality of the program is at risk. Probationary accreditation may also be granted when the program fails to address citations in a timely manner, when the sponsoring institution has been placed on probation by its institutional accreditor, or when the state regulatory agency has withdrawn the institution's or program's legal authority to provide post-secondary education.

In all cases, probationary accreditation means that the program's accreditation is in jeopardy and that if the identified problems are not corrected in a timely manner accreditation will be withdrawn.

Withdrawn
A program may have its accreditation withdrawn for two primary reasons:

• the institution has chosen to close the program;
• CAPTE has determined that the program does not meet the Standards and Required Elements. In either case, the master list of accredited programs will indicate when the last class of students graduated.

CAPTE Action Definitions

Administrative Probation
Administrative Probation is assigned when a program has failed to meet the administrative requirements of accreditation (e.g., not submitting reports or paying fees on a timely basis).

Defer Action
Defer Action is used when CAPTE judges that it has insufficient information to determine the accreditation status or that an unstable situation exists and resolution is in process that is likely to occur by the next regularly scheduled meeting of CAPTE. When defer action is used, CAPTE will take an action at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The program's accreditation status remains unchanged until action is taken at the next meeting.

Warning
Warning is used only with previously accredited, established programs and should be considered an indication of impending probationary accreditation if evidence of improvement is not submitted by the institution prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting of CAPTE. Warning remains in effect until the next regularly scheduled meeting of CAPTE at which time CAPTE will act on the information provided to it. Warning may be taken when CAPTE judges that there is clear evidence of circumstances that may jeopardize the capability of the sponsoring institution to provide acceptable educational experiences. The program's accreditation status remains unchanged until action is taken at the next meeting.

Show Cause
Show cause is used when a program's current status is probationary accreditation and should be considered a warning of impending Withdrawal of accreditation if evidence of improvement is not submitted by the institution prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting of CAPTE. Show cause may be taken when CAPTE judges that there is clear evidence of unremediated circumstances that jeopardize the capability of the sponsoring institution to provide acceptable educational experiences. The program's probationary accreditation status remains unchanged until action is taken at the next meeting.

Focused Visit
A Focused Visit is scheduled when CAPTE determines that it is necessary to gather additional information to assist CAPTE in making an appropriate decision about the quality of an educational program.