Physical Therapy
Welcome
The Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Central Arkansas offers a PhD in Physical Therapy degree, a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, and an accredited Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program. The UCA Department of Physical Therapy began graduating students in 1972 as the first PT Program in the state of Arkansas. As a member of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, (see CHBS video) the Department of Physical Therapy is chaired by Dr. Kevin Garrison, PT, PhD, Chairperson and Associate Professor.
Programs Offered
Dr. Charlotte Yates
2025 Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumnus – Dr. Charlotte Yates
The Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Award (JFDAA) recognizes and honors UCA Physical Therapy alumni for outstanding contributions and impact to the profession or community. The 2025 JFDAA recipient is Dr. Charlotte Yates. She will be recognized at the 2025 DPT Convocation Event at UCA in the Reynolds Performance Hall on Friday, August 8, 2025 at 2:00PM. The public is invited to attend.
Dr. Yates is a Professor in the UCA Department of Physical Therapy. She is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy and has practiced clinically as a pediatric physical therapist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital for more than 25 years. Dr. Yates is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, the University of Central Arkansas, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Within the last decade, she has received the Outstanding Physical Therapist Award from the Arkansas chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, the UCA faculty Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Award, AND the Eleanor Carlin Award for Excellence in Academic Teaching, which is a national award from the American Physical Therapy Association. Dr. Yate’s research has made a significant impact in advancing the field of neurobiology and pediatric physical therapy, particularly in neurodevelopmental science, where she continues to contribute to our understanding of pediatric neurological rehabilitation. Through her tireless dedication to improving patient care, advancing the education of future PTs, contributing to the mission, vision and core values of the UCA Department of Physical Therapy, and leading initiatives to improve the profession and the community, Dr. Yates exemplifies the qualities celebrated by the Joe Finnell Distinguished Alumni Award.
DPT Convocation will be Friday, August 8th
The Department of Physical Therapy will host Convocation for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2025 on Friday, August 8th at 2:00 in the afternoon at Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Family and friends are invited to attend. No tickets are necessary.
Fifty-seven graduates will be honored during the annual Convocation Ceremony. Dr. Mieke Corbitt will be the Keynote Speaker for the Ceremony selected by the class. The DPT 2025 student speaker will be Jacob Luther also selected by the class. Dr. Anne Moellers, President of the DPT Class of 2025 will also speak and the 2025 graduates of the Pediatric Residency Program will be presented.
An Open House at the Physical Therapy Center will be held immediately following.
DPT Program Information
UCA DPT Brochure
Admission and application information regarding the DPT Program are described in the UCA DPT Brochure 2025.
Information about the UCA Doctor of Physical Therapy Program including description, Physical Therapy Centralized Application System (PCAS), student outcomes, estimated cost of program, admission requirements, UCA Early Assurance Program, application, international students, helpful documents and useful links can be found on our DPT Program webpage.
Prospective students can also visit our Pre-Physical Therapy pathway page for information about equivalent course work.
DPT Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Central Arkansas is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100 Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http://www.capteonline.org. If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call (501) 450-3611 or email pt@uca.edu.
 
UCA DPT Financial Fact Sheet
2024-dpt-student-financial-fact-sheet-revised-11.22.2024 This UCA specific financial fact sheet is updated annually and provides specific dollar amounts regarding cost to attend.
UCA DPT Costs
The estimated total cost for the three years of the UCA DPT program is well below the national average for public and private universities. A UCA education is a great value for your investment. Every year, UCA attracts students from contiguous states and across the U.S. and most DPT students can qualify for in-state tuition. The 2025-2026 tuition and fees breakdown can be found at UCA DPT Tuition Information 2025-2026.
Links
APTA Arkansas arpta.org
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
Physical Therapy Application Service (PTCAS)
Arkansas, The Natural State
Conway, The City of Colleges
The University of Central Arkansas
Process for Filing a Complaint about the program. Send an email to pt@uca.edu with subject line: Grievance.
PTC Emergency Procedures
The building emergency plan (PTC Emergency Procedures) is provided at bep-physicaltherapycenter-20232024 and bep-physical-therapy-eps2023-placard. Contact the Department of Physical Therapy directly at (501) 450-3611 or email at pt@uca.edu.