Doctor of Physical Therapy-Oregon
Welcome
At WesternU Oregon, your education goes beyond the classroom. You’ll develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to succeed on your licensure exam and enter practice as a capable, compassionate clinician. As a graduate, you will be well prepared to meet the growing and evolving role of physical therapists in today’s healthcare landscape.
Students are at the heart of everything we do. Our faculty are deeply committed to creating a supportive, inclusive learning environment where every student feels seen, heard, and valued. Through personalized mentorship, accessible instructors, and an emphasis on collaborative learning, we ensure students have the guidance, resources, and encouragement they need to thrive. From day one through graduation, our program is designed to empower students as individuals. We celebrate their strengths, nurture their growth, and prepare them to become confident, compassionate physical therapists.
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Learn about our Practical Applications Lab (PALs)
WesternU Oregon DPTE Vision Statement
We provide a deeply student-centered educational experience distinguished by:
- Personalized mentorship and accessible faculty support, fostering a learning environment where every student is empowered to grow, thrive, and feel valued
- Early and frequent clinical exposure through our on-campus Practical Applications Lab (PALs) that offers real-world, hands-on learning while serving our local community
- A strong emphasis on developing adaptable, lifelong learners, prepared to excel in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape
- A humanistic, person-centered approach that prioritizes empathy, respect, and meaningful patient relationships
- Small class and lab sizes, ensuring individualized attention through a high faculty-to-student ratio
- A centralized Oregon location near the I-5 corridor that offers vibrant cultural and recreational experiences
- Student-selected electives exploring specialized practice areas and advanced clinical techniques
- A collaborative and supportive learning culture, grounded in mutual respect among faculty and students
- Comprehensive student support services, including dedicated tutoring resources
- Expert instructors and lab assistants, including faculty and practicing clinicians with deep subject-matter expertise
- A diverse and engaged student body, enriched by clubs, volunteer initiatives, and community service opportunities
- A small, private, health-focused graduate institution that encourages interprofessional education and collaboration
- Highly sought-after graduates who remain actively connected to the University throughout their careers
- We educate culturally competent, service-oriented, reflective students who are committed to leadership, life-long learning, scientific inquiry, and critical thinking.
- We engage in scholarly activities that contribute to the professional body of knowledge and are integrated into our curriculum.
- We engage in service activities within our professional organizations, institution, and local community.
- We strive to maintain clinical excellence in contemporary practice as demonstrated by serving as clinicians and consultants in our communities.
- We embrace innovation and collaboration in education, clinical practice concepts, scholarship, and healthcare.
- We are focused on the total student experience by providing authentic learning opportunities and curricula optimized to the learners of today
- We promote humanistic values of caring, respect, empathy, and trust through intentional interactions across diverse cultural groups and among healthcare professionals.
- We endeavor to cultivate a diversity of graduates united as experts in optimizing movement that transform lives across the lifespan.
Western University of Health Sciences has approval from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to certify students eligible to receive VA educational benefits. The School Certifying Officials, located on the California campus, assist all students from our California and Oregon campuses who receive VA educational benefits. We cannot assist you with determining your eligibility for benefits.
The DPT-OR program is currently unable to accept international students, but are in the process of seeking approval and look forward to inviting international students to apply in the future.
International Student Services (ISS) is responsible for providing support and assistance in immigration advising, maintaining immigration status, maintaining information and documents on foreign students and their dependents in the Student and exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), staying current with rules and regulations and interpreting and applying the rules and regulations set forth by the Department of Homeland Security.
Take a look at our visit options and consider attending an upcoming event. If you’d like to discuss specifics with an advisor, schedule an advising appointment, online, on campus, or over the phone. When you request additional information we’ll make sure you receive program updates and deadline reminders.
Accreditation
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the Department of Physical Therapy Education at Western University of Health Sciences – Oregon campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alecandria, 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 541-259-0470 or email dpteoregon@westernu.edu.
CAPTE has a mechanism to consider formal complaints about physical therapy education programs that allege a program is not in compliance with one or more of CAPTE’s Evaluative Criteria or has violated any of CAPTE’s expectations related to academic integrity. In reviewing and acting on a complaint, CAPTE cannot and does not function as an arbiter between the complaint and the institution. Should CAPTE find that a complaint has merit and that the program is out of compliance with the Evaluative Criteria or the integrity statement(s), CAPTE can only require the program to come into compliance with the Evaluative Criteria. CAPTE cannot force a program into any specific resolution of the situation that resulted in the complaint. Students or other interested parties may file a formal complaint about a PT program with CAPTE at any time. To obtain the materials necessary for submitting a complaint, contact the APTA Accreditation Department at (703) 706-3245 or at accreditation@apta.org.
Complaints Which Fall Outside The Realm of Due Process
Any stakeholder of Western University of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy Education – Oregon has the right to file a complaint and receive due process. Current students, prospective students, faculty, and staff should follow the established University policies available to these constituents. All other stakeholders, including, but not limited to employers of graduates, clinical education sites, and the public, may file a complaint under this policy. Complaints may be related to program policies, procedures, or other aspects of the program, including working with faculty and staff. Western University of Health Sciences prohibits any form of retaliation against any party making a complaint against the school or program, its faculty, or its students.
Procedure:
Complaints should be submitted in writing (mailed or emailed) and must be filed within one year of the event(s) in question. The written complaint must contain, at a minimum, the complainant’s name and signature, contact information, the date of submission, and a summary of the complaint. Anonymous complaints and phone calls will not be accepted.
A written complaint must be mailed or emailed to the Department chair/Program Director:
Sandra Saavedra PT PhD MS
Department of Physical Therapy Education – Oregon
College of Health Sciences Northwest
Western University of Health Sciences
2665 S. Santiam Hwy, Lebanon, OR 97355
ssaavedra@westernu.edu
Office: (541) 259-0476
Complaints about the Program Director/ Department Chair should be mailed to:
Jonathan Perry PhD MSc
Site Dean – College of Health Sciences Northwest
Western University of Health Sciences
2665 S. Santiam Hwy, Lebanon, OR 97355
jperry@westernu.edu
Office: (541) 259-0478
The department chair (or site dean) or her/his designee will initially respond to the complainant within three weeks of receiving the complaint. The department takes all program-related complaints seriously. If possible, the matter will be reconciled at this point.
If the complainant believes that additional review is necessary, the site dean will review the complaint and address it. If further review is needed, then the last line of complaint is with the Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Paula M. Crone, DO
Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Western University of Health Sciences
309 E. Second Street, Pomona, CA 91766
200 Mullins Drive, Lebanon, OR 97355
Office: (909) 469-5563
pcrone@westernu.edu
The complaint and documentation associated with the complaint will be kept in a locked file in the department chair’s office (or site dean’s office for a complaint against the department chair chairperson) for 5 years.