How a new academic partnership will benefit aspiring physical therapists and their future patients

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's higher education institutes are charged with a dual mission: providing optimal learning circumstances for students — and also meeting industry needs in Utah and beyond.

Now a new partnership between two Utah County schools — Utah Valley University and Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions — is being touted as a boon for both Utah students and the health care community.

The two neighboring schools recently announced an articulation agreement enabling eligible UVU students to complete both a bachelor's degree and, subsequently, a doctor of physical therapy degree in an accelerated timeframe.

At first glance, UVU and Rocky Mountain University don't appear to be obvious academic partners.

The state's largest university, UVU is a public, nonprofit school — and the vast majority of its students are undergraduates.

Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain University is a private, for-profit school with approximately 1,700 students who are all pursuing graduate-level degrees and certificates.

But both institutions share a commitment to prepare students to meet the health care industry's evolving, high-demand needs.

Under the articulation agreement, eligible students who complete prescribed pre-professional coursework at UVU with a minimum 3.0 GPA — and meet Rocky Mountain University's admission requirements — may apply to enter Rocky Mountain's physical therapy program one year early.

Participating students' first two semesters of graduate-level coursework at Rocky Mountain University will then count toward completion of their UVU bachelor's degree in health science or exercise science.

Once matriculated into the program, students will pay Rocky Mountain University tuition.

A similar program articulation agreement already exists between Rocky Mountain and Southern Utah University.

Meeting Utah's 'growing health care needs'

The UVU/RMU partnership essentially allows future physical therapists to join the industry a year earlier.

And that's good news for Utah's health care industry. Physical therapist jobs in the state are expected to experience "much faster than average employment growth," according to Utah's Department of Workforce Services.

Physical therapists are in particularly high demand in Utah's rural areas.

"This partnership strengthens our commitment to offering clear, innovative academic routes that help students progress efficiently from undergraduate learning to advanced professional preparation," said UVU Provost Wayne Vaught in a Rocky Mountain release.

"By allowing qualified students to begin graduate‑level DPT (doctor of physical therapy) coursework during their senior year, we are expanding opportunity, reducing time to degree, and preparing more highly skilled professionals who are ready to meet the growing healthcare needs of our community."

Added Rocky Mountain University Provost Malissa Martin: "This partnership with Utah Valley University reflects our shared vision to accelerate student success and prepare practice-ready physical therapists who are equipped to offer compassionate, evidence-based care."

Agreements offer Utah students 'a head start'

Articulation agreements are nothing new in Utah. They're most common among the state's high schools and Utah's colleges and universities — allowing high school coursework to be accepted for college credit.

"Enrolling in high school courses that have been defined by articulation agreements gives students a head start on completing a postsecondary credit and/or noncredit program of study," according to the Utah State Board of Education's website.

The concurrent enrollment master list compiled by the Utah System of Higher Education includes a list of scores of accepted courses from a variety of Utah colleges.

Other Utah schools, such as Utah Tech University, utilize a variety of formal articulation agreements with several postsecondary institutions such as Snow College and Salt Lake Community College — allowing for seamless credit transfers between schools.

UVU/RMU: Building upon health profession partnerships

The recent UVU/RMU articulation agreement for aspiring physical therapists signals a growing union between the institutions.

Two years ago, the two schools signed an agreement to assist UVU students pursuing careers in occupational therapy.

The so-called '3 plus 3 program' allows current UVU students in the bachelor of health sciences degree program to apply to Rocky Mountain University's doctor of occupational therapy program.

If accepted, their first two semesters of graduate occupational therapy study at Rocky Mountain University count toward the upper-division courses for their UVU bachelor's degree.

The program allows participating students to graduate from UVU — and have just two more years to complete Rocky Mountain University's occupational therapy degree.

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