APU Receives $3 Million Gift to Fund Physical Therapy Expansion

Azusa Pacific University alumni, Steve and Susie Perry, through their Sacred Harvest Foundation, recently awarded Azusa Pacific University $3 million to help fund the expansion of its Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, including a new facility on West Campus, located at 701 E. Foothill Blvd., in Azusa, to be completed by January 2019. This expansion will enable the university to increase enrollment and provide an enhanced clinical and academic experience for students in one of the university’s fastest growing programs.

“Through this generous donation, Azusa Pacific University will expand its physical therapy program and graduate more physical therapists who are guided by Christian principles and ethical values” said Jon R. Wallace, DBA, president of Azusa Pacific University. “With a focus on service and critical thinking, APU produces physical therapists who practice excellence in patient care and are dedicated to the optimization of human health and function.”

The expansion of the existing DPT facility will enable enrollment to increase from 48 students to 74 students per cohort and entails the construction of a second story with additional faculty and staff offices, labs, lecture rooms, and another set of restrooms. A current lab space will be converted into a sports optimization research room. The renovation also includes a common room for students, lockers to store equipment, and a lunch area.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for physical therapists is expected to increase by 36 percent through the year 2022. In California, the annual mean wage for a physical therapist is approximately $96,000. Currently, APU’s DPT students experience a 97 percent graduation rate, and its DPT graduates benefit from a 100 percent first-time past rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam and 100 percent employment in their field.

Housed in the School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences, Azusa Pacific University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program is a 36-month (including summers), entry-level professional program emphasizing the scientific basis of human structure and human movement, the spiritual basis of human worth, and the integration of these foundational elements into a comprehensive and problem-solving, evidence- and consensus-based approach to artful evaluation and skillful treatment.