Mission and vision

Vision statement

We develop physical therapy practitioners who are professional leaders in the autonomous delivery of quality health care.

Mission statement

The mission of the physical therapy Program at Northern Arizona University is to graduate clinically and culturally competent physical therapists with a foundation in natural, behavioral, applied, and health sciences, coupled to the art and science of physical therapy, who can evaluate and manage individuals across the lifespan and who are committed to life-long learning, professional self-development, and clinical inquiry.

Program goals and expected outcomes

• Graduates of the Program will be actively involved in the profession of physical therapy to improve public access and knowledge of the profession as well as improve patient care.
• Graduates of the Program will be ethical, competent and caring physical therapy practitioners.
• Faculty and graduates of the Program will be leaders in the profession at the local, state and national or international level.
• Faculty and graduates of the Program will incorporate evidence-based principles throughout the curriculum.
• The Program will utilize high quality clinical education sites to augment the didactic portion of the curriculum and to provide students with professional mentorship and socialization.
• The Program will provide a learning environment that supports a student-centered approach, maximizes student performance, fosters independence, lifelong learning and be able to critically think, integrate information from various sources and therefore solve clinical problems.
• The Program will assist community and university efforts to support the underserved populations of the American Southwest.