令人兴奋的发展, OBU recently revealed plans to introduce four groundbreaking hybrid accelerated graduate degree programs in 健康care.
Pending accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission, these programs will include Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), 职业治疗医生(OTD), Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology (MS-SLP), and Master of Science in Physician Associate Studies (MS-PAS). Through a revolutionary approach to 健康care education, OBU is poised to offer students the opportunity to complete these programs in just two years or less.
The unique feature of these programs lies in their hybrid and accelerated education model, designed to make them accessible to aspiring 健康care professionals across Oklahoma and the entire nation. The majority of coursework will be delivered online, supplemented by hands-on lab immersion experiences on the OBU campus. 此外, each program will incorporate clinical and capstone requirements, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for the real-world challenges they’ll face in their careers. This accelerated hybrid model is geared toward launching graduates seamlessly into clinical practice and post-professional education programs.
The pressing need for 健康care professionals is widely acknowledged, and OBU’s partnership with Evidence in Motion (EIM), 领先的学习解决方案公司, 试图解决这个问题. The demand for 健康care graduates has reached critical levels, and these new programs are a testament to OBU’s commitment to meeting the needs of both local communities and the nation as a whole.
Dr. 希斯一个. 托马斯。, OBU总裁, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership with EIM, 声明, “在酸, 我们专注于提供设备齐全, faith-forward professionals to meet the needs of our communities. 有了这些学位, we will be able to help our communities meet severe 健康care needs and address employee shortages we are experiencing in Oklahoma and throughout the nation.”
This partnership marks EIM’s ninth nationwide collaboration and its first university partnership in Oklahoma.
“It is important to forge partnerships that share our common vision and make an impact on our world,普拉迪普·坎德尔瓦尔说, EIM首席执行官. OBU正是这种类型的合作伙伴, and it is a great feeling to welcome them to our innovative circle of existing universities, and we know that we will be offering meaningful value to their long-term goals for success.”
Each program will undergo programmatic and HLC accreditation. 等待批准, the OTD program is expected to commence in January 2026, 申请将于2025年初开放. The MS-SLP program is slated for a fall 2026 launch, followed by MS-PAS in early 2027 and DPT in fall 2027.
Dr. Larinee丹尼斯, 联合教务长兼商学院院长, 健康, 科学, 以及OBU的教育, emphasized the benefits of the accelerated hybrid model, 声明, “This model in graduate 健康care helps students reach their professional goals more quickly while training them with excellence in the field. OBU is excited to pursue this option for tomorrow’s future shapers in the allied 健康 industry.”
Each of these programs has a specific timeline. 物理治疗, 职业治疗, and physician assistant programs will each span two years (six semesters), while the speech-language pathology program will cover 1.3年(四个学期).
The outlook for graduates of these programs is incredibly promising. 根据美国的数据.美国劳工统计局, the demand for physical therapists is projected to grow by 15 percent, 结果需要37个,到2032年新增300个职位. Occupational therapists are also in high demand, 增长率为17%，23%,预计将有000个新职位空缺. Physician assistants are experiencing even greater demand, with a projected growth of 31 percent and 40,000个新工作机会. 最后, the field of speech-language pathology is set to grow by 29 percent, 创造了45的需求,000名新专业人士.
Taking a closer look at the regional context, 特别是在美国南部, 包括俄克拉荷马州, it becomes evident that there is a significant gap in meeting the demand for speech-language pathologists and physical therapists. 在这个地区, only 70 percent of the demand for speech-language pathologists is being met, and only 81 percent of the demand for physical therapists is being achieved.
The announcement to launch these four hybrid accelerated graduate 健康care programs is a momentous step toward addressing the critical shortage of 健康care professionals.
As the demand for 健康care professionals continues to rise, OBU is stepping up to meet this challenge head-on, shaping a brighter future for both its students and the 健康care industry as a whole.
“通过这种合作关系, OBU is leading important 健康care and educational transformation not only in their region, 但在全国范围内,Khandelwal说.
这些创新项目, which combine online education with hands-on experience, are poised to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their 健康care careers. OBU’s commitment to faith-forward education and community service shines brightly through this initiative, and the impact is sure to be felt not only in Oklahoma but across the entire nation. For more information and updates, visit whiest.com/programs/健康-科学s.