UNLV's physical therapy program was granted initial accreditation this week by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.

The accreditation means that when the program graduates its first students next month, they will be eligible to take state licensing exams, said Harvey Wallmann, director of the UNLV program.

The program, which is the only physical therapy program in Nevada, admitted its first students in the fall of 1998. It offers a master of science degree.

"This is a major step forward for us," Wallmann said. "I give a great deal of credit to our students because they put considerable faith in our faculty, our university, and the system.

"The university administration also deserves credit. They have been supportive of the program all along the way -- from Dean Carolyn Sabo to President Carol Harter."

Sabo, dean of the College of Health Sciences, said, "News of the accreditation is excellent news not just for those of us at UNLV, but for the citizens of Nevada as well. Our program will help provide physical therapists for rural and underserved areas throughout the state."

UNLV Provost Ray Alden said that the accreditation is a tribute to the strength of the university's program. "The requirements for accreditation are rigorous. The fact that our program has been accredited is a testament to the high quality of the students, the faculty, and thecurriculum," Alden said.