The entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilition Sciences (SHRS) is ranked one of the first in the nation according to the latest surveys of the 2024 Best Health Schools published by U.S. News & World Report.
SHRS graduate programs that rank among the top ten “health schools” include:
- Occupational Therapy: #1
- Speech-Language Pathology: #5
- Audiology: #6
- Physical Therapy: #8
This is the first time Pitt Occupational Therapy has ranked first in the U.S. News listing, moving up from third in the last assessment in 2020.
“The strength of our department is reflected in the strength of our people. Our predecessors were truly innovative. They enabled our current students, faculty and staff to be as excellent as they are,” expresses Juleen Rodakowski, associate professor and chair, Occupational Therapy. “As we look forward, we intend to continue to be part of the rich fabric of occupational therapy.”
The entry-level Doctor of Audiology (AuD) program also moved up in rankings, from seventh to sixth place. It is housed within SHRS’ Department of Communication Science and Disorders, along with the fifth-ranked Speech-Language Pathology (MA/MS) program. Professor and Department Chair Catherine Palmer states, “The exceptional collaborative educational, research and service culture created by the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and community partners create the ideal setting for educating future health care professionals.”
Pitt’s Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program is only one of two programs ranked among the top ten with a hybrid option. Physical Therapy Department Chair James Irrgang says, “As one of the oldest physical therapy education programs in the nation, we are encouraged to continually be ranked among the top ten programs in the country. We’ve made numerous changes to the program over the last few years to increase diversity in the student body and enhance the value and accessibility of a Pitt PT education, including shortening the program to cut down on the cost of attendance and offering a hybrid option.”
Rodakowski adds, “We are very fortunate to be in a university and school that support us to create curricula that reflects best practices, generate research that advances client care, and partner with our local and professional communities.”
These recent results mark over a decade of SHRS’ Audiology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology programs ranking among the top ten in the nation. No other schools in the state of Pennsylvania outrank those in SHRS.
About the Rankings:
The U.S. News and World Report rankings are based on peer assessments of professional graduate schools who share accrediting bodies. The results are based on survey respondents rating “peer programs on a 1-5 scale of academic quality, and rankings were determined by the average of ratings each program received.”
The latest U.S. News and World Report rankings of Best Health Schools were published on April 9, 2024.
About SHRS:
Established in 1969 as the School of Health Related Professions, SHRS currently has the fourth largest enrollment on the University’s campus, with more than 1,800 undergraduate and graduate students in its residential, online and hybrid programs. In 2023, SHRS had research expenditures of more than $29 million.