When Elon enrolled its first PT class in 1998, the university offered a master’s degree – the most common degree available at the time. As the medical community endorsed the notion of PTs taking a more substantial role in the direct care of patients, the profession recommended that PT programs raise the bar and begin transitioning into doctoral-level education. Improving the quality of patient care continues to be the driving force behind the DPT. In 2003, Elon debuted a leading-edge DPT program that integrates dynamic classroom instruction with an impressive amount of hands-on clinical opportunities. In partnership with Alamance Regional Medical Center, Elon's Department of Physical Therapy Education was created in 1996. On October 29, 1997, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education of the American Physical Therapy Association granted candidate for accreditation status to the physical therapist education program at Elon. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Elon University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). In its initial review in 2000, the commission found no deficiencies in Elon’s program – a rare occurrence for any accreditation. The commission’s report called Elon’s physical therapy curriculum "unusually well developed" and its students "singularly equipped to join the physical therapy profession."