Growth and Change
Academic offerings over the years have changed in response to the health care environment. Some programs have closed – social work, dietetics, clinical investigation, and medical imaging – while several new ones have been created.
Students were first admitted to the Graduate Program in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 1991 and to the entry-level physical therapy program in 1995. The Doctor of Physical Therapy in 1999, when the first online courses were also offered.
The MGH Institute celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2002 with the dedication of the Catherine Filene Shouse Building, its new home in the Charlestown Navy Yard.
In 2007, the school created one of the country's first four accredited Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs. The next year, the Institute inaugurated an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree to meet the demand of filling more than 100,000 nursing vacancies nationwide.
In 2009, the Graduate Program in Nursing became the MGH Institute School of Nursing, and the Communication Sciences and Disorders and Physical Therapy programs became departments and were organized into a School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
In 2011, the Institute launched the Center for Interprofessional Studies and Innovation. In 2012, the Institute launched an interdisciplinary PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences program, and an interprofessional Master of Science in Health Professions Education, both of which began in fall 2012.
In 2013, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved an entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy, the first entry-level OTD degree in New England. The first cohort of students in the program, which is part of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, began in 2014.
Also in 2013, the school received provisional approval for a Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, which is scheduled to begin in May 2015.
The MGH Institute has close to 5,400 alumni worldwide.