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Mississippi Physical Therapy Continuing Education Requirements

Updated 4/22/2025

How many continuing education hours are required during a reporting period?

Physical therapists licensed in Mississippi must complete thirty (30) hours of continuing competence every two (2) years.

Physical therapy assistants licensed in Mississippi must complete thirty (30) hours of continuing competence every two (2) years.

New Licensee

Individuals applying for initial licensure within a licensing period must accrue continuing competence hours on a prorated scale. Written notification of required hours will be sent to the applicant at the time of licensure.

Can CE credits be carried over into the next reporting period?

Not allowed.

Are there any specific courses that must be taken?

At least twenty-five (25%) percent (7.5 CCU) of the required continuing competence units earned during each licensure period must be directly related to the clinical practice of physical therapy. 

All licensees must take three (3) hours of study in ethics, professionalism, or jurisprudence per licensing period as part of their total CC requirements.

At least fifteen (15) of the thirty (30) required continuing competence units must be from Certified Activities.

Certified Activities

Certified activities are activities that go through a certification process to determine if the activity meets a minimal threshold of required criteria and how well that activity meets additional “desirable” criteria. At least fifteen (15) CCUs are required per licensure period in this category.

  • Conferences and continuing competence activities that meet the Standards of Continuing Competence (SCC) as set forth by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).  Credit is applied as awarded. Certificate of completion is required as evidence of compliance.
  • Conferences and continuing competence activities provided by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Mississippi Physical Therapy Association (MPTA), and other state chapters and sections of APTA. Credit is applied as awarded. Certificate of completion is required as evidence of compliance.
  • Educational programs where continuing competence credit is given and approved by accredited universities.  Credit is applied as awarded. Certificate of completion is required as evidence of compliance.
  • Attendance at educational programs where continuing competence credit is given and approved by the Mississippi State Board of Physical Therapy. 
  • Academic course work taken for credit from a regionally accredited college or university. Courses must be on the graduate level for physical therapists. Undergraduate courses are acceptable for physical therapist assistants.  Credit for eleven (11) CCUs is applied for each semester credit hour passed with a grade of “C” or better. Transcript with grade or completion status required as evidence of compliance.
  • APTA credentialed fellowship or residency. Licensees who are enrolled in a residency or fellowship may be exempt from obtaining the mandatory continuing competence hours while completing the program of study. The required documentation is a letter from the director of residency or fellowship program. 
  • Exams and assessments (includes, but is not limited to, ABPTS certification and recertification, PTA advanced proficiency certification, and FSBPT Practice Review Tool).  Credit for CCUs is applied as awarded with a minimum of fifteen (15) CCUs applied. Certification of completion required as evidence of compliance.

Approved Activities

Approved Activities are activities that are approved but do not go through a formal certification process due to the fact that these activities would be difficult to verify.  Approved activities are assigned a set CCU value as a group, based on the criteria, versus each individual activity being assigned a value.

Limited to 15 CCUs per licensure period.

Activity

Hours

Documentation

Continuing competence courses and conferences not outlined above. 

Credit for ten (10) CCUs is applied for courses containing > thirty-two (32) contact hours. Credit for five (5) CCUs is applied for courses containing 8-31 contact hours. 

Credit for two (2) CCUs is applied for courses containing 1-7 contact hours.

Certificate of completion is required as evidence of compliance.

Residencies and fellowships not outlined above. 

Credit for fifteen (15) CCUs is applied. 

Certificate of successful completion is required as evidence of compliance.

Exams and Assessments not outlined above.

Credit for CCUs is applied as awarded with a maximum of eleven (11) CCUs per exam or assessment. 

Self-study, which may include independent study, or studies directed by a correspondence course, video, internet or satellite program by provider not outlined above. 

One (1) CCU per study topic is applied. 

Record of study objectives, activities, and time spent to meet objectives, as well as reflection on learning achieved are required as evidence of compliance. 

Attendance at in-service education programs pertaining to clinical concepts, safety training, or governmental regulatory training.

One (1) CCU per in-service is applied.

Learning objectives, program schedule, and verification of attendance from employer are required as evidence of compliance. 

Presentations made before physical therapists or other health care professionals and directly related to the profession of physical therapy.

Credit for three (3) CCUs per presentation/topic is applied.

Learning objectives and presentation brochure or flyer are required as evidence of compliance.

Research

Credit for ten (10) CCUs are applied for Principal and Co-Principal Investigators in internally or externally funded research projects. 

Title, abstract, funding agency, and grant period are required as evidence of compliance.

Professional Publications

Credit for eight (8) CCUs is applied for each peer-reviewed publication.  Credit for four (4) CCUs is applied for each non-peer reviewed publication. 

Copy of article, book chapter, or other work product is required as evidence of compliance.

Clinical Instructorship

Credit for one (1) CCU is applied for each forty (40) hours of clinical supervision with the same student. 

A maximum of three (3) CCUs per clinical rotation for a total of six (6) CCUs per licensure period is allowed. Students must be enrolled in CAPTE accredited or eligible DPT or PTA program. 

Verification of the clinical supervision agreement with the student’s educational program and a log reporting supervision hours is required as evidence of compliance. A certificate of completion from the educational program may also be used as evidence of compliance.

Board and Committee Work

Credit for five (5) CCUs is applied for assignments requiring time commitment of > 33 hours/year.  Credit for three (3) CCUs is applied for assignments requiring time commitment of 16-33 hours/year. 

Organizational materials listing participation, responsibilities, and activities as well as written verification of time spent in activity is required as evidence of compliance.

Structured Interactive Study (i.e. group study, journal club).  

Credit for three (3) CCUs per study group is applied per licensure period. 

Group attendance records reporting time spent, study group goals, and reflection on goal attainment and learning are required as evidence of compliance.

Formal Mentorship (as mentor or as protégé). 

Credit for five (5) CCUs is applied per licensure period. 

Objectives and action plans, as well as documentation of activities and contact hours are required as evidence of compliance. 

Courses Not Allowed

Unacceptable activities include: 

    • Staff meetings 
    • Presentations or publications directed at lay groups
    • Orientation to specific work-site programs dealing with organizational structures, processes, or procedures. 
    • Entertainment or recreational meetings or activities. 
    • Self-directed studies other than those previously outlined.
    • Credit for repetitions of an activity more than once in a licensure period
    • Routine teaching or research duties as part of a job requirement.
    • CCUs carried over from one licensure period to another. 

What are the reporting requirements?

Licensees renewing from and after July 1, 2016 must record and report compliance with continuing competence activities through the free online aPTitude program of the FSBPT. 

https://pt.fsbpt.net/aPTitude

How long must continuing education records be retained?

Licensees shall retain evidence of compliance with continuing competence requirements for the preceding licensure period.

Waiver

CCUs required for renewal of license may be waived or extended by the Board if there is a gubernatorial declared emergency.

Audit

In each licensure period the Board shall randomly select licensees for audit of evidence of       compliance with continuing competence activities.

References

Miss. Code R. § 3103 Chapter 5

About Me

Zachary Edgar JD, LLM is the managing partner for Therapy Comply.  Zachary is a healthcare attorney that specializes in federal and state healthcare regulatory issues particularly for physical, occupational, and speech therapy practices.  

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