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The School of Health Professions and Sciences was established by the Board of Supervisors on April 2, 1970, became operational on July 1, 1970, and, through 1976, operated solely on the New Orleans campus. In 1977, School expanded to a second campus in Shreveport, offering degree programs in Cardiopulmonary Science, Medical Laboratory Science, and Communication Disorders. During the early 1980s, the Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy departments initiated expansion programs in Shreveport, and in 1994 a Physician Assistant program was established. On March 25, 2004, the Louisiana Board of Regents approved the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport’s establishment of School as a unit separate and distinct from New Orleans. In 2006, School began offering the Master of Public Health, a joint degree program with the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport and LSU Shreveport. In 2020, School established the PhD in Rehabilitation Science. In 2023, the Board of Regents approved the Center of Academic Excellence in Patient-Centered Rehabilitation (CAE-PaCeR), housed within School of Health Professions and Sciences, to foster patient-centered rehabilitation within an academic culture of excellence in clinical learning, innovation, and collaboration; CAE-PaCeR’s goals are to teach, heal, and discover through strategic investments in teaching, research, and scholarships to best serve students, patients, faculty, the community, and the State of Louisiana. In 2024, School introduced the Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Technology and a 100% online Degree Advancement Program enabling respiratory therapists with associate degrees to earn the Bachelor of Science in Cardiopulmonary Science. In 2025, the LSU Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Board of Regents approved changing the name from the School of Allied Health Professions to the School of Health Professions and Sciences.
At present, the School comprises three departments: Clinical Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences, and Clinical Services. The Department of Clinical Sciences offers the Bachelor of Science in Cardiopulmonary Science, Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Technology, Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science, and Master of Physician Assistant Studies degrees. The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences offers the Master of Communication Disorders, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Science. The Department of Clinical Services consists of three clinics in which faculty and staff at the School of Health Professions and Sciences provide outpatient care: the Children’s Center, the Faculty Rehabilitation Clinic, and Mollie E. Webb Speech & Hearing Center. In addition, the School offers a Master of Public Health, a joint degree with LSU Shreveport.
All educational programs of the School have been approved by the appropriate State agencies and are fully accredited by the appropriate nationally recognized credentialing bodies.
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