When FGCU was founded in the early 1990s, Health Professions education was identified as a cornerstone of the new university's initial academic master plan. Founded in 1996, the Department of Physical Therapy was created with a dedication to innovation in the areas of PT curriculum and teaching methodologies. When its first class of Physical Therapy Students in 2001, that early vision of innovation proved to be an unqualified success. Since then, the department has expanded beyond its initial offering of Physical Therapy into the areas of Human Performance and Athletic Training.

In keeping with the Department's mission, there is continued growth in the form of electives in fitness and physical activity that are open to any student at FGCU.