Message from the Dean

Dawndra Sechrist, OTR, Ph.D.

Dean of the School of Health Professions

Welcome to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Health Professions (SHP). Established by the Texas State Legislature in 1981, the School was created to educate health professionals to fill critical shortages in meeting crucial healthcare needs of the people of West Texas. The SHP is one of five schools that constitute TTUHSC’s nationally acclaimed health sciences center.

From its first class of eighteen students in 1983, the School has grown steadily over the past thirty-five years. The School is one of the largest schools of health professions in the nation with campuses in Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, and Odessa. The School now serves over 1,800 students enrolled in twenty-two different degree programs at the doctoral, masters and baccalaureate degree levels. As it continues to prepare health professionals who will meet the evolving healthcare needs of all Texans in the 21st century, the School remains focused on developing and presenting educational programs of the highest quality in a diverse and student-centered learning environment.

Our objective is to offer learning opportunities that exceed nationally recognized standards of technical competence, while simultaneously developing the professional insight and service-oriented compassion that will enable graduates to excel throughout their professional careers. The faculty, students, and alumni of the School of Health Professions represent the very best in the complement of innovation, education, and clinical skills offered in service to the people of Texas and the nation. We are the first choice for health professions education!