Provo Graduate School Aims to Meet Healthcare Needs

Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions offers dozens of graduate-level health care degrees to train future professionals.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, a private for-profit institution in Provo, Utah, offers a variety of master's and doctoral degrees in healthcare fields such as physical therapy, optometry, nursing, and occupational therapy. The university was founded over 25 years ago to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare industry and prioritizes providing students with a high return on investment through programs focused on in-demand jobs. Despite operating without public funding, the university has maintained high student retention, graduation, and employment rates.

Why it matters

As a private institution without access to public funding, Rocky Mountain University has had to be innovative in its approach to healthcare education, offering programs like online instruction and doctor of physical therapy degrees that were novel at the time. The university's focus on training students for high-demand healthcare jobs and providing an affordable, transparent tuition model highlights its efforts to meet societal needs for skilled medical professionals.

The details

Rocky Mountain University was founded over 25 years ago by a group of retired Navy healthcare professionals and a BYU educator. As a for-profit institution, the university has had to be responsive to market demands, offering programs like doctor of physical therapy and online instruction that were industry novelties at the time. Today, the university offers a variety of master's and doctoral degrees in fields such as medical science, speech-language pathology, nursing, and occupational therapy. Despite operating without public funding, the university has maintained high student retention, graduation, and employment rates, with a 0% student loan default rate. The university also operates six community health clinics that provide care to the public, with services available regardless of insurance status.

  • Rocky Mountain University was founded over 25 years ago.
  • The university is celebrating its over 25-year history in 2026.

The players

Cameron Martin

The president and CEO of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, who has personal experience with the importance of healthcare as a patient.

Richard Nelson

One of the co-founders of Rocky Mountain University, a retired Navy healthcare professional.

Michael Skurja Jr.

One of the co-founders of Rocky Mountain University, a retired Navy healthcare professional.

Larry Hall

One of the co-founders of Rocky Mountain University, a BYU educator and coach.

David Paulson

A doctor of physical therapy who serves as the director of accreditation and assessment at Rocky Mountain University and has a background in the military.

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What they’re saying

“I bring to the table the voice of the patient in the business discussions about what we do and the importance of how we do it. Let's not lose sight of listening to the patient. Let's not lose sight of seeing them.”

— Cameron Martin, President and CEO, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (Deseret News)

“It's great to be able to give back to the profession that I love. I'm still in clinic 2½ days per week, so I get to see patients and bring relevant stories to the classroom.”

— David Paulson, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Rocky Mountain University (Deseret News)

What’s next

Rocky Mountain University is looking to develop more partnerships with undergraduate institutions in the Wasatch Front area, allowing students to complete their first three years at a public university and then transition to Rocky Mountain's graduate programs.

The takeaway

As a private, for-profit institution, Rocky Mountain University has had to be innovative and responsive to market demands in order to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare education. The university's focus on training students for in-demand jobs, maintaining transparent tuition costs, and operating community health clinics demonstrates its commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the healthcare industry and the local community.