Degree Offered
PhD
Program Description
The Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree in physical rehabilitation science. The concentration area is neuromotor control and rehabilitation. Related cognate or complementary areas are usually one of the following: applied physiology, cognitive motor neuroscience, epidemiology, human-centered computing, rehabilitation biomechanics, or rehabilitation engineering. Note that some of these courses are not available on the UMB campus but require travel to the University of Maryland, College Park or the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
A combined Doctor of Physical Therapy/Doctor of Philosophy (DPT/PhD) option also is offered and should be discussed with the PhD and a DPT program director before making a formal application. This option can be applied for only after an individual is accepted into the DPT program.
Research Areas
The nationally and internationally recognized interdepartmental faculty includes 34 PhDs, nine MDs, and nine PTs. Major research interests include balance stability and falls in older adults, motor control and rehabilitation after stroke and in people with Parkinson’s disease, neuroplasticity, and technologies including neuroimaging and rehabilitation robotics. A variety of contemporary and innovative approaches is used to understand the neuromotor, physiological, biomechanical, and behavioral bases of movement problems that lead to dysfunction and disability, and to develop rehabilitation approaches for maximizing movement function and promoting independence. Studies employ three- dimensional motion analysis and kinetic and electromyographic (EMG) recording techniques to evaluate localized and whole- body movements. Other methodologies may include functional/ structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroencephalographic (EEG) recording, computed tomography (CT), acoustic startle, peripheral nerve and muscle stimulation, and clinical testing. Robotics applications are employed to study and rehabilitate upper and lower limb movement problems and to test and train balance and gait disorders.
The program combines faculty, physical, and financial resources from several departments within the School of Medicine and the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center and from related graduate programs within the University System of Maryland. The program trains researchers so they may advance the field of physical rehabilitation and ultimately improve the lives of people with functional deficits and disability. Individual courses of study serve the interests and educational needs of the student and the principal faculty advisor. The program educates students with the systemic biological, physical, and behavioral sciences and conceptual models of current biomedical thought, and trains them in the application of pertinent disciplines to the field of rehabilitation. Graduates of the program can find careers in academia, research, and industry.
Program Admission
Beyond the Graduate School’s minimum admission requirements, applicants must hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a health- or rehabilitation-related discipline or a related biological science. Experience in rehabilitation is preferred but not essential. Potential candidates should contact a potential advisor before applying to the program. Three letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a written statement of interests and career goals are required of all applicants. Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores are preferred for applicants without a doctor of physical or occupational therapy degree. All international students must meet the Graduate School’s requirements for scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language or the International English Language Testing System exam. Other selection criteria may be used independently by specific advisors. All application materials must be received by Dec 15 if seeking a graduate assistantship for fall semester start date. Otherwise, applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. The program encourages the application of women and candidates from racial and ethnic minorities under- represented in the sciences. For more information, visit http://lifesciences.umaryland.edu/rehabscience/.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete at least 60 credits of supervised work beyond the bachelor’s degree to receive the doctoral degree in physical rehabilitation science. The 60 credits must include a minimum of 10 credits of interdisciplinary science foundation, 12 credits of tools, 22 credits of concentration/cognate, 12 credits of doctoral dissertation research, and 4 credits that can be distributed in any area. The program may waive some credit requirements if there is evidence that an accredited graduate school or program verifies academic competency in pertinent coursework. The advisor and program administration must approve the waiving of credit requirements. Other requirements include passing the (a) plan of study meeting (typically at the end of the first year), (b) written and oral comprehensive exams (typically at the end of the second year); and (c) the dissertation proposal (six months after passing the comprehensive exams). At this stage, the student advances to candidacy for the PhD degree, ideally during the third year. Once candidacy has been achieved, the student’s primary focus is on dissertation research, with progress monitored and advice on executing the research program provided by the dissertation committee. The doctoral dissertation must be an original scientific and scholarly work consisting of at least two empirical papers of publishable quality, completed according to Graduate School guidelines and program policies.
Students pursuing the doctoral degree in physical rehabilitation science participate in research throughout their studies. They are expected to demonstrate continuous evidence of scholarship through an average of three presentations a year and at least two submitted papers before the dissertation. Graduate research and teaching assistantships may be available to highly qualified applicants. Progress monitoring and academic/research planning are provided on an annual basis by the student’s advisory committee and through ongoing interactions with the primary advisor.
Required Courses (Credits)
Please see our
PhD Curriculum Page.