Rehabilitation Counseling (PhD)
Mission and Scope
The Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling is a 66-hour degree program designed to meet the critical shortage of rehabilitation educators, administrators, and qualified rehabilitation counselors across the nation. The program is designed to provide students with a didactic learning experience combining theory and applied practice in advanced rehabilitation counseling. Students will acquire skills in conducting research and publication, teaching in-class and online, grant writing and grant management, and select from a variety of specialized advanced electives in rehabilitation counseling. The capstone experience in the Ph.D. will be to conduct original research by completing and successfully defending a dissertation.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the doctoral program in rehabilitation counseling, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- Earned master’s degree from an accredited institution in a field related to rehabilitation counseling with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.25
- GRE general test
- Three letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Documentation of two years of professional experience with people with disabilities
- Personal interview
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
All applications are reviewed by the Department of Rehabilitation’s graduate faculty. Deadline for application each year is March 31, and incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Successful applicants will be notified by late April.
Foundation Coursework
All students entering the Ph.D. program are required to have a Rehabilitation Counseling foundation. This foundation may be achieved by holding a Masters’ degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from a CORE accredited institution. Students with related degrees will most likely have taken similar coursework that will be equivalent to the required foundation courses. Foundation courses include the following:
Required Courses
| REHS 6300 | Foundations in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| REHS 6310 | Case Management in Rehabilitation | 3 |
| REHS 6315 | Research and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| REHS 6320 | Psychosocial Aspects of Disability | 3 |
| REHS 6325 | Group Counseling in Rehabilitation | 3 |
| REHS 6330 | Assessment and Testing | 3 |
| REHS 6345 | Medical Aspects of Disability | 3 |
| REHS 6350 | Career Development and Job Placement | 3 |
| REHS 6355 | Developmental Lifespan and Disability | 3 |
| REHS 6360 | Counseling Theories in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| REHS 6365 | Multicultural and Social Diversity | 3 |
| REHS 6370 | Techniques in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| REHS 6375 | Psychiatric Rehabilitation | 3 |
| REHS 6390 | Practicum in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling | 3 |
| REHS 6395 | Clinical Practices | 3 |
| REHS 7600 | Internship in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling | 6 |
Students with a related Master's degree will have their prior coursework evaluated to determine the foundation courses that will need to be completed.
Program Requirements
Required Courses (51 Credits)
Free Electives (3 Credits)
Capstone Requirement (12 Credits)
Dissertation
Written Comprehensive Exam
Total Credit Hours: 66
Residency Requirements
Each student must complete a residency as a full-time student consisting of a minimum of two consecutive semesters with a minimum of nine hours in each semester.
Dissertation
The Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling requires students to complete a dissertation. The manual that details University requirements for the format and submission of the dissertation are available at the Graduate College web site http://www.utrgv.edu/graduate/_files/documents/utrgv-dissertation- manual-101716.pdf. The student will also need to follow departmental guidelines for the development and completion of the dissertation.
Maximum Period for Completion
A student has a maximum of 10 years from the date of first entry into doctoral level courses to complete the degree. Under special circumstances, an extension for an additional year may be granted by the students Doctoral Dissertation Committee. If the student exceeds the 10-year limit, the Doctoral Dissertation Committee will determine if the student will be permitted to continue in the program and what additional coursework or activities will be required to complete the degree.
Financial Support and Assistantships
The University has limited funds available exclusively for Ph.D. students. Assistantships are made on a competitive basis. Incoming applicants requesting assistantships from the Department of Rehabilitation should submit their request with their application materials. Academic performance will be reviewed each year to ensure that the student is making satisfactory progress. The chair of the Department of Rehabilitation will make final determination regarding assistantships, and will notify continuing students of the timelines for renewing or applying for assistantships. At a minimum, the student must be in good academic standing, enrolled in nine hours or more as a graduate student during the fall and/or spring semester. The maximum amount of time allowed for assigned teaching and research duties is 20 hours per week. Students should contact UT Rio Grande Valley’s Student Financial Services to determine if other sources of financial aid are available. The Department of Rehabilitation may also have a limited number of competitive scholarships from the Rehabilitation Services Administration. Students are encouraged to contact the Ph.D. Program Coordinator regarding the availability of these scholarships and the payback criteria.