Template Image
Program Description
The Rehabilitation Science Ph.D. includes 90 semester credits of study at the doctoral level beyond the bachelor's degree. Up to thirty approved credit hours may be transferred in from one's Master's degree from another institution, except practice oriented courses, and courses completed more than seven years ago do not qualify. Most entry level professional masters program courses do not qualify for transfer, except those that are research or theory base. It is anticipated that a student's period of study will extend a minimum of three years beyond the master's degree. The following summary divides the curriculum into three specific areas: Specialty Course Work, Rehabilitation Science Application, and Research Application.
It is possible to petition for coursework taken more than 7 years ago. You must meet with your primary advisor or chair of your supervisory committee to review your previous coursework. You may be asked to provide syllabi, books, and papers from these courses. Your advisor will make a recommendation to the RSD Steering Committee, and if they approve the request, the Director of the Ph.D. program will petition the Graduate School. The final decision rests with the Graduate School.
The curriculum includes 50 credits of specialty courses in one of 3 concentration areas: Movement Science, Communication and Swallowing Science, and Disability Science.
The typical path of an RSD student:
I. CORE I: REHABILITATION RESEARCH - 15 credits
Prepares rehabilitation professionals to conduct and disseminate research
II. CORE II: REHABILITATION SCIENCE APPLICATION &TEACHING - 10 credits
Current topics shaping the field will be covered, including trends in health care systems, managed care, issues in clinical supervision, ethics and professional practice, and rehabilitation outcomes assessment. Course work to address the entry-level teaching objectives is also part of this core.
III. SPECIALTY COURSE WORK & ADVANCED RESEARCH - 50 credits
Major Emphasis of
coursework in
Movement Science,
Communication and Swallowing Science,
and
Disability Science- 18
credits
Additional electives relevant to the student's career
goals - 32 credits
IV. DISSERTATION - 15 credits
All doctoral candidates are required to prepare and present a dissertation that shows independent investigation and is acceptable in form and content to the supervisory committee and to the Graduate School. An oral defense must be satisfactorily completed before the student's supervisory committee. The student must provide a copy of their dissertation to Dr. William Mann, Ph.D., Program Director along with the scheduled date and time information of oral defense for announcement. Refer to the 2007-2008 Graduate School on-line catalog http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/students/catalog.html page 62, for preparation of the dissertation. Additional assistance in preparing your dissertation (formatting, deadlines, forms, etc.) can be found at the Graduate School Editorial Office website: http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/editorial/introduction.html. See the link to the Guide for Preparing Thesis and Dissertations. Students must take a minimum of 3 dissertation credits in their final semester of study.