Rehabilitation Science

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program will need to complete all courses in the program of study, successfully complete a qualifying examination, and a written and oral dissertation defense. These required credit hours are taken from five different core areas listed below. Specific coursework will be determined by the student’s advisory committee, with any changes or modifications subject to approval from the student’s supervisory committee.

Students advancing in the program sit for the Qualifying Examination after completing a minimum of 3 semesters of course work (minimum 24 credit hours). The Qualifying Examination consists of two parts, a written examination covering the student’s chosen area of emphasis, and an oral examination involving a defense of the student’s written dissertation proposal.

After passing the qualifying examination students finish their dissertation research. Completion of the dissertation consists of two parts, a written dissertation submitted to the Department and University and an oral dissertation defense.

Students are required to earn a grade of “B-” or higher in a core course in order to have that course apply towards the credit requirements for graduation. If a grade of “C+” or lower is received, that grade cannot be included on the candidacy form and the course must be repeated. All non-core courses must be passed according to University policy (C- or better).