REHABILITATION SERVICES MASTER'S DEGREE

Mission and Objectives

The specific mission of the Master's Program in Rehabilitation Services at Florida State University is to prepare graduate-level students to enter the field of rehabilitation counseling. This mission is achieved through the following objectives:

To provide quality education to persons seeking bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees in Rehabilitation Services.
To provide services to local, state, and national rehabilitation agencies and associations.
To conduct research to promote the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

The desired characteristics of a graduate from this program include:

believing in the uniqueness of each individual and a commitment to individual human values;
being a self-learner in seeking knowledge and refinement of skills, abilities and competencies toward professional excellence;
possessing effective counseling techniques and skills in order to assist individuals to utilize their own resources and their environmental opportunities in the process of self-under-standing, decision making, developmental needs, and vocational and educational activities and independence;
demonstrating awareness of professional ethics and concerns that allow the graduated individual to be respected by clients, peers, and supervisors;
being knowledgeable regarding the process and implications of the world of work and its partnership with the rehabilitation process;
understanding the psychological and physical disciplines involved in the rehabilitation
process; and
understanding how private, state, and federal agencies function; and the roles they play in the rehabilitation of specific clients.

These are the characteristics that must be assessed, modified, supplemented, and/or reinforced during this graduate program. The first two characteristics are generally considered to be inherent qualities and abilities within the individual, although they may be undeveloped. These will be identified and developed to the maximum during the program. The last five characteristics encompass specific knowledge that will be presented and developed throughout this program.

Accreditation

The Florida State University Rehabilitation Services Master's Program was one of the first counseling programs to be accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE). The program has maintained its accreditation status and strives for the highest quality of faculty, students, and curriculum standards.

Admission

University Requirements

For admission to graduate study, Florida State University requires: (1) a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; (2) good standing in the institution last attended; (3) 3.0 on a 4-point scale for the last two years of undergraduate work OR 1,000 on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the general aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); and (4) approval by the department in which concentration is sought. The application for university admission may be obtained from the Office of Graduate Admissions, 2249 University Center, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1009; or by calling (850) 644-3420. The completed application must be returned to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Program Requirements

The requirements for admission to the Rehabilitation Services Program in the Department of Human Services and Studies include: (1) three letters of recommendation regarding academic and personal qualifications; (2) an autobiographical statement including professional goals and objectives; and (3) a current resume. The letters of recommendation, autobiographical statement, and resume must be sent to:

Rehabilitation Program Admissions
Department of Human Services and Studies
215 Stone Building
The Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4458

Students are admitted during Fall and Spring semesters. However, Fall Semester is highly recommended. Both part-time and full-time students are considered. Application deadlines are February 1 for Fall semester and October 1 for Spring semester. Individuals who have complete applications in by the deadline will be given first consideration for admission. When possible, students should be available for a campus interview with the rehabilitation faculty; however, alternatives to the campus interview are available.

Rehabilitation Counseling Curriculum

The master's program is a 60-credit-hour program that takes five semesters of full-time study to complete. The curriculum consists of content areas in counseling and rehabilitation. Specifically, the curriculum is comprised of course work grouped into four core areas: rehabilitation counseling, clinical, research, and elective/specialization. Students with undergraduate degrees in Rehabilitation Services may exempt coursework in both vocational and medical aspects of disability. However, also required will be five hours of additional elective credit hours and a one-hour, directed independent study in medical case abstracts.

Rehabilitation Counseling Core

The Rehabilitation core consists of course work specific to rehabilitation counseling services and disability issues. The Rehabilitation core courses are:

RCS 5410 Principles and Practices of Rehabilitation Counseling
RCS 5930 Special Topic: Advanced Vocational Aspects of Disability
RCS 5320 Placement Methods and Techniques
RCS 5080 Medical Aspects of Disability and Chronic Illness
RCS 5245 Psychosocial and Multicultural Aspects of Disability
RCS 5250 Assessment in Counseling and Rehabilitation
RCS 4930 Special Topic: Case Management in Community Settings
MHS 5400 Introduction to Counseling Theories and Techniques
MHS 5511 Group Counseling

Clinical Core

The clinical core consists of experiential courses designed to integrate theory with the practice of rehabilitation counseling. The clinical core courses are:

MHS 5801 Practicum in Counseling and Rehabilitation
RCS 5825 Internship

Research Core

The research core consists of course work designed to develop skill and knowledge in conducting and utilizing rehabilitation research. The research core courses are:

EDF 5400 Basic Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
MHS 5710 Research in Human Services OR
LEI 5889 Research in Leisure Services

Students who wish to obtain additional research experience are encouraged to take MHS 5915, Supervised Research, under the direction of their major professors.

Electives/Specialization

Within the program's 60 credit hours, there are nine credit hours of elective coursework. Students may use these elective courses to specialize in an area of interest. They may also choose to use these elective courses to complete course requirements, qualifying them to sit for the examination for mental health counselor licensure. Possible areas of specialization include substance abuse, multicultural counseling, gerontology, visual impairments, mental retardation, independent living, community transitions, and career development.

Master of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling

Suggested Sequencing of Courses

Fall 1	Hours
RCS 5410 Principles and Practices of Rehabilitation Counseling	3
MHS 5400 Introduction to Counseling Theories and Techniques	4
RCS 5930 Special Topics: Advanced Vocational Aspects of Disability	3
EDF 5400 Basic Descriptive and Inferential Statistics	4
Spring 1
RCS 5250 Assessment in Counseling and Rehabilitation	3
MHS 5710 Research in Human Services or Elective	3
RCS 5320 Placement Methods and Techniques	3
RCS 5930 Special Topics: Case Management in Community Settings	3
Summer 1
MHS 5511 Group Counseling	3
Electives	6
Fall 2
RCS 5080 Medical Aspects of Rehabilitation¹	3
RCS 5245 Psychosocial and Multicultural Aspects of Disability	3
MHS 5801 Practicum in Counseling and Rehabilitation	4
Elective OR LEI 5889 Research in Leisure Services	3
Spring 2
RCS 5825 Internship	12

Internships

The internship is a 600-clock-hour experience, typically taken during the last semester of the master's program. The internship represents the culmination of graduate training in Rehabilitation Counseling and a final opportunity for supervised experience before the student enters work as a fully functioning professional.

The agencies cooperating with the Rehabilitation Services Program have been identified as settings which are integrally involved in the rehabilitation process and therefore can offer the student an invaluable opportunity of reality testing and professional/personal growth.

Program faculty members or qualified individuals working in cooperation with program faculty members will provide each intern with a minimum of one (1) hour of individual supervision per week.

[1] Students who successfully completed this course as an undergraduate will substitute a 1-hour DIS in Medical Case Abstracts and 2 hours of an elective.

For more information about Rehabilitation Counseling Service MS Degree, please contact:
Dr. R. William English
Phone: (850) 644-2227
E-mail: english@coe.fsu.edu