University of Pittsburgh
     Eleven years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the University of Pittsburgh was founded. The original charter, dated February 28, 1787, named the institution the Pittsburgh Academy. In 1819, a second charter was granted making the Western University of Pennsylvania the legal successor to the Pittsburgh Academy. In 1908, the University moved to its present location in Oakland and adopted the name "University of Pittsburgh." During its 1966 session, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania formally recognized the University of Pittsburgh as an integral part of the Commonwealth system of higher education in Pennsylvania and designated it a "state-related" university.
     The University of Pittsburgh is not only making great strides in education and research but is also helping to reshape the city around it. With its 120-acre campus located in the heart of the Oakland district, Pitt exemplifies the progressive urban university.
     A student coming to the Pitt campus for the first time will find here a blend of the old and the new, the traditional and the modern. Many new buildings contribute to the academic life of the University, yet the traditional landmarks remain--the Cathedral of Learning at the center of the campus; beside it, the beautiful Heinz Memorial Chapel, a replica of a 13th-century Gothic chapel.
     Today, increasing numbers of students are entering urban universities such as Pitt. They come for many reasons: the diversity and depth of the educational experience of such institutions; the opportunity to observe and take part in the vital cultural, social, and business life of the city; and the unique character many of these universities are assuming in the midst of their urban environments.

UPMC Health System
     The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences offers its students exceptional training and research opportunities through the wealth of facilities and hospitals within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Health System. UPMC Health System is the leading integrated delivery system for health care in Western Pennsylvania. It is dedicated to providing exemplary patient care, educating the next generation of health care professionals, and advancing biomedical research.
     UPMC's consortium of health care facilities includes UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Shadyside, large tertiary care hospitals; specialty hospitals including Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Eye and Ear, and UPMC Rehabilitation Hospital; and a growing number of community hospitals. The health system also encompasses a number of health-related services including primary care and specialist physician practices, medical insurance, rehabilitation services, in-home services, retirement living options, a mail-order pharmacy, durable medical devices, technology transfer ventures, and international health care initiatives.

School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
     The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) offers educational programs for entry-level and advanced education in selected health professions: Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition, Communication Science and Disorders, Emergency Medicine, Health Information Management, Health Information Systems, Health Care Supervision and Management, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Rehabilitation Science and Technology. SHRS faculty often collaborate with faculty from other schools in the health sciences to conduct research into professional techniques, developing and extending their effectiveness.
     SHRS students at all levels learn how to apply their knowledge to promote health, prevent disease, cure sickness, and effect rehabilitation of the disabled. They learn to have the utmost respect for the value and the dignity of the people they serve and to recognize the importance of a humanistic approach to health care. They question accepted practices of their professions and thus develop and improve those practices, and they work as a team with other health professionals in preventing and treating disease and disability. They learn to become professional leaders in hospitals and other health care settings.
     SHRS programs educate professionals who will lead in providing society with high-quality, effective health care in their selected specialties and the continuing development of those specialties through the validation of existing knowledge and the discovery of new.

Mission Statement
     The mission of the school is to advance the theoretical base of knowledge underlying the practice of health and rehabilitation disciplines and professions through research, teaching, and professional service.