The School of Health and Rehabilitation Science (SHRS) offers a Master of Science degree program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences with foci in:

• Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition
• Health Information Systems
• Health Care Supervision and Management
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Rehabilitation Science and Technology

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Audiology

Admission Requirements
     Following are the minimal requirements for admission into a SHRS master's degree program. These criteria have not been weighted or placed in order of importance.

1. For admission to full status, the applicant must have completed a baccalaureate degree or entry-level professional degree with an overall QPA of 3.00 or better (based on a 4.00 point scale). An applicant with less than 3.00 QPA in the overall undergraduate and professional programs but with favorable professional credentials may be considered and may be admitted to provisional status upon recommendation of the admissions committee.
2. For programs in Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy, the applicant must be licensed, registered, or certified in that profession.
3. The applicant must present a description of professional and/or educational goals that are realistically attainable during enrollment in the graduate program. An interview may be required of the applicant at the request of the admissions committee.
4. Letters of recommendation should address the applicant's academic, professional, and personal attributes, as well as potential for meaningful graduate study.
5. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission, except for admission to the Department of Communication Science and Disorders.

     The following must be submitted as part of the application packet:

1. Official transcripts from all colleges or universities for all academic study attempted or completed.
2. The completed application form, which includes the applicant's personal statement concerning his or her goals for graduate study. Applicants are invited to submit resumes or curriculum vitae that include summaries of professional activities and achievements and listings of any continuing professional education courses attended.
3. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak with authority about the applicant's suitability as a candidate for rigorous graduate study.
4. Scores on the GRE examination for application to the Department of Communication Science and Disorders.
5. A nonrefundable application fee of $35 ($40 for international applicants), must accompany the application in the form of a check or money order payable to the University of Pittsburgh.

     Requests for application materials should be directed to:

Application Deadlines
     Applicants for master's programs other than Communication Science and Disorders are considered for admission on a rolling basis. Space does vary across programs and terms, so it is advisable to submit applications as early as possible.
     Applications to the Communication Science and Disorders master's program must be received no later than March 20 for Fall Term admission.

Admission Status
     Acceptable students are admitted to graduate study in a specific SHRS department with "full," "provisional," or "special" graduate status depending on their qualifications and objectives. The qualifications described below represent the minimum standards of the University. These may be made more stringent or specific at the option of the department or school.

     Full Graduate Status: For admission to full graduate status, an applicant must be a graduate of an accredited college or university and must be considered qualified for advanced study by the department or school. This normally is demonstrated by a B average (a quality point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale) or better in the total undergraduate or entry-level professional program. If students with less than a B average present alternative evidence (such as completion of an advanced degree or successful relevant work experience) of superior ability, they may be considered for full graduate status on the recommendation of the department of proposed graduate study. Only students with full graduate status may be considered for the award of an advanced degree.
     Provisional Graduate Status: Applicants who are graduates of a recognized college or university but who do not qualify for admission to full graduate status because of deficiencies in either their undergraduate course program or their scholastic achievement may be considered for provisional graduate status if strong supporting evidence of their ability to complete a graduate program is provided. Courses taken to remove deficiencies do not contribute toward completion of graduate degree requirements. Transfer from provisional to full graduate status is initiated and recommended by the department and is possible only after removal of deficiencies and other conditions noted at the time of admission and satisfactory progress in graduate work.
     Special Status: Individuals who are seeking advanced degrees but who are unable to meet the deadline for filing all required credentials for admission may be granted temporary admission provided they present acceptable evidence concerning their qualifications for graduate study. Regular admission must be accomplished within the first term of registration.
     Full-time and Part-time Study: Graduate students who register for nine to 15 credits in the Fall or Spring Term are considered full-time students. Students who register for fewer than nine credits are part-time students and billed on a per-credit basis. Admission procedures for part-time students are the same as those for full-time students.
     Students registered during the Summer Term and/or Summer Sessions will be billed on a per-credit basis only, regardless of the number of credits taken.

International Student Applicants
     Applicants from foreign countries must follow all of the preceding admission procedures and take the TOEFL examination. Students applying to the Master of Physical Therapy program who have graduated from allied health educational programs in foreign countries must have their credentials evaluated and be eligible for Physical Therapy licensure in the State of Pennsylvania.
     (See Table of Contents, "Application Procedure for International Students")

Statute of Limitations
     Requirements for the master's degree must be completed within a period of four calendar years from the student's initial registration for graduate study. Extension of the statute of limitations may occasionally be granted when circumstances warrant. Such requests, listing reasons for an extension and the amount of additional time needed, must first be approved by the student's adviser, then directed to the dean for a final decision. Extension will not normally exceed one year; under exceptional circumstances a second-year extension may be granted. The maximum extension that may be granted for the master's degree is two years.
     Since time spent in removing deficiencies after a provisional admission counts with reference to the statute of limitations, applicants should consider the time factor before accepting a provisional admission.
     Periods of time involved in leaves of absence (maternity, etc.) are not included in computation of the statute of limitations. However, this only applies when requests for leaves of absence have been submitted in writing to the Office of the Dean.
     If a student withdraws and is later readmitted into the graduate program, he or she is not automatically granted an additional four years to complete his or her studies. Each situation is reviewed on an individual basis by the appropriate program director and the Dean.

Leave of Absence
     A leave of absence may be granted for time periods not exceeding one year. The student should request a leave of absence by writing to the Office of the Dean, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, 4024 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. The letter must include the reasons for requesting a leave of absence and the duration of the leave requested. Leaves of absence are not considered when applying the four-year statute of limitations.

Academic Regulations

Maintenance of Active Status
     All students working toward graduate degrees must be registered for a minimum of three credits in each 12-month period from the time of admission until the degree is granted. Those students who fail to observe this rule will be placed on inactive status and will have to seek formal readmission in order to continue their graduate programs. Students must register for at least one credit during the term in which they plan to be graduated.

Readmission
     A student who has not registered for at least one credit during a 12-month period will be transferred automatically to inactive status and must file an application for readmission to graduate study (pay the application fee and submit three letters of recommendation) before being permitted to register again, if applicable. While on inactive status, a student is not eligible to use the University's facilities and should not expect to receive counseling by the faculty or active supervision by his or her adviser and committee. Readmission is not automatic, nor does it necessarily reinstate the student in the status he or she enjoyed prior to becoming inactive. When readmitted, the student must demonstrate the proper preparation to meet all current admission and degree requirements.
     NOTE: If the requirements for successful completion of the specific graduate program in which the student was enrolled have changed during the period of non-enrollment, the readmitted student may be required to meet the revised requirements of the program that are in effect at the time of readmission. This will be decided by the chair/director of the student's particular program.

Academic Probation
     When the QPA of a graduate student falls below 3.00 in any one term or period of nine credits, the student is automatically placed on probation. The student will have a maximum of one term of full-time study or the equivalent (nine credits) to demonstrate the ability to achieve an overall QPA of 3.00. Failure to do so will subject the student to immediate dismissal from the program. Students whose records show a disproportionate number of G, I, N, or W grades may be placed on probation or may be dropped from the program.

     NOTE: Graduate students are required to maintain a minimum QPA of 3.00 throughout their academic program. Plus and minus grades are departmental options.

Transfer of Credits
     The completion of requirements for advanced degrees must be satisfied through registration at the University's Pittsburgh campus. Graduate students already enrolled may, when approved in advance by the department chair and dean, spend a term or more at another graduate institution to obtain training or experience not available at the University of Pittsburgh and transfer those credits toward the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Pittsburgh. In such instances, neither the University nor any of its components is responsible for providing any financial assistance to the graduate student.
     Transcripts certifying graduate courses completed at another institution prior to admission to the University of Pittsburgh should be submitted at the time of application and will be evaluated for acceptability as transfer credit by the adviser and department chair early in the student's graduate career.
     No more than six credits may be transferred. The registrar, after notification by the Office of Student Services, will enter the transfer credits as block credits on the student's transcript. Grades (and quality points) are not recorded for credits accepted by transfer.
     Transfer credit will not be accepted for courses in which a grade lower than B (QPA 3.00), or its equivalent, has been received. No credit will be granted toward an advanced degree for work completed in extension courses, correspondence courses, or in the off-campus center of another institution unless those credits are approved for the equivalent graduate degrees at an institution with an accredited program.

Comprehensive Examination
     The Comprehensive Examination evaluates the student's knowledge of material presented in the first phase of study. General knowledge and specific emphasis and/or focus will be examined.
     The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is to give students an opportunity to show their integration of information presented to date, to see how well they communicate in written form, and to test if adequate clinical skills have been achieved before allowing them to proceed in graduate study. This diagnostic tool gives the faculty an opportunity to evaluate the student's comprehension of content to date, whether the student is ready for more advanced work, and his or her potential to successfully complete the program.
     All students must take the Comprehensive Examination when they have completed at least two-thirds of their graduate program. Any student who fails to perform satisfactorily on the Comprehensive Examination will be given a second chance to qualify. The student will be examined only on those areas in which he or she did poorly. Grading will be the same as on the first exam. However, a second failure will be cause for dismissal from SHRS. Please refer to the SHRS Graduate Handbook for further details.

Thesis/Non-Thesis Options
     Thesis Option: The thesis is a written report of an investigative study conducted by the student during his or her graduate program. The completion of a thesis demonstrates that the student has the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct a valid and reliable investigation of a problem appropriate to his or her emphasis of study. The thesis is usually a concluding experience in the master's program, done under the guidance of a research mentor. A minimum of six credits is required, usually conducted over a period of no less than two terms. Bound theses are placed in the University library and are available to the public.
     The requirement of a thesis for the Master of Science degree is the decision of individual departments within SHRS. Those students who do not complete a thesis must fulfill other requirements established by the individual department.
     Non-Thesis Option: Students are required to take six credits in an area in which they want to further their professional skills. See department listings under "Graduate Programs" for individual requirements.

Graduation Requirements
     Candidates for the degree of Master of Arts* or Master of Science from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences must, in addition to completing all course and other degree requirements, have a minimum QPA of 3.00. All students must be registered for at least one credit during the term in which they plan to be graduated. An Application for Graduation must be filed in the Office of Student Services at the time of registration for the term/session in which the student expects to be graduated.

• No student will be graduated with an existing F, G, or I grade in a required course.
• Graduation caps, gowns, and hoods may be purchased from the Book Center.
• No student will be graduated who has not resolved all financial obligations with the University.