Rehabilitation Science and Technology
     The Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology (RST) offers a Master of Science degree in Health and Rehabilitation Science with an area of concentration in Rehabilitation Science and Technology. The program is a balance between traditional instruction and clinical rehabilitation preceptorship. Six concentration areas are offered within the program: Seating and Mobility; Ergonomics and Universal Design; Rehabilitation Research; Access and Communication; Rehabilitation Biomechanics; and Service Delivery Management. An emphasis is placed upon the team approach to rehabilitation. The curriculum covers basic science, engineering principles, assistive technology, pathology, rehabilitation, and consumer advocacy. Students participate in clinics and rounds, work with consumer groups, perform research, and present at seminars and conferences. This program provides graduates with the skills to work in clinical environments, industry, or research, as well as prepares students to pursue doctoral studies.
     All students must complete a common set of core courses before pursuing specialized educational tracks. Core courses are taught by distinguished faculty. Assistance is provided by the Departments of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Bioengineering, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Advanced courses are drawn from appropriate University departments and schools. The curriculum is designed to accommodate the knowledge and experience of practicing rehabilitation professionals who are returning for an advanced degree. Students with training in other disciplines will be required to take courses which compliment their previous training. The specific choice of courses required for graduation depends upon each student's advisery committee and the background of the student within the framework of the University requirements. The RST Department offers both thesis and non-thesis options for the master's level.
     Extensive research facilities are available to students. The faculty have active research programs in Rehabilitation Engineering, Assistive Technology, Rehabilitation Science, Biomechanics, Standards Development, and Outcomes Measures. The department houses a NIDRR Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheeled Mobility and participates in collaborative research with the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Opportunities exist at the Pitt/VA Human Engineering Research Laboratories and the Rehabilitative Neuroscience Laboratory. The department also houses the Center for Assistive Technology, which provides clinical services, performs research, and participates in education. Departmental faculty receive research funding from NIH, NIDRR, VA, and private foundations.
     Students may also receive research training from a number of centers and laboratories which are affiliated with the department. Opportunities exist at the Musculoskeletal Research Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery; the Vestibular Dysfunction Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology; the Neurogenic Speech and Language Lab, Department of Communication Science and Disorders; and the Pain Evaluation and Treatment Institute, Department of Anesthesiology. Other opportunities exist within the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Department faculty also collaborate with a number of regional hospitals and clinics.

Admission Requirements
     The curriculum of study for the Master of Science program in Rehabilitation Science and Technology is based upon a strong undergraduate education that provides a sound foundation in knowledge, methods, and attitudes. Specific requirements for admission are:
     1. A baccalaureate degree. (No specific major is mandated; however, prerequisite study for post-baccalaureate advanced education should include a well-rounded general education that includes a distribution of studies in the natural sciences and social sciences).
     2. Prerequisite course work includes:
     Foundation courses in each of the following areas:

	•	Physics (to include basic statics and dynamics of motion with lab)	6 cr.
	•	Ergonomics and human factors	3 cr.
	•	Computer literacy	1 cr.
	•	Manufacturing techniques (to include a lab or relevant experience/training)	2 cr.
	•	Psychology or human development	3 cr.
	•	Statistics	3 cr.
			------
		TOTAL	18 cr.

     3. Students must possess foundation knowledge of the concepts and terminology in biological, physical, and technical sciences on which to build the rehabilitation science and technology curriculum and have experience in appropriate laboratory procedures.

	•	One anatomy course (three credits) and one physiology course (three credits) or a two-term sequence of a combined anatomy and physiology course (six credits). Laboratories are recommended. (Students must understand body organ systems and have a working knowledge of terminology used to describe these systems. It is also assumed that the student has an overview understanding of how the human body, cells, organs, and body-systems function).
	•	One English composition course (three credits) or a technical writing course (three credits). (Student must have the ability to communicate in a clear, organized, and logical fashion with appropriate grammar, both verbally and in writing).

     4. The applicant should have a minimum overall QPA of 3.00, and a 3.00 in the prerequisite courses.
     5. The applicant must demonstrate knowledge of rehabilitation science or technology through volunteer or work experience.
     6. Admission is available on a full-time or part-time basis. Provisional and special status may be granted to outstanding students who do not meet all of the prerequisite requirements.

Core Curriculum
     All students enrolled in the RST program are required to complete 42 credits to meet degree requirements. The following core courses must be completed as part of this requirement:

	HRS 2704	Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology	3 cr.
	HRS 2705	Clinical-Functional Evaluations	3 cr.
	HRS 2707	Analysis of Adaptations for Sensory and Communication Impairment	3 cr.
	HRS 2708	Psychology and Sociology of Disability	2 cr.
	HRS 2706	Rehabilitation Biomechanics	1 cr.
	HRS 2921	Clinical Internship	3 cr.
	HRS 2905	Ethical Issues in Health Care	2 cr.
	HRS 2901	Introduction to Research Methodology	3 cr.
			------
		TOTAL	20 cr.

     Students must complete core courses and at least one "Specialty Curriculum Pathway" in order to graduate. Other units may be taken as electives to meet the required number of credits for graduation. All students must complete a Plan of Study immediately after completing nine credits. The Plan of Study must be approved by the student's adviser.

Thesis/Non-Thesis Options
     All students will be encouraged to pursue graduate research by completing a master's thesis under the direction of a faculty adviser and thesis committee. However, a non-thesis option is available to all students. RST students electing to pursue the non-thesis option must develop an Alternative Research (competency) Plan of Study which must be approved by the faculty adviser and department chair. Upon approval of the project by the faculty adviser and department chair, the student must register for at least six credits of course work that results in the completion of a substantive project in the form of one or some combination of the following: (1) research or scholarly paper of publishable quality, (2) policy research, implementation and/or evaluation, (3) teaching internship, or (4) an alternative project of substance and relevance to the profession.

Curriculum
     The master's degree program presents a balance between a traditional clinical rehabilitation preceptorship and traditional engineering instruction, but with other facets included, such as an introduction to ethical and consumer-advocacy issues. All students must complete a common set of core courses before pursuing specialized educational tracks. Courses are taught by distinguished RST faculty as well as the faculty from the departments of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Bioengineering and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Students undergo didactic instruction not only in their area of concentration but also in companion areas, and are required to participate in clinics and rounds, work with consumer groups, do research, and present at conferences and seminars. The multidisciplinary approach assures that the student receives a balanced exposure to clinical rehabilitation and gains technological understanding and an appreciation of engineering principles.
     All RST students in both thesis and non-thesis options must pass the Comprehensive Examination developed by the RST faculty prior to registering for graduation.

Specialty Curriculum Pathways

	Seating and Mobility
	HRS 2709	Wheelchairs 1	1 cr.
	HRS 2701	Pressure Management	1 cr.
	HRS 2725	Accessible Transportation	1 cr.
	HRS 2724	Assistive Technology Funding	1 cr.
	HRS 3707	Power Wheelchairs 2	1 cr.
	HRS 3701	Specialized Seating and Postural Mobility	1 cr.
	HRS 2720	Clinical Aspects of Seating and Mobility	1 cr.
	HRS 3708	Integration of Technology	1 cr.
	HRS 3706	Elderly Seating	1 cr.
			------
		TOTAL	9 cr.
	Ergonomics and Universal Design
	HRS 2709	Wheelchairs 1	1 cr.
	HRS 2725	Accessible Transportation	1 cr.
	HRS 2724	Assistive Technology Funding	1 cr.
	OT1503 & 1505	Human Growth and Development 1 & 2	4 cr.
	HRS 3703	Architectural Accessibility	1 cr.
	HRS 2723	Home and Worksite Modification	1 cr.
	CMU51-701	Communication and Interaction Design	4 cr.
	HRS 3704	Wheelchair Transportation Crash Safety	1 cr.
	HRS 2726	Environmental Control	1 cr.
	HRS 2711	Computer Access	1 cr.
			------
		TOTAL	16 cr.
	Rehabilitation Research
	HRS 2702	Computer Interfacing	3 cr.
	HRS 2710	Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation	1 cr.
	HRS 2924/2925	Graduate Research	6 cr.
	HIM 1462	Epidemiology	2 cr.
	HRS 2703	Rehabilitation Engineering Design	2 cr.
			------
		TOTAL	14 cr.
	Access and Communication
	HRS 2724	Assistive Technology Funding	1 cr.
	HRS 3703	Architectural Accessibility	1 cr.
	HRS 2702	Computer Interfacing	3 cr.
	HRS 3708	Integration of Technology	1 cr.
	HRS 2726	Environmental Control	1 cr.
	HRS 2711	Computer Access	1 cr.
	CSD 2077	Augmentative Communication	3 cr.
	CSD 1230	Introduction to Speech & Language Disorders	3 cr.
	CSD 1025	Hearing Science	3 cr.
	CSD 2456	Developmental Speech Perception	3 cr.
			------
		TOTAL	20 cr.
	Rehabilitation Biomechanics
	HRS 2709	Wheelchairs 1	1 cr.
	HRS 2701	Pressure Management	1 cr.
	HRS 2702	Computer Interfacing	3 cr.
	HRS 2710	Functional Neuromuscular Stimulation	1 cr.
	HRS 3702	Seating Biomechanics	1 cr.
	HRS 3705	Wheelchair Biomechanics	1 cr.
	BIOENG 2060	Biomechanics	3 cr.
			------
		TOTAL	11 cr.
	Service Delivery Management
	HRS 2724	Assistive Technology Funding	1 cr.
	HRS 2721	Service Delivery Administration	1 cr.
	HRS 2705	Clinical-Functional Evaluations	3 cr.
	HIM 1462	Epidemiology	2 cr.
			------
		TOTAL	7 cr.

Certificate Program
     A certificate program in Rehabilitation Technology (20 credits) is offered through the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology. Students enrolled in the MS or PhD programs in the departments of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy are eligible to complete a certificate program. Professionals who possess a MS or PhD degree and are licensed in the fields of Occupational or Physical Therapy, Communication Science and Disorders, or Rehabilitation Technology are eligible to apply for the certificate program. In addition, a certificate in Rehabilitation Engineering may be obtained while pursuing an MS or PhD through the School of Engineering. Details on certificates may be acquired from the department office.

Application Procedures
     The applicant must:

	•	Present a description of professional and educational goals that are realistically attainable during enrollment in the graduate program
	•	Forward three letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's academic, professional, and personal attributes and potential for meaningful graduate study

     Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.