Rehabilitation Counseling, MS

Dr. Justin Watts–Rehabilitation Counseling Graduate Program Coordinator

The Master of Science (MS) degree with a major in rehabilitation counseling requires a minimum of 60 semester hours of academic preparation, including a 100-hour practicum and 600-hour internship during the last year of the student’s course work. The curriculum combines academic theory and technique courses with hands-on practicum and field-site internship experiences and the program is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Opportunities for hands-on experiences are also available through the department’s Wellness and Employment Lab (UNTWELL). A very high value is placed on the exposure of students to a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services, professional organizations, interdisciplinary professional activities, as well as advocacy and consumer groups in the field of rehabilitation. The core curriculum for the Rehabilitation Counseling program consists of basic preparatory studies in disability, educational and occupational information, counseling, case management, and the vocational rehabilitation process. All graduate students are required to have an approved degree plan developed in consultation with their academic advisor and pass a comprehensive examination or national certification exam (CRC) administered during the last semester of their course work in order to be approved for graduation.

Effective September 1, 2017, HB 1508 created new laws that require entities that provide educational programs leading to an occupational license to notify all applicants and enrollees of the implications of a felony conviction which may make you ineligible for a license upon program completion. The law requires that this information be provided to all persons who are enrolled or apply in a counseling program without regard to whether the person has been convicted of a criminal offense.

You may review current guidelines used by the Texas Education Agency to determine the eligibility of the person to be licensed on the TEA’s web site at https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/National_Criminal_History_Checks-FAQs/. You also have a right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from TEA and the process and form available online at https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/Preliminary_Criminal_History_Evaluation-FAQs/.

Admission requirements

Admission to the master’s degree program with a major in rehabilitation counseling is contingent upon admission to the Toulouse Graduate School. Criteria for admission are detailed in the Admission section of this catalog. Although applications to the graduate program in rehabilitation counseling are reviewed throughout the year for Spring and Fall semester admissions, students are encouraged to enter the program in the fall term/semester. Acceptance to the program is a competitive process with successful applicants having a satisfactory GPA in addition to satisfactory letters of recommendation, self-statement, work/volunteer experience and interview with program faculty. Applicants may choose to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (exam must have been taken within the last 5 years) however GRE scores are not required.

All applications should include the following:

Rehabilitation counseling graduate program application (available at pacs.unt.edu/dar);
self-statement regarding interest in field and program and career goals;
two letters of recommendation, one from a former instructor and one from a previous employer. Letters must be on letterhead and signed by the author of the letter;
current resume; and
evidence of a work/volunteer history with the equivalent of one year of full-time employment preferred.

Upon admission by the Toulouse Graduate School and receipt of the above documents, applicants will be scheduled for a group interview with other applicants and members of the rehabilitation counseling faculty. All applications are reviewed by the rehabilitation counseling graduate faculty, who make recommendations for acceptance of applicants to the program. Acceptance or denial of applications is determined by composite rather than a single criterion. Students are notified by email of the faculty’s recommendation on their application.

Rehabilitation curriculum, 60 hours

Course work consists of basic preparatory studies in disability, educational and occupational information, counseling and case management, and the vocational rehabilitation process. The curriculum consists of the following required courses and one elective.

Elective selected from

RHAB 5718 - Transition Issues in Rehabilitation
RHAB 5719 - Trauma and Crisis Intervention in Rehabilitation Counseling
RHAB 5950 - Master’s Thesis
others approved by advisor

Additional requirements

Graduate comprehensive examination

Candidates for the master’s degree must pass a final written comprehensive examination offered in the semester in which the candidate plans to graduate. In lieu of the departmental comprehensive exam, students may submit a passing score on the national certification exam for rehabilitation counselors (CRC).

Degree plan preparation

Students are assigned an academic advisor from among the rehabilitation counseling faculty. The academic advisor will assist the student in developing a formal degree plan by the end of the student’s second term/semester in the program.

Minors

The rehabilitation counseling curriculum does not usually include a minor, but some students may choose to select a minor upon consultation with their faculty advisor.

Program accreditation and professional certification/licensing

The graduate curriculum in rehabilitation counseling is fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) 1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 510, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Students completing the rehabilitation counseling program are eligible to take the examination for national certification as a rehabilitation counselor (CRC). Rehabilitation counseling students are also eligible for licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC) by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. Students seeking the LPC are required to complete 3,000 hours of supervised practice and must successfully pass the state licensing examination. Students may also complete academic requirements of the Texas Department of State Health Services for licensure as a Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC).

Financial assistance

The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) of the U.S. Department of Education often provides financial support to graduate students in rehabilitation to increase the number of qualified professionals in various rehabilitation counseling occupations. The rehabilitation counseling program is currently able to provide RSA scholarship assistance to qualified students to support their graduate studies in rehabilitation counseling. The availability of RSA financial support varies from year to year. Inquiries should be made at the time of application to the rehabilitation graduate program.