The Rehabilitation Program was formally established in 1962 and endorsed by the Arizona Board of Regents as the only such program in the state of Arizona to meet rehabilitation education, research and service needs within Arizona and the nation. The program prepares professionals to address, in some capacity, the service needs of adult individuals with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Program offers undergraduate and graduate courses leading to bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in rehabilitation.

Mission Statement

To develop and offer rehabilitation education, research, and community services of excellence that will lead to leadership and practice that is in the forefront of the rehabilitation field. The Rehabilitation Specialty within the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies in the University of Arizona College of Education offers undergraduate and graduate courses leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees preparing qualified rehabilitation professionals.

Rehabilitation Web Site

For more information and announcements of opportunities, visit the Rehabilitation web site (link is outside of COE web site).

Master of Arts Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling

The master's degree coursework prepares students for professional certification as rehabilitation counselors. The primary goal of the program is to increase the supply of qualified rehabilitation counselors for employment in public and private rehabilitation agencies and institutions.

Rehabilitation counselors manage the components important in the rehabilitation process of individuals with physical and mental disabilities. They help prevent fragmentation and gaps in services to people seeking to move from psychological and economic dependence to independence . The counselor draws on knowledge from several fields, including psychology, medicine, psychiatry, sociology, social work, education and law. This program is a 60-unit sequence of study that seeks learners who are willing to devote a minimum of two years of graduate study to develop a mastery of knowledge and skill areas identified by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) as requisite competencies for rehabilitation counselors. Students who successfully complete the coursework are eligible to apply for national certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (through the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification) and also meet the basic education requirements for certification as an Arizona Certified Professional Counselor. The course of study has continuously been accredited by CORE since 1975. UA is an institutional member of the National Council on Rehabilitation Education.

For more information, visit the Rehabilitation web site (link is outside of COE web site).

International Opportunities

The University of Arizona participates with universities in the United States, Mexico and Canada to study disability services and human resource development in North America through the exchange of faculty and undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students. Rehabilitation faculty also work closely with rehabilitation providers on the Navajo Nation and sovereign nations within Arizona to create opportunities for students to learn diverse perspectives. For more information, see the Trilateral Consortium on Capacity Building in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies (CCRDS).

Continuing Education Specialty

Community Rehabilitation Program: Regional Continuing Education Program Region IX- As a subcontracting partner with San Diego State University, College of Education rehabilitation faculty develop and deliver continuing education programs targeting community rehabilitation program professionals and paraprofessionals throughout Arizona.

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