Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counselor Education

The Ph.D. program prepares professionals for leadership roles in rehabilitation counselor education, research, administration, and service delivery systems. Persons admitted to the program focus on three areas of advanced development: counselor education and supervision, research, and professional practice. The program is flexible, permitting students to select and pursue.

The purpose of the Ph.D. program is to provide rehabilitation counselors the opportunity to master knowledge, clinical, teaching, and supervisory skills, as well as research competencies at the most advanced levels. Doctoral graduates are expected to have the knowledge and skills to teach at colleges and universities, to supervise other professionals, to provide advanced clinical services to clients, and to have the competencies to engage in and evaluate theoretical and empirical research.

Admission

Admission Requirements

A completed application to the Ph.D. program must include:

• An application to The University of Iowa's Graduate School.
• An application to the Graduate Programs in Rehabilitation, including a statement of professional goals.
• An official report of your Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Verbal and Quantitative scores.
• Official transcripts of all previous college work.
• Three letters of recommendation.

In addition to these requirements, the Graduate Programs in Rehabilitation considers these factors:

• Graduate GPA of 3.0 or better.
• Composite Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Verbal & Quantitative score of 1,100 or better

The following factors also are considered:

• A master's degree in rehabilitation counseling or a related area.
• One year of full-time work experience in rehabilitation or a related field.
• A written statement of purpose for pursuing the Ph.D. in rehabilitation counselor education, including career objectives.

A personal interview with the faculty is required either in person or by telephone. Generally, this interview is scheduled once a completed application is received. In reviewing applications, the faculty considers the composite fitness of candidates across all required areas. No one criterion is used in selecting candidates. All interested persons are encouraged to apply. Specific questions concerning the status of your application should be directed to the Office of Education Services, N310 Lindquist Center, (319) 335-5260.

Admissions Deadlines and Process

Applications are accepted for fall, spring, or summer entry; fall entry is strongly advised. Deadline for applications to the Ph.D. program is January 1. Faculty consideration of applications begins January 15 for fall entry, November 15 for spring entry, and April 1 for summer entry. For the best consideration for financial aid, early applications are strongly encouraged. You will be notified in writing once a decision regarding your application has been made. This is typically one month after the application deadline.

Application to all graduate programs (degree or non-degree) in the College of Education requires official GRE general test scores. Information on Admission to the College of Education is available through the Office of Education Services, The University of Iowa Office of Graduate Admissions, Online Graduate Applications, and College of Education Financial Aid and Graduate Assistantships.

Course Delivery

The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 90 graduate semester hours. Most students complete their course work in three years and require another year to complete the dissertation requirement. If a student has not completed the rehabilitation counseling master's degree curriculum, these courses or their equivalencies also are required. The adviser and curriculum plan committee will determine what courses must be taken to correct deficiencies. This curriculum ensures exposure to vocational rehabilitation as well as independent living rehabilitation processes, concepts, programs, and services. 

Courses & Concentration Requirements

Required Courses

Each student is required to submit a curriculum plan called the Plan of Study, which is reviewed annually. The rehabilitation counseling faculty conducts an annual review of each student. Retention in the program is dependent upon satisfactory progress as stated in departmental requirements for maintaining candidacy.  Two forms are used to document individual plans of study: the general plan of study, for students who have a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling; and a deficiency coursework form, for students who do not have a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.

Department Core

Program Requirements

Students are expected to have completed core rehabilitation counseling requirements during master's degree work (see "M.A. in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling" above). The advisor and program faculty determine which master's-level courses must be taken to correct deficiencies. Students also must complete the following.

07C:360  Advanced Practicum in Counseling  3 s.h.

07C:369  Advanced Seminar in Rehabilitation Counseling and Psychology  3 s.h.

07C:380  Practicum in College Teaching  1-3 s.h.

07C:385  Teaching and Learning in Higher Education  3 s.h.

07C:450  Advanced Social Psychology of Disability  3 s.h.

07C:454  Supervision Theory and Practice  3 s.h.

07C:455  Supervising the Counseling Practicum  3 s.h.

07P:217  Seminar in College Teaching  1-3 s.h.

Minor

Students plan a minor area in collaboration with their major advisor and curriculum plan committee. The minor area must be outside the department. Students select a minimum of 9 s.h. of course work in the minor area, in collaboration with their minor advisor and with the approval of their curriculum plan committee.

Required Clinical Work/ Practical Tools

*Required coursework for Graduate Certificate in College Teaching

Research Tools and Applications

07P:143 Introduction to Statistical Methods (or equivalent)  3 s.h. (Not required – May be taken as an elective review)

07X:150 Introduction to Educational Research  3 s.h.

07P:243 Intermediate Statistical Methods  4 s.h.

07P:246 Design of Experiments (prereq. 7P:243)  4 s.h.

07C:338 Essentials of Qualitative Inquiry (note: must be 7C:338)  3 s.h.

07C:280 Advanced Qualitative Research  3 s.h.

XXX:XXX One additional advanced course approved by advisor from COE list

07C:460 Seminar: Research in Counseling (prereq. 7P:243)  3 s.h.

07C:461 Practicum in Research  3 s.h.

07C:456 Seminar: Research in Rehabilitation Counselor Education  3 s.h.

07C:493 Ph.D.Thesis in Rehabilitation Counseling  10-15 s.h.

Comprehensive Examination

Comprehensive examinations will be taken for a total of 9 hours and will cover the counselor education department core comprehensive (three hours), rehabilitation counselor education (three hours, covering theory, practice, and research), and the minor area (three hours).

Dissertation

The dissertation is a major research study planned in collaboration with the student's major advisor. At least two rehabilitation counseling faculty members serve on the dissertation committee; one of them chairs or co-chairs the committee.

07C:493  Ph.D. Thesis 10-15 s.h.