Dec 10, 2024  
2003-2004 Springfield College Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2003-2004 Springfield College Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Rehabilitation and Disability Studies


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(130 semester hours undergraduate program; dual undergraduate/graduate program also available) Requirements are subject to change.

The mission of the Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Department at Springfield College is to educate students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership and service to persons with chronic illnesses and disabilities. The faculty and staff of the program embrace the philosophy that every individual, regardless of disability status, has the right to live the most complete, independent, and productive life that they choose. The rehabilitation and disability studies major is designed to provide a broad orientation to the major concepts underlying the philosophy of rehabilitation. The student’s academic experience is supplemented by vital supervised field experience, concurrent with classroom study.

Students in the program prepare to enter a variety of professions at either the bachelor’s degree level or at the level requiring advanced graduate work. Career opportunities abound in private and public hospitals, schools, and agencies dedicated to the cause of assisting people with physical, psychological, or mental disabilities achieve their fullest physical, psychological, social, vocational, and economic potential according to their capabilities.

The rehabilitation and disability studies major has several points of entry. Students may be accepted into the program upon admission or transfer into it from another major. Incoming first-year students who are motivated and highly qualified may opt for the dual degree program, an accelerated five-year program which offers students a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and disability studies and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and services. The dual degree student is thus well-prepared for leadership positions in the field of rehabilitation counseling. Transfer students who meet the academic and prerequisite requirements may also apply to the dual degree program. Some students discover later that they have an interest in pursuing an advanced degree in rehabilitation. Those students may apply in their junior year for the advanced senior program and, if accepted, begin their master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and services during their senior year.

For more information about this major, contact Professor Thomas J. Ruscio, chairperson of the Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Department at (413) 748-3318 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

General Education courses - 41–44 s.h. in addition to courses required as part of major requirements.

I. General Education Program


To integrate the humanics philosophy into their lives, Springfield College students engage in the search for knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of values through a variety of courses in the sciences and humanities. In addition to those General Education courses, students must complete 6 s.h. of Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) courses. For more information see the General Education Program and WAC courses. In the major requirements listed below, selected courses which fulfill General Education categories are marked with an asterisk; selected WAC courses are marked with a “W”.

II. Core Requirements (45 s.h.)


III. Required Concentrations (18-27 s.h.)


Students must also select one of the following six concentrations to help prepare them to work with people in helping relationships. All courses for the concentration must be chosen with the approval of an advisor or the department chair.

A. Addictions, Mental Health, and Family Studies (18 s.h.)


This concentration prepares student for positions in a variety of substance abuse and/or mental health agency settings. Emphasis is placed on etiology, treatment planning, and referral resources for individuals with addiction and/or mental health concerns. Additional influence is placed on the implications of these disabilities for the family. Courses in clinical counseling, ethics, and advanced graduate work may be required for those specifically preparing for certification or licensure.

B. Children’s/Developmental Services (18 s.h.)


This concentration prepares students for positions in a variety of medical, social service, or community agency settings. Emphasis is placed on equipping the child, adolescent, or adult with functional daily life skills. Additional courses in education and advanced graduate work, depending upon individual state requirements, may be required for those specifically preparing for certification as special education teachers in school settings.

C. Interdisciplinary Disability Studies (18 s.h.)


This specialty allows the student to explore and prepare for a wide rage of positions related to working with people with disabilities. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary skills needed to work within community agencies or service-coordinating programs. Students in this concentration may also emphasize areas of specialization, for example, hearing disorders, mental retardation, or substance abuse.

D. Communication Disorders (24-27 s.h.)


Students in this concentration prepare for careers working at medical, educational, or allied health and human service agencies associated with helping persons in speech, language, and/or communication disorders. This program is also intended to meet the prerequisites for graduate study and/or certification programs in speech therapy, language pathology, and audiology (advanced study is required to become licensed or certified). The concentration combines academic training with specific clinical practicum and internship in hospitals, clinics, and schools.

E. Medical Rehabilitation (18 s.h.)


Students selecting this concentration prepare for positions in medical, social service, or educational settings associated with helping people with disabilities develop functional capabilities for independent living. Qualified students may be selected to prepare for advanced study at the certificate or master’s degree level in such areas as physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, and other medical-related allied health careers.

F. Rehabilitation Counseling and Casework (18 s.h.)


Students choosing this concentration prepare for positions as counselors who, as part of a team of physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers, evaluate the problems of individuals with disabilities and assist them to achieve the maximum self-realization, independence, and vocational, educational, and personal adjustment.

IV. Electives (14-26 s.h. to complete 130)


Depending on their plans for career or graduate school, students are encouraged to select from a variety of electives in biology, chemistry, health, introductory occupational therapy, physics, psychology, rehabilitation, and sociology. Prerequisite requirements for graduate study or certificate programs in specific areas of medical or social rehabilitation services may vary from school to school. Students should determine the required prerequisites for a particular program or interest as soon as possible so that the prerequisites can be included in the undergraduate program wherever possible.

V. Sample Program By Year


The program listed below is a sample—courses are not guaranteed to be offered during the semester or year listed. It is the student’s responsibility to insure that all requirements are met on a timely basis and that needed prerequisite courses are completed before taking upper-level requirements; therefore, they should consult carefully with an advisor when planning their program. Students must average a minimum of 16.25 credits a semester to complete this program in four years.

In addition to the courses identified below, the following General Education categories need to be fulfilled for this major: Natural Science, Mathematics, Computer Science, Health, Physical Education, Literature, Second Language/Culture, Visual and Performing Arts, History, Social Science, Philosophy, and Religion. 14–26 s.h. of electives will be required to complete 130 credits.

Courses marked with an * fulfill or partially fulfill a General Education category. Those marked with a w may fulfill a WAC requirement, depending on the year taken.

A. First Year - Fall Semester


First Year - Spring or Fall Semesters


  • Suggested Electives Credits: 6-8
  • General Education courses Credits: 12-15

First Year - Spring Semester


Second Year - Fall or Spring Semesters


C. Third Year - Fall Semester


Third Year - Fall or Spring Semester


Third Year - Spring Semester


D. Fourth Year - Fall Semester


Fourth Year - Fall or Spring Semester


  • RHDS ___ - Concentration requirements Credits: 9 or more
  • Any uncompleted program requirements, General Education courses of electives to complete 130 s.h.

Fourth Year - Spring Semester


VI. Programs Leading to Graduate Degrees


Dual Degree Program
Incoming first-year and transfer students who are motivated and highly qualified may apply to the dual degree program, an accelerated five-year program which offers students a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and disability studies and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and services. Dual degree students begin their undergraduate internship (RHDS 386) in the summer following their third year. Following the completion of that internship, dual degree students are reviewed to insure that they meet all standards required to begin the graduate program.

Academic standards include:

  • 3.000 GPA in General Education courses.
  • 3.300 GPA in all undergraduate RHDS courses, exclusive of clinical experiences.
  • 3.300 GPA in all RHDS clinical experiences.
  • 3.300 GPA overall.

Qualified students then begin the graduate program in their fourth year, while also completing any undergraduate requirements. Graduate coursework and practicums continue through the summer, the fifth year, and the following summer. The program requires a minimum total of 48 semester hours of acceptable graduate credit. A minimum of 15 semester hours of graduate-level practicum and internship is required to be eligible for the National Certification Examination to become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.

Advanced Senior Program
While the dual degree program is an opportunity for incoming students to begin an accelerated program leading to a master’s degree, some students discover later that they have an interest in pursuing an advanced degree in rehabilitation. Those students may apply in their junior year for the advanced senior program. If accepted, they can begin their master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and services during their senior year. Eligibility requirements include the following:

  1. Students must attain senior status or the completion of a minimum of 90 semester hours of acceptable undergraduate work with either a rehabilitation major or minor or at least 18 s.h. of course work in the following areas: principles of rehabilitation, career information, medical information, psychosocial aspects of disability, interviewing, and counseling.
  2. Total undergraduate cumulative grade point average and the cumulative grade point average in the major, based on a minimum of 106 semester hours of acceptable course work, should be 3.000 or better.
  3. Students should demonstrate both personal and professional potential for future success and performance measured by factors such as scholarly work, personal and professional references, cocurricular and leadership activities, paid employment, volunteer work, and fieldwork experiences.

Qualified students then begin the graduate program in their fourth year, while also completing any undergraduate requirements. Graduate coursework and practicums continue through the summer, the fifth year, and the following summer. The program requires a minimum total of 48 semester hours of acceptable graduate credit. A minimum of 15 semester hours of graduate-level practicum and internship is required to be eligible for the National Certification Examination to become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.

Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy
An advanced senior program leading to a master’s degree in occupational therapy is also available. For more information, refer to the occupational therapy program in this catalog.

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