Rehabilitation and Disability Studies

Degree: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a major in Rehabilitation and Disability Studies

(120 credit hours) 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.

Download a Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Program Checksheet

II. Major Requirements

A. Core Requirements

CMDS 101 - Introduction to Communication Disorders Credits: 3
RHDS 126 - Principles of Rehabilitation Credits: 3
RHDS 230 - Psychology of Disability Credits: 3
RHDS 260 - Medical Information Credits: 3
RHDS 290 - Professional Skills Development Credits: 3
RHDS 320 - Rehabilitation Assessment and Appraisal Techniques Credits: 3
RHDS 370 - Interviewing and Case Study Methods Credits: 3
RHDS 384 - Practicum in Rehabilitation Services Credits: 3-6
RHDS 386 - Rehabilitation Internship Credits: 6-18
RHDS 402 - Implication of Disability for the Family Credits: 3
RHDS 430 - Children with Disabilities Credits: 3
RHDS 470 - Rehabilitation Needs of the Aging Credits: 3

B. Concentration Requirements

In addition, select one of the following concentrations:

1. Addictions, Mental health & Family Studies

RHDS 485 - Treatment Methods in Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Credits: 3
RHDS 487 - Substance Abuse and Family Treatment Credits: 3
RHDS 492 - Group Process in Rehabilitation Credits: 3
RHDS 494 - Mental Health Issues in Rehabilitation Credits: 3

2. Children’s Development Services

CMDS 456 - Language Acquisition and Development Credits: 3
RHDS 442 - Behavioral Techniques for the Developmentally Disabled Credits: 3
RHDS 464 - Rehabilitation of the Developmentally Disabled Credits: 3
RHDS 483 - Learning Disabilities Credits: 3

3. Interdisciplinary Studies

Select 4 RHDS course for a total of 12 credits.

RHDS 4XX - Rehabilitation and Disability Studies Selective

4. Medical Rehabilitation

RHDS 469 - Behavioral Medicine Approaches to Chronic Disease and Disability Credits: 3
RHDS 475 - Integrated Medicine Credits: 3
RHDS 489 - Cardiac Rehabilitation Credits: 3
RHDS 491 - Neurological Disabilities and Cognitive Rehabilitation Credits: 3

5. Rehabilitation Counseling & Casework

RHDS 442 - Behavioral Techniques for the Developmentally Disabled Credits: 3
RHDS 483 - Learning Disabilities Credits: 3
RHDS 485 - Treatment Methods in Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Credits: 3
or
RHDS 494 - Mental Health Issues in Rehabilitation Credits: 3
RHDS 492 - Group Process in Rehabilitation Credits: 3

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:

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.
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.
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.

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.

Academic Catalog