PhD Requirements -
Course Work: The PhD degree requires a minimum of 36 graduate credits not including dissertation credits. The minimum of 36 graduate credits is broken down as follows: 16 credits are required in a core group of Rehabilitation Science (RSC) courses, which includes 6 credits of departmental seminars in rehabilitation science (RSC 8100 – Rehabilitation Science Seminar); 12 credits toward a minor or supporting program (non-RSC designator); and 8 credits of statistics are required (acceptable statistics courses include, but are not limited to: EPSY 8261 – Statistical Methods I, EPSY 8262 – Statistical Methods II, PUBH 6450 – Biostatistics I, and PUBH 6451 – Biostatistics II). Sample minors and supporting areas of past students include Gerontology, Kinesiology, Neuroscience, and Public Health. Rehabilitation Science course credit and statistics course credit cannot satisfy the minor or supporting program credit requirement. In addition to these minimum requirements, student advisor may require additional courses. For more information regarding core courses and statistics courses, please see the course list below.
Minimum Grade Requirements: Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 for all course work taken in the degree program and course work listed on the student’s Degree Program form, including minor or supporting program and statistics course work.
Language Requirement: None.
Thesis: Minimum of 24 thesis credits (RSc 8888).
Ethics in Research Training: Students must complete training in research ethics, as required by the Graduate School at the University of Minnesota. The Graduate School requires that all Graduate Students receive Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) Training. For additional information regarding the Graduate School’s requirement, visit the following: http://www.research.umn.edu/first/GradStuPostdocsEdReqs.htm.
Students will need training in the following areas:
The Program in Rehabilitation Science has identified mechanisms for delivering research training. Students are encouraged to complete the Graduate Schools two part short course, RCR I and RCR II. Depending on the student's research area, additional training may be required in human and/or animal subjects. For more information, please contact the program contact listed below.
Preliminary Written Exam: All doctoral students are required to pass a written examination in their major field. This examination covers all work completed in the major field and must include work completed in the minor or supporting field, plus questions probing the student’s ability to collect and interpret information from the scientific literature.
Preliminary Oral Exam: All doctoral students are required to pass a preliminary oral examination by their major field. The preliminary oral examination covers the major field, the minor field or supporting program, and any work fundamental to these areas, including possible plans for thesis research. Additionally, the oral examination can include questions elaborating on earlier responses from the preliminary written examination.
Final Oral Exam: The final oral exam consists of a seminar in which the candidate defends their thesis to an examining committee and other members of the scholarly community. The examining committee is the same as the committee assembled for the Preliminary Oral Exam.
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MS Requirements -
Plan A: Master’s Degree with Thesis
This plan consists of a minimum of 23 graduate credits not including thesis credits.
Major Field: 14 credits or more including 4 credits of seminars in rehabilitation science (RSc 8100) and a research design course in rehabilitation science (RSc 8192 or advisor approved course).
Minor or Supporting Field: 6 or more credits in a minor or supporting field.
Statistics: A statistics course, 3 credits (acceptable courses include, but are not limited to PUBH 6450 – Biostatistics I, PUBH 6451 – Biostatistics II, EPSY 8261 – Statistical Methods I, EPSY 8262 – Statistical Methods II).
Minimum Grade Requirements: Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 for all course work taken in the degree program and course work listed on the student’s Degree Program form.
Language Requirement: None.
Thesis: Minimum of 10 thesis credits (RSc 8777).
Ethics in Research Training: See description above (PhD Requirements).
Preliminary Oral Examination: Defense of thesis proposal to an examining committee, following Graduate School guidelines.
Final Oral Examination: Defense of thesis research to an examining committee, following Graduate School guidelines.
Plan B: Master’s Degree without Thesis
This plan requires a minimum of 30 graduate credits without a thesis.
Major Field: 14 credits or more including 4 credits of seminars in rehabilitation science (RSc 8100) and a research design course in rehabilitation science (RSc 8192 or advisor approved course).
Minor or Supporting Field: 6 or more credits in a minor or supporting field.
Statistics: A statistics course, 3 credits (acceptable courses include, but are not limited to PUBH 6450 – Biostatistics I, PUBH 6451 – Biostatistics II, EPSY 8261 – Statistical Methods I, EPSY 8262 – Statistical Methods II).
Additional Courses: The balance of courses to comprise the overall 30 credit minimum is chosen by agreement between the student and advisor.
Minimum Grade Requirements: Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 for all course work taken in the degree program and course work listed on the student’s Degree Program form.
Language Requirement: None.
Ethics in Research Training: See description above (PhD Requirements).
Plan B Project(s): Demonstration of familiarity with the tools of research or scholarship in the major field, ability to work independently, and ability to present the results of investigation effectively.
Final Examination: Written or oral (or both) responses to questions from an examining committee.
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Other PhD and MS Requirements -
HIPAA: The Program in Rehabilitation Science is a part of the Academic Health Center (AHC) at the University of Minnesota. The AHC requires all students and faculty to be compliant with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Information regarding this act and compliance is available at: www.fpd.finop.umn.edu/groups/ppd/documents/policy/hippaindinfopol.cfm. Once a student is admitted to the Program in Rehabilitation Science, they will receive instruction on completing HIPAA training.
Immunization: According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, and Academic Health Center (AHC) policy, all AHC students are required to have a health clearance as a condition of enrollment. This information must be completed to register for classes in the AHC. When you are notified of acceptance to the Program, the Graduate School will also inform you of the University’s immunization policy and direct you to Boynton Health Service’s web site for information and immunization form. For more information regarding this process and compliance, please visit the following: http://www.bhs.umn.edu/services/AHC.htm#AHC.
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Courses:
RSC 5135 - Advanced Biomechanics I: Kinematics
Addresses two fundamental questions in human biomechanics: 1) how to describe movement, and 2) how to measure movement, with an emphasis on three-dimensional techniques. Includes lecture, laboratory exposure, and seminar discussion of basic and applied biomechanics, pathokinesiology, and rehabilitation literature. Classes are held together for both PMED 5135 and PMED 8135 registrants. Course assignments vary for those registered at different levels. Offered Fall semesters of odd-numbered years.
RSC 5294 - Independent Study in Rehabilitation Science
Independent exploration into significant topics related to Rehabilitation Science. Offered by individual arrangement with faculty.
RSC 5814 - Age, Exercise and Rehabilitation
Overview of normal physiological responses to exercise in the elderly. Comparison of exercise-induced responses of the various physiological systems throughout the aging process. Focus on the importance of exercise from a rehabilitation perspective. Offered Fall semesters of even-numbered years.
RSC 5841 - Rehabilitation Science Instrumentation and Methodology
Theory and application of kinesiological EMG and other common instruments used to measure human motion. Offered Fall semester of even-numbered years.
RSC 8100 - Rehabilitation Science Seminar
Seminar course that prepares students to 1) think critically in reading and discussing rehabilitation science literature, 2) identify important researchable questions, 3) propose reasonable methods to answer such questions and 4) speak and write persuasively on scientific topics. Offered every semester.
RSC 8130 - Current Literature
Review of current literature in the area of rehabilitation science. Offered Summer session by individual arrangement with faculty.
RSC 8135 - Advanced Kinesiology
This course is designed to address two fundamental questions in human biomechanics: 1) how to describe movement, and 2) how to measure movement, with an emphasis on three-dimensional techniques. The course will include lecture, laboratory exposure, and seminar discussion of basic and applied biomechanics, pathokinesiology, and rehabilitation literature. Classes are held together for both RSc 5135 and RSc 8135 registrants. Course assignments vary for those registered at different levels. Offered Fall semesters of odd-numbered years.
RSC 8170 - Special Topics in Rehabilitation Science
Advanced topics in Rehabilitation Science with papers required. Offered by individual arrangement with faculty.
RSC 8185 - Problems in Rehabilitation Science
Supervised research experience in a selected problem in rehabilitation science. Offered by individual arrangement with faculty.
RSC 8188 - Teaching Practicum
Supervised experience in teaching and evaluation with development of skills in effective use of instructional materials in lecture and lab courses. Students can expect to: create learning objectives for teaching unit(s); conduct a thorough review of current literature on topic; prepare classroom presentations; deliver classroom presentations; consult with faculty for feedback prior to presentation; compose test questions; proctor examinations. Offered by individual arrangement with faculty. 1-3 credits.
RSC 8192 - Research Design in Rehabilitation Science
Critical appraisal of current medical literature; fundamentals of research design and techniques of medical writing. Offered every Fall semester.
RSC 8282 - Problems in Human Movement
Fundamental principles of neurophysiology, neurology, motor control, and motor learning as a basis for therapeutic intervention in motor dysfunction. Offered every Spring semester.
RSC 8666 - Doctoral Pre-Thesis Credits
RSC 8777 - Thesis Credits: Master’s
RSC 8888 - Thesis Credits: Doctoral
EPSY 8261—Statistical Methods I: Probability and Inference
Advanced theory, derivations of quantitative statistics. Descriptive statistics, probability, normal distribution. One-/two-sample hypothesis tests, confidence intervals. One-way analysis of variance, follow up tests.
EPSY 8262—Statistical Methods II: Regression and the General Linear Model
Analysis of variance designs (two-/three-way), repeated measures, correlation, simple/multiple regression methods, non-parametric procedures, multivariate analyses.
PUBH 6450 – Biostatistics I
Descriptive statistics. Gaussian probability models, point/interval estimation for means/proportions. Hypothesis testing, including t, chi-square, and nonparametric tests. Simple regression/correlation. ANOVA. Health science applications using output from statistical packages.
PUBH 6451 – Biostatistics II
Two-way ANOVA, interactions, repeated measures, general linear models. Logistic regression for cohort and case-control studies. Loglinear models, contingency tables, Poisson regression, survival data, Kaplan-Meier methods, proportional hazards models.
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Contact Information:
Rich Adamczak
Student Personnel Coordinator
Program in Rehabilitation Science
MMC 388
420 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 612-625-3966
Fax: 612-625-4274
Email: adamc002@umn.edu