Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

The Program in Rehabilitation Science requires applicants to fill-out the Graduate School application for admission.  The Program does not require a separate Program application.  A completed Graduate School application is one of several items you will need to submit to be considered for admission to the MS or PhD Programs in Rehabilitation Science.  Below is a link to the Graduate School’s application and a full description of admission requirements.

To access the Graduate School’s application on-line, click the following link:

http://www.grad.umn.edu/Prospective_Students/apply_online.html

If you wish to complete a paper version of the Graduate School application, please contact the program directly.  Program contact information is listed at the bottom of this page.

Admission Requirements and Application Procedures:

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to rehabilitation science, such as: biomedical engineering, kinesiology, medicine, occupational therapy, physical therapy, public health, speech/audiology etc.  International students must hold a comparable foreign degree from an accredited program.  Depending on the educational background of the applicant, admission may be contingent upon completion of selected prerequisite course work (i.e. physics, etc.).  If you are unsure whether your bachelor’s degree is applicable, please contact the program directly.  Program contact information is listed at the bottom of this page.  A preferred undergraduate GPA of 3.0, and, if applicable, a preferred Graduate School GPA of 3.0 is desired.

Applicants must submit the following electronic materials directly to the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota:

• Graduate School on-line application and fee (US citizens and permanent residents = US$55; international students = US$75).  Click here for the on-line version.  The applicant should include a personal statement when filling out the application.  The on-line application includes instruction on submitting the personal statement.
• Upload unofficial transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work.  Instructions on uploading unofficial transcripts are included with the online application.  If the applicant is accepted for admission, the applicant will be required to produce official transcripts.
• For international students, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score (for international students). A minimum score on the the new INternet based TOEFL (IBT) is at least 79 plus a minimum score of 21 on the Writing section and 19 on the Reading section. For the old version of the TOEFL exam, a preferred score of 213 on the computer version and 550 on the paper version is desired. For information on taking the TOEFL, visit the following: http://www.toefl.org. For information on taking the IELTS, visit the following: http://www.ielts.org.

In addition to the on-line Graduate School application information listed above, the applicant also needs to send copies of the following directly to the Rehabilitation Science Program:

• Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test scores.  For information on taking the GRE, please visit the following: http://www.gre.org/.  Copies of official scores may be sent via email or regular mail (contact information is included below).
• Copies of unofficial transcripts of undergraduate and graduate work.  Again, these copies can be sent directly to the program via email or regular mail.  
• Three letters of reference.  Letters of reference should be one page in length and addressed to “Admissions Committee.”  References should come from colleagues, professors, advisors, employers, and/or research professionals.
• IMPORTANT:  All applicants must have agreement from a Rehabilitation Science faculty member to serve as an advisor.  Only faculty holding a PhD may serve as advisor.  For more information regarding advisors, please read the “Advisor” section below.

 The information that needs to be sent directly to the Rehabilitation Science Program should be sent by email or regular mail to the following:

Rich Adamczak
Student Personnel Coordinator
Program in Rehabilitation Science
MMC 388
420 Delaware St SE
Minneapolis, MN  55455

Deadline for Admission:

Application deadline of December 1st for enrollment the following Fall semester (September start); and May 1st for enrollment the following Spring semester (January start).  Applicants who do not meet the deadline date will still be considered, but meeting the deadline is preferred.  Please allow adequate timing for the reporting of official scores (GRE, TOEFL) and for the submission of official transcripts.  If accepted, international students need to allow adequate time for teh processing of the student VISA.

Advisor:

As part of the application process, each prospective student should identify a faculty member who best matches prospective student’s area of research interest.  Once identified, prospective student should contact the faculty member and explore the possibility of the faculty member serving as advisor.  The Rehabilitation Science homepage has a link to Research Themes, including information on faculty expertise and contact information.  Remember: faculty members eligible to serve as advisor are those members who hold a PhD.

Compatibility of research interest is a major determinant in the mutual selection of an advisor by the student and of the student by the advisor.  Since some advisors may already be at capacity with graduate student advisees, availability of faculty is another determinant.  Finally, funding in the form of teaching and research assistantships has bearing on the number of applicants admitted.  Selection of, and consent from, an advisor is important to the application process.  Students in Rehabilitation Science do not enter by class, and, in consultation with advisor, complete the curriculum at the student’s discretion and pace.  This makes the student/advisor relationship especially important as the student works out a program of study that best meets the student’s needs.

Contact Information:

Rich Adamczak
Student Personnel Coordinator
Program in Rehabilitation Science
MMC 388
420 Delaware St SE
Minneapolis, MN  55455
Phone:  612-625-3966
Email:  adamc002@umn.edu