Rehabilitation Counseling M.A.
The Rehabilitation Counseling master’s program at the University of Northern Colorado is one of the top programs of its kind in the United States. Accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the 60-credit-hour degree program is known for its exceptional classroom teachers who are also recognized experts and seasoned researchers in the field of Rehabilitation Counseling. In recognition of our program’s quality, the U.S. Department of Education recently awarded UNC a five-year, $938,705 federal grant to train rehabilitation counselors at the master’s level.
Superior Training, Outstanding Job Opportunities
As a student in this master’s program, you have the option to take part in a supervised practicum in-person at our Rehabilitation Counseling Clinic or with clients online, where you'll get actual experience counseling clients under observation and supervision. In addition, you will complete 600 clock hours of internship, including 240 hours in direct service to people with disabilities. Rehabilitation counselors make a real difference in the lives of people with disabilities, and UNC graduates stand out in the field. In recent years, 93 percent of our graduates have passed the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam, and 100 percent have found employment in their field.
Degree Details
Credits Required:
60
Location/Delivery:
Greeley
Time to Completion:
2.5 Years
Degree Option
M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling
Our Rehabilitation Counseling M.A. is designed to meet the needs of working professionals. Required courses can be completed online, or on-campus. On-campus courses are offered in a hybrid format where students can attend online or in-person. Elective courses can be taken either online or on-campus. Typically, the program can be completed in two to three academic years, including summers.
Take the next step! Explore courses, contact information and admission requirements.
Related Programs
“The internship experience is vital and invaluable for success as a new Rehabilitation Counselor. I still refer back to my internship experience as I have grown in this profession. The structure of the classes and the relationships with the professors also promote success. I like that I'm really making a difference and I can see the positive outcomes.”
—Kelly Dieter, Rehabilitation Counseling, 2012
Your Future in Rehabilitation Counseling
Rehabilitation Counseling is a rapidly growing field that offers those with the right training and education excellent career potential. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in this field are expected to grow by 11 percent in the next decade. Graduates of the well-respected UNC Rehabilitation Counseling program are avidly recruited both regionally and nationally.
Consider UNC’s M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling if you want to:
- Work as a certified rehabilitation counselor
- Help people with disabilities
- Gain extensive hands-on experience as part of your training
- Learn from nationally respected leaders in rehabilitation education
You’ll learn:
- Social, cultural, psychological and medical aspects of disabilities
- Vocational assessment and job placement services to people with disabilities
- Rehabilitation counseling theories and techniques
- Ways to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities
- How to evaluate research in the field of rehabilitation counseling and related areas
Sample courses:
- Rehabilitation Principles and Case Management
- Vocational Evaluation and Assessment of People with Disabilities
- Occupational Information and Job Placement
- Medical Aspects of Disability
Beyond the Classroom
Practical, hands-on experience is at the core of the UNC Rehabilitation Counseling master’s program. It starts with a supervised practicum either online, or on-campus at the UNC Rehabilitation Counseling Clinic, where you’ll work with actual clients and meet afterward with your classmates and the professor to discuss the session. You will also complete a 600-clock-hour internship working alongside professional rehabilitation counselors in the field. Our students have interned at the Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation offices throughout Colorado and other public agencies, as well as at mental health facilities and private non-profit and for-profit organizations.
Where can your degree take you?
- State rehabilitation agencies
- Programs that work with individuals who are blind and visually impaired
- Mental health agencies
- Programs serving veterans
- Worker’s compensation programs
- Private non-profit rehabilitation agencies
- Independent living centers
Current Research
UNC’s Rehabilitation Counseling professors have a long history of engaging with students in groundbreaking research. The following study is a case in point.
Improving Nutrition and Physical Activity Among Individuals with Mental Illness
Jill Bezyak, Ph.D. (Rehabilitation Counseling)
Dr. Bezyak, her colleague, Dr. Clark, and their team of graduate and undergraduate students undertook an intervention program for clients of North Range Behavioral Health in Greeley, Colorado, to address physical activity and nutritional education needs. She and her team worked specifically with clients at the Frontier House, which is a program within North Range Behavioral Health that serves adults with severe and persistent mental illness. The intervention program was created based on feedback from clients, and the intervention was designed to specifically meet the needs of the target population. The team incorporated motivational interviewing as a tool to enhance behavior change in the areas of physical activity and healthy eating. Following the intervention program, participants reported increased calcium, Vitamin D, fruit, and grain consumption, along with improved cooking and grocery shopping skills.
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