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2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog
University of Pittsburgh
   
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
 
  Mar 29, 2024
 
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Rehabilitation Science, BS


Return to School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Return to: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

The Bachelor of Science Program in Rehabilitation Science (BSRS) offers a dynamic curriculum designed to prepare students for graduate education in occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, prosthetics and orthotics, rehabilitation counseling and assistive technology, in addition to other health care professions. The program has core curriculum requirements with enough flexibility to permit students to pursue their particular interests and goals. Students are encouraged to explore other areas of academic inquiry through elective courses, minors and certificates throughout the University and abroad; to participate in clinical experiences; to involve themselves in undergraduate research; and to develop their leadership skills through participation in student organizations and community service.

Faculty who teach in the BSRS program constitute a strong interdisciplinary group of individuals from the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences including representation from the departments of Emergency Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, and Rehabilitation Science and Technology. In addition, instructors from other Schools of the Health Sciences (e.g., Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health) teach within the program along with community leaders, clinicians and researchers with experience in selected areas.

Contact Information:

Amy Evans, MPPM

Academic Advisor and Assistant Director 

Undergraduate Program in Rehabilitation Science

Suite 5048, Forbes Tower

412-383-6644

undergradrehabscience@shrs.pitt.edu

Admission Requirements

Prerequisite Courses: 

Students are eligible for admission to the Rehabilitation Science Program after successful completion of 60 college credits including the following prerequisite courses, other admission criteria and an application. Applications will be viewed when approximately 45 credits are completed and 15 credit are in process.

Total Prerequisites: 34-37

Students planning to apply to graduate programs in health sciences are encouraged to complete most of the prerequisite courses for those programs (e.g., Physics 2, Biology 2, Chemistry 2, etc.) prior to admission to the Undergraduate Rehabilitation Science Program. Anatomy and Physiology (prerequisites for many professional health science programs) are included in the Rehabilitation Science curriculum.

Application Procedures

Required for admission: an application with all transcripts from colleges attended, a personal statement, one letter of recommendation, and a resume. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a minimum math and science prerequisite GPA of 2.5 is required (3.0 GPA is strongly preferred). Please note that admission to the Rehabilitation Science program is competitive. Meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee admission.

For additional admission criteria, please refer to the SHRS Admissions section of this catalog.

Transfer Student Information:

Transfer students must apply to the University of Pittsburgh by completing the Office of Admission and Financial Aid’s Transfer Application and selecting Rehabilitation Science as their intended field of study. International transfer students click here. Application deadline: February 15

Rehabilitation Science Curriculum


While enrolled in the Rehabilitation Science program, students must complete a minimum of 30 credits of SHRS coursework, including the core courses and at least one course from each of the core areas. Students must complete 120 cumulative credits to graduate with the BS in Rehabilitation Science degree.

  • The 30 required SHRS credits include courses from the following departments: ATHLTR, CSD, EM, HIM, HRS, NUTR, and REHSCI.
  • HRS 1018 Survey of Health and Rehabilitation Professions does not count toward the 30 required SHRS credits for graduation.
Online Course Policy:

Once a student has matriculated into the BSRS Program, up to 6 online credits will be accepted from either the University of Pittsburgh or another four-year institution. An exception may be made for an online medical terminology course noting that only one credit will be applied towards the BSRS degree.  Therefore, a total of 7 online credits may be possible with this scenario. No online courses will be accepted from a two-year institution, other than medical terminology. 

Additional online credits may be accepted if taken prior to matriculation into the BSRS Program. Students are expected to review their plan of study with the BSRS Academic Advisor before registering for any online course.  All credits from an outside institution must be approved before a student may enroll.

 

Policy on Taking Courses at Another Institution: 

Current SHRS students in good academic standing (cumulative GPA of at least 2.00), including students admitted to SHRS who need to complete prerequisites prior to starting their program, may attend another accredited institution to complete their degree requirements, provided they receive prior approval from the SHRS Dean’s office. Students who have completed 60 or more credits may not take program-required courses or electives at two-year institutions. However, up to six credits of graduate school prerequisites may be taken at a two-year institution and be applied to the BSRS degree.

Students will be required to fill out an approval form and provide appropriate course descriptions. Students will not receive credit for courses taken without advance approval. SHRS students may not enroll in courses outside the University of Pittsburgh in the semester they are graduating from SHRS.

Human Physiology (4 credits):


One of the following:

NUR 0012 Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and NUR 0002 Nursing Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory 1 will no longer be accepted for students entering the program in Fall 2020 and later.

Research Methodology:


One of the following:

Example Plan of Study


This plan of study example includes both required and elective courses offered in the Undergraduate Program in Rehabilitation Science. Students are encouraged to design their own plan of study based on their career, academic and personal interests. 

Return to School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Return to: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences



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