School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Departmental E-mail: dgifford [at] iupui [dot] edu

Departmental URL: www.shrs.iupui.edu/health_sciences

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin. Requirements may or may not be reflected identically in departmental URLs.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Master of Science in Health Sciences, Doctor of Philosophy in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Master of Science in Health Sciences

Program Information

The program is designed to meet the educational needs of practicing health and rehabilitation professionals and educators. All courses are offered in a distance format.  Most of the courses taken to satisfy the requirements of the master’s degree can be used to fulfill course requirements for the Ph.D. in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Program Requirements

The program consists of a minimum of 36 credit hours of course work, includ­ing a required 6 credit hour project or thesis.

Admission Requirements

Students accepted into the program must complete university, school, and program admission requirements. The minimum admission requirements are as follows:

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution (applicant must submit an official copy of all undergraduate transcripts).
2. Cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3. At least one undergraduate statistics or research methods course completed with a grade of B or better.
4. Three letters of recommendation from those familiar with the applicant’s academic and professional performance.
5. 300 to 500 word personal statement of academic and professional goals.
6. If applicable, a TOEFL iBT score of at least 100.

No student will be permitted to work toward a degree without first being admitted to the Master of Science program.

Prior Course Work Applied Toward Degree Requirements

A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours earned at Indiana University before admission may be applied toward a degree. Upon the recommendation of the Health Sciences program director and with the approval of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Academic Studies and Research Development Committee, up to 8 credit hours of graduate work at other institutions may be transferred in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. No course may be transferred from another institution unless the course was completed with a grade of B or higher within five years before matriculation in the Master of Science degree program.

Application Materials

An applicant must submit completed application forms to the Office of Academic and Student affairs, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Transcripts from all universities at­tended must be included. However, if the applicant is a graduate of Indiana University, the school will obtain those transcripts directly. Non–Indiana University graduates must submit at least one official transcript from each university attended. A nonrefundable application fee is required from all applicants who have never attended Indiana University.

Curriculum

A total of 36 credit hours will be required to complete the de­gree, allocated as follows:

• SHRS W510 Trends and Issues in Health Sciences (3 cr.)
• SHRS W520 Evidence Based Critical Inquiry in the Health Sciences (3 cr.)
• SHRS W541 Administration and Supervision of Rehabilitation Organizations (3 cr.)
  • SHRS W550 Health and Rehabilitation Systems Across the World (3 cr.)
  • SHRS W561 Approaches to Rehabilitation Case Management (3 cr.)
• SHRS W562 Psychological Aspects of Disability (3 cr.)
• SHRS W625 Diversity Issues in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (3 cr.)
• SHRS W663 Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Rehabilitation Organizations (3 cr.)
• SHRS W667 Ethical Issues in Rehabilitation Services (3 cr.)
• NURS R505 Measurement and Data Analysis (or equivalent) (3 cr.)
• SHRS W599 Thesis (6 cr.) OR
• SHRS W600 Project in Health Sciences (6 cr.)

Master of Science in Therapeutic Outcomes Research

This program is not currently accepting applications.

Doctor of Philosophy in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Degree Objective 

To develop scholars who, through their leadership and original research, will contribute to the knowledge base of health and rehabilitation sciences. Graduates will be able to be employed in universities, health care facilities and industries that focus on teaching others and advancing knowledge in health and rehabilitation.

Admissions Policy

Requirements, in addition to those of the Graduate School, include:

1. Completion of a post baccalaureate degree in health and rehabilitation sciences or in a related health care discipline, or completion of a baccalaureate degree with professional experience. 
2. Resume or curriculum vitae.
3. A 300-500 word personal statement of learning objectives, research interest, and leadership potential.  Applicants should identify a laboratory and/or a research mentor with which they are interested in studying. 
4. Competitive scores on the verbal and quantitative sections and a score of 3.5 or bet­ter on the analytical writing section of the GRE, completed within 5 years before matriculation into the Ph.D. program. Successful completion of a post graduate degree will waive the matriculation time period.
5. Formal interview with Ph.D. faculty once all materials have been received.
6. Within one year from acceptance the student must identify a person willing to serve as the research men­tor. The mentor must be actively engaged in research, and be able to effectively guide the student in the research process. The mentor does not have to be a faculty member in the SHRS, but must hold IU Graduate Faculty status or equivalent. This person may also serve as chair of the student’s dissertation committee.

A maximum of 30 semester credits may be transferred from the student’s post baccalaureate course work, as approved by the University Graduate School. No course may be transferred from another institution unless the course was completed with a grade of B or higher. 

Any exceptions to the admissions policies must be requested in writing to the director of the Ph.D. program.

Curriculum Requirements

The minimum requirements for the Ph.D. are 90 credit hours of advanced study, of which 30 semester credits may be trans­ferred from the student’s post-baccalaureate degree study, as approved by the student's advisory committee and the Univer­sity Graduate School.

The credits for the Ph.D. are distributed in the following catego­ries:

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Core Curriculum (12 credits in required courses)

• W660 Rehabilitation Theories and Applications (3 cr.)
• W661 Theories of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 cr.)
• W662 Rehabilitation Services in Healthcare Systems and Delivery (3 cr.)
• W672 Teaching Practicum within area of specialization (3 cr.)

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Concentration (30 credits)

Students will select one of the three areas of concentration identified by the Institute of Medicine. Students must declare an area of concentration and identify appropriate coursework within the SHRS and across campus in consultation with their Advisory Committee. Areas of concentration include:

• Pathophysiology and Impairment Research
• Functional Limitations/Functional Participation Research
• Health Services Research

Research Core (42 credits)

• GRAD G505 The Responsible Code of Research (1 cr.)
• GRAD N802 Techniques of Effective Grant Writing (3 cr.)
• NURS W540 Writing for Publication (3 cr.)
• SHRS W670 Research Practicum in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (6 cr.)
• Statistics and Research Design courses (9 cr.; courses must be approved by the student’s Advisory Committee as part of the student’s plan of study)
• Doctoral Seminar in Health and Rehabiltation Sciences (1 cr)
• Dissertation to include proposal (19 cr.)

Electives (6 credits)

Comprehensive Examination

Near, and usually in, the last semester of course work, students will be required to take a comprehensive written qualification examination in health and rehabilitation sciences, prepared by the student’s Advisory Committee. Only students who pass the exam may continue in the program. Students may be able to retake the examination one time if they fail to pass the first time. The retake must occur within six months of the original examination.