M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling

Program Requirements

Online Program Delivery:
If you are applying for the online program, please visit our online programs webpage for specific program requirements.

Program Overview:

The Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling is one of several programs in the Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology (CSEP). The curriculum involves the equivalent of four (4) semesters of full time study (12 credits per semester), requiring a minimum of 48 credit hours (44 of which are required) and often totaling 50 or more credit hours. Usually, students complete the program on a full time (12 credits or more per semester) basis. Occasionally, situations arise which necessitate part-time program involvement. Part-time study must be closely coordinated with the academic advisor.

Continuous Registration:

The program must be completed within five years of the date of matriculation. An extension of this time limit may be petitioned, but students may be required to take additional course work or show currency in other ways. Students need to maintain continuous registration each academic year (fall and spring semester) from the time they matriculate until they graduate. Students who have not registered for at least one credit per semester will have to reapply for admission to the program. Illness or other personal reasons may require an interruption in study. Students can petition for a leave of absence, usually one year in length, when it is impossible for them to maintain registration. Time on leave of absence does not count against the five-year limitation, and the requirement for continuous registration is waived. If students anticipate the need to be absent, it is to their advantage to file a request for leave, prior to the beginning of the semester beginning their leave period. Petitions filed after leave has begun may be denied. Leave forms may be obtained in the Departmental Office, 409 Baldy.

Within the department certain courses cover foundations, knowledge, and skills that are common to all programs. These courses constitute a professional counseling core and may be taught by CSEP faculty from other programs. The counseling core include the study of the history of counseling, counseling theory, ethical and professional issues, vocational development, working with groups, tests and measurements, and research methods. Rehabilitation counseling students are also required to take courses specific to the field of rehabilitation, introducing them to the basic principles, history, institutions, and resources within the field of rehabilitation, and to the medical and psychosocial problems faced by persons with disabilities and their families. All of these courses are taught by the rehabilitation faculty. Electives are available within the department, electives taken outside the department require prior approval from the student’s advisor.

Clinical Training Experience:

All Field Work, Practicum, and Internship placements must be arranged through the use of the Department’s Clinical Coordinator. The Clinical Coordinator is a part-time staff member in the department who is responsible for securing and maintaining Affiliation Agreements between the University and cooperating agencies (e.g., rehabilitation facilities, mental health clinics, substance abuse treatment centers, private rehabilitation companies).

1. Field Work

In Field Work, the expectation is that the student may not have had much training or experience working in rehabilitation. Prior to being placed in the field, students get basic training in counseling skills. For some students, this brief training and the introduction to rehabilitation in the community gained from the lectures and field visits given during the first half of the semester will be the only specific background they have. Students go to their field work placements for the second half of the semester, arranging their schedule so that they spend a total of about 50 hours in the field. The field portion of the Field Work course should afford the student the chance to learn about one particular agency, its clientele, and the method of operation. Students should get as thorough an introduction to the agency as possible. Their client contact may be a pre-counseling, informational kind of meeting, observation of a session involving an agency counselor, participant observation in a group, etc. Supervision of Field Work is through a supervisor at the site, and group supervision on campus, augmented by individual supervision as needed.

Many students come to Field Work with considerable experience in counseling and rehabilitation, gained through previous employment. It should be remembered that students are at the agency for an educational experience, not to serve as unpaid employees, though they will help in the delivery of services. Occasionally, students want to do field work at a site at which they are currently employed, or where they have worked. If the site meets the other requirements for suitable placement, the fact that students are current or former employees will not disqualify the site. Generally students should not do more than one field placement at a site where they are or have been employed and their time there must constitute a learning experience such as working in a new program or with different clientele (the program does not give credit for work experience).

2. Practicum

Ordinarily, but not necessarily, the student stays on for the Practicum at the Field Work site. Such continuity reduces the time required for introduction and orientation. In Practicum, it is expected that the student begin counseling with a small caseload under the close supervision of their on-site and on-campus supervisors. Caseload responsibilities should include program planning and implementation, again under close supervision. The student's time schedule should be worked out by the student and the on-site supervisor. The total number of hours expected for both the Practicum and the Internship is 300 hours per semester (600 hours total). Ordinarily, this can be met by scheduling the equivalent of three eight-hour days a week on site. University supervision is done through weekly individual sessions with faculty or advanced doctoral students, plus a weekly Practicum seminar. This is in addition to the supervision done by the site supervisor.

3. Internship

Students are required to do their Internship at a site different from their Practicum. Ordinarily, students must get at least two different experiences during their education. The Internship should take a counselor-in-training with basic skills in counseling and experience in one setting, and provide additional experience and practice. At the end of the Internship, the student should be able to function as well as beginning agency staff. Supervision is provided by the on-site supervisor, and by weekly individual supervision on campus. The student should be given responsibility for a small caseload to be handled with only somewhat more supervision than a beginning employee.

The Research Project:

A final requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling is the completion of a Master's Project, which is designed to give you experience in independent scholarly inquiry and communication through written research under the direction of an advisor. The Master's Project is typically begun during the summer following the first year, and submitted in duplicate in final form at least a month before graduation. Students should register for CEP 700 (Individual Guidance Project) once, for two credits, during the semester in which they begin their project. Sometimes students find that their projects take much more than two credits worth of work. It is possible for students to arrange Independent Study (CEP 703) to cover that work which they and their project advisor find to be beyond that normally involved in the project. Most students register for, and do most of the work on their projects in their third (usually Fall) semester. Earlier is better; do not put it off to the end.

Advisement:

The Master's Project is usually written with your major advisor. However, with the consent of all concerned, you can write the project with any faculty member. Most advisors prefer to give feedback and help in writing early, and in small doses. Therefore, it is critical that you keep your advisor informed and work closely with him or her. Arrange to have your writing turned in rough draft, a chapter or less at a time. When in doubt, always confer with your advisor.

Topic Selection:

Students who have trouble coming up with ideas, or knowing what to do, should examine previous projects for former students (your advisor can direct you to these). Students occasionally have difficulty in finding or formulating a topic of relevance, interest, and meaning. Such students might find relevance in one of the ongoing program projects, and they should talk to their advisor and other faculty.

Quality:

The same standards of quality of the scholarship and writing will apply as would be used in judging the adequacy of a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, even though the scope of the project may be less, or the range of possible topics greater. The writing of the project and the documentation should follow the current American Psychological Association style manual. Writing must be person-first and non-sexist in style. One of the real pleasures that can come from a Master's Project is publication in one of the professional journals. Of course, what gets published will be a heavily edited version of your project. Usually, this can be done best as a co-authored article, written with your advisor. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the Writing Place, whose mission is to provide students, faculty and staff feedback on their writing. Through dialogue with a tutor, students strengthen their understanding of writing processes, improve writing skills, and refine self-editing skills. The Writing Place is located on the 2nd Floor of Baldy Hall; its hours are Monday–Thursday 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. You can find out more about the Writing Place by visiting their website at: http://tlc.buffalo.edu/lcwrite.htm.

Format:

The Research Project must conform to American Psychological Association Publication Manual style (all students are encouraged to purchase this manual form the UB Bookstore – some APA style guidelines may be obtained via the Internet as well). The project itself can take many forms, but generally consists of three chapters, typically the Introduction, Review of the Literature, and Summary / Conclusions / Recommendations. Examples of research projects include:

• a critical review of the literature (i.e., library research) regarding some particular issue
• an empirical study involving experimental or quasi-experimental data analysis.
• a survey of practices, opinions, or attitudes of some sub-population of interest
• the exploration or development of a theory or a quasi-theoretical model
• the writing of an essay or position-paper of relevance
• the development and evaluation of a rehabilitation counseling training tool or material
• the development and evaluation of some program or project evaluation methodology

No reasonable answer can be given to students who ask how long a master's project should be. Some have been as short 20 pages, some as long as over 200. After a certain point, length and quality are not necessarily correlated. The project is graded by the advisor, or substitute if so arranged. Typically, the student is expected to access refereed journal articles, as well as other sources of information, in the preparation of the project. The best starting place for this, and all of your other papers, is the UB Library. You should negotiate with the advisor prior to beginning the project as to whether or not a letter grade (A-F) or satisfactory-unsatisfactory (S-U) system will be used. Projects should be turned in heavy plastic covers, with the pages fastened or clamped. The final copies (one original, one copy) of the project must be turned in to the advisor at least one month before the end of the semester in which the student expects to graduate.

Academic Procedures and Deadlines:

You will find that there are a number of academic procedures and deadlines that you will be responsible for, i.e. if you do not do what is required by the deadline you might find that your diploma is delayed. The way to find out about these procedures is to read UB Graduate School publications and GSE catalog, watch the places where announcements are posted (including around Baldy 409 and on the door of Baldy 413), and talk to faculty and other students. The major procedures are outlined below:

1. Application to Candidacy:

This is your statement of program and is the most important document required for you to graduate. This form must be completed and approved by the semester before the one in which you intend to graduate. To be sure that there is time to do this, we ask that you complete the procedure during your second semester. Watch the announcements on your email for specific dates. Students can obtain the form here: Application to Candidacy (ATC)

2. Independent Study:

If you wish to do academic work on a particular topic, but cannot find a suitable course, it may be possible for you to study what you want through registering for an Independent Study. You will be required to identify and work with a faculty member who is willing to serve as your Independent Study instructor. The number of credits you earn, what you study, and how you are graded are to be negotiated between you and the instructor. To get credit for the Independent Study, however, you must complete a brief form and have it signed by the instructor. Copies of this form must be filed with your Application to Candidacy in order for you to include the Independent Study as part of your degree. Copies of the form may be obtained in 409 Baldy.

3. Master's Project Completion:

The Master's Project is an important part of your academic experience. There are a few procedural items that you must be aware of:
Human Subjects Review: This is required before you can begin any research that involves human subjects. The University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) must approve all research that involves collecting data (even if it is gathered from records without direct contact with subjects). Most studies will qualify for an expedited review because they do not pose a threat to people or their privacy. Students must work with their advisor to obtain human subjects approval.
An "M Form" (multi-purpose form) is to be filed at least 30 days before graduation, certifying that, as far as the Department knows, you have completed all the requirements for your degree. Your advisor is responsible for completing this form. The form cannot be completed until you have turned in your Master's Project and your advisor has had time to read it. To allow this time, the Master's Project must be submitted in final form more than 30 days before the end of the semester. The specific dates for project completion are posted on the Baldy 413 door each semester.

4. Grades:

Grading practices follow certain Graduate School and University guidelines which you should read in the Bulletin. Each instructor will announce specific grading policies in each class. At least 75% of the student’s program (credit hours) must consist of graded (not S-U) courses. There are a few other points you should especially note:

Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory (S-U) Grades: Most instructors are reluctant to use S-U grades in graduate level courses for students majoring in the Department.. One exception is in the Field Work/Practicum/ Internship sequence, where S-U grades are the rule. If you want to be graded S-U in an academic course, you should talk to the instructor prior to entering the course. As indicated above, the Graduate School policy on S-U grades requires that no more than 25% of your grades (clinical courses excepted) can be S-U.

Incompletes: All instructors will announce their specific policy about incomplete (I) grades. You should avoid incompletes if you possibly can. If unavoidable events (illness, accident) require an incomplete, contract with the instructor, in writing, specific dates and procedures for completing the course. Be aware of the current Graduate School policy for Incomplete Grades, or you may find yourself with an "U" in your transcript.

Advisement and Communication:

Each student has an academic advisor who is assigned at the beginning of his/her program. The incoming student is expected to initiate and maintain regular contact with his/her advisor. The advisor, in addition to helping guide the student through the program, is responsible for supervising the student’s internship and research project. Students may change advisors at anytime in their program, but must do so with consultation and permission from their current and proposed advisors.

Upon beginning the program, rehabilitation counseling students are required to obtain and activate their UB email addresses (this service is provided at no additional cost to you). You may activate your email address by contacting Computing and Information Technology (CIT) at http://ubit.buffalo.edu/students/. You may access your email from any of the computer labs or libraries on campus. Students who have their own computers may dial into the UB server and access at home as well. Students are responsible for checking their email on a regular, if not daily, to get announcements/information about deadlines, program changes, internship and job opportunities, and so forth. In many instances, email is the only vehicle used for announcements. In addition to email, announcements of interest to program students are posted on the bulletin board near the student lounge. You should plan to check that area regularly as well.