PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences
Transform our current approach to rehabilitation theory and practice
UIC’s PhD in rehabilitation sciences give you a unique, intensive and interdisciplinary experience in the theoretical, methodological, and pedagogical aspects of rehabilitation sciences. We combine the study of clinical and behavioral sciences, enabling you to produce a focused line of rehabilitation-related research that might transform theory, scholarship and practice.
Rehabilitation sciences is a broad field with contributions from many types of professional and scientific disciplines. Current students in our program have degrees in:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Medicine
- Kinesiology
- Engineering
- Neurological rehabilitation
- Statistics
- Speech language pathology
This broad range of backgrounds necessitates a personalized approach to the program as a whole. Key core courses prepare you for thesis and dissertation work, and elective courses allow you to specialize in several thematic areas.
Our home in the College of Applied Health Sciences allows us to provide research and educational expertise through the AHS departments. Drawing upon our experts in occupational therapy, physical therapy and other rehabilitation-related disciplines, we seek to promote function and prevent or reduce disability.
Your career Heading link
A PhD in rehabilitation sciences prepares you to become a researcher, educator or scientist-practitioner. You’ll be skilled at conducting applied and translational research in a wide range of rehabilitation settings, such as:
- Universities
- Teaching hospitals
- Clinical settings
- Private industry
- Government facilities
- ​Community-based and non-for-profit organizations
With a PhD in rehabilitation sciences, you’ll be perfectly suited for a traditional faculty role in physical therapy, occupational therapy and kinesiology. ​There’s a significant faculty shortage in the rehabilitation disciplines, specifically in physical and occupational therapy. We focus on filling those roles, as well as those of other rehabilitation professionals, such as speech and language pathologists, and rehabilitation nurses or physicians.
Learn from the best Heading link
Understanding by doing Heading link
​In our mentor-driven program, you’ll immerse yourself in an area that is of shared interest with your primary mentor.​ This allows you to determine your individual course of study and pursue the topics that are of most interested to you.
You’ll perform at least 32 hours of research in your focus area, but you won’t do it alone. With your faculty advisor, you’ll work through specific areas of investigation aligned with their expertise and contribute to breakthroughs in the field that allow us to transform our current approaches to rehabilitation theory and practice​.
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We’re here for you
Still wondering what a PhD in rehabilitation sciences can do for you? Contact Alex Aruin and get your questions answered.
You can contact Alex Aruin at:
Email aaruin@uic.edu
Phone 312.355.0904
Address 1919 W. Taylor St.
427 AHSB, MC 898
Chicago, IL 60612