Certificate in Rehabilitation Science

Point of Contact
Dr. Ali Weinstein
Phone: 703-993-9632
E-mail: aweinst2@gmu.edu

The graduate certificate in Rehabilitation Science prepares participants to apply research and statistical techniques to the study of the enabling-disabling process. The Institute of Medicine defines Rehabilitation Science as “a field of study that encompasses basic and applied aspects of the health sciences, social sciences, and engineering. It is the melding of knowledge from several disciplines to understand the fundamental nature of the enabling-disabling process.”  Students will acquire competencies in the following areas: rehabilitation and recovery framework; research design/methodology; statistics; and conduct of applied rehabilitation research. 

Admission Requirements

A bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to health sciences from an accredited institution of higher education with a GPA of no less than 3.0 in the last 60 credits is required. Such fields include, but are not limited to, health science, biostatistics, biology, nursing, medicine, physical therapy, occupation therapy, physiatry, engineering, and psychology.  Application to this Certificate is made through the College of Health and Human Services.

Program Requirements

A minimum of 15 credits is required for the completion of this certificate. All students in the certificate program must complete the four core courses in Rehabilitation Science and then choose one elective course from a pre-selected list of electives (list below).

Program of Study

• Required Courses (12 credits)
  • GCH 510 (3:3:0)
    Scientific Basis for Pain, Fatigue, and Suffering in Chronic Illness and Disability
  • GCH 550 (3:3:0)
    Introduction to Rehabilitation Science
  • GCH 551 (3:3:0)
    Rehabilitation Science Research Methods
  • HHS 597 (3:3:0)
    Approaches to Data Analysis in Health Care Research
    
• Elective Courses (3 credits) – Choose 1 course from the following:
  • GCH 506 (3:3:0)
    Clinical Exercise Physiology
  • GCH 620 (3:3:0)
    Psychosocial Aspects of Rehabilitation
  • GCH 637 (3:3:0)
    Normal Aging and Health Deviations
  • GCH 659 (3:3:0)
    Health Care of Aging Persons with Chronic Illnesses
  • GCH 712 (3:3:0)
    Introduction to Epidemiology
  • GCH 732 (3:3:0)
    Chronic Disease Epidemiology
  • GCH 804 (3:3:0)
    Advanced Quantitative Data Analysis for Healthcare Research I

Total = 15 Credits

Explanation of Credit Hours

Course titles are followed by numbers in parentheses (0:0:0), separated by colons.  The numbers have the following significance:

• First number: credits for the course
• Second number: hours of lecture or seminar per week for the course
• Third number: hours of laboratory for the course

For independent study, readings, topics, or similar courses, individual instructors set hours.