The program requires 72 credit hours; a minimum of 12 credits must be dissertation credits.
The UB Graduate School requires a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum grade of B in every required course.
Courses are offered alternating years.
Plus one of the following:
The PhD program requires a total of at least 72 credit hours. The specific courses itemized on this page plus the required minimum of 12 dissertation credits equals a total of 55 credit hours. For the remaining 17 credit hours, you will take research-oriented electives, from any departmetn at the University at Buffalo, in conusltation with your faculty advisor. For example, if you were concentrating on assistive technology, you could take several related courses, such as: OT 530 Computer Access 1, CDS 670 Augmentative Communication and ARC 558 Design for Inclusive Environments.
RSC 598 Supervised Teaching
A formal teaching experience, supervised by a faculty member, is required and preferably completed by the end of your third year in the program. Previous teaching experience can be used to meet this requirement with approval from the program director.
Upon completion of all required courses, each student must take a qualifying exam that will consist of questions prepared by the faculty from all core courses, including the foundational Rehabilitation Science courses, Statistics courses, research design and methods, and questions specific to the student’s research program.
Following successful completion of the qualifying exam, the student will complete a mentored original research dissertation that begins with a formal public proposal and culminates with an approved written document and public defense.
Students must register for a minimum of 12 dissertation credits, which should be spread over a number of semesters towards the end of your course of study.
Year 1 – Fall – 12 credits
RSC 600 Research in Rehab Science (1)
STA 527 Statistical Analysis I (Lec) (3)
STA 527 Statistical Analysis I (Rec) (1)
RSC 602 Research Ethics in the Health Sciences (3)
RSC 603 Theories and Mechanisms of Change in Rehab Science (3)
RSC 599 Independent Study (1)
Year 1 – Spring - 14 credits
RSC 600 Research in RS (1)
STA 528 Statistical Analysis II (Lec) (3)
STA 528 Statistical Analysis II (Rec) (1)
RSC 604 Disability and Rehabilitation (3)
RSC 522 Research Design & Methodology for Clinical Problems (3)
Elective (3)
Year 2 – Fall – 13 or 14 credits
RSC 600 Research in RS (1)
CHB 550 Public Health & Population Well-being (Lec & Rec) (3)
STA 529 or NUS 697 or NUS 710 (3 or 4)
Elective (3)
Elective (3)
Year 2 – Spring – 13 credits
RSC 600 Research in RS (1)
LAI 699 Seminar in College Teaching (3)
RSC 599 Independent Study (3) or Elective
Elective (3)
Elective (3)
Year 2 – Summer – Qualifying Exam
Year 3 – Fall – 9 or 10 credits
RSC 598 Supervised Teaching (1)
Grant writing course (ES 620, CHB 605 or equivalent) (2 or 3)
Elective (3)
RSC 699 Dissertation Guidance (3)
Year 3 – Spring – 9 credits
Elective (3)
RSC 699 Dissertation Guidance (6)
Year 4 – Fall – 2 credits
RSC 699 Dissertation Guidance (2)
Year 4 – Spring – 1 credit
RSC 699 Dissertation Guidance (1)