IUPUI is Indiana's premier urban research university. The campus enrolls more than 30,000 students in 21 schools and academic units.
Doctor of Philosophy
in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Curriculum
The Ph.D. program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is based on a curriculum supported by research and teaching and faculty already in place at IUPUI. The minimum requirements for the Ph.D. are 90 credit hours of advanced study, of which 30 credit hours may be transferred from the student’s post-baccalaureate degree of study, as approved by the School Admissions Committee and the University Graduate School. The 90 credit hours for the Ph.D. are distributed as follows:
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Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Core Curriculum (12 credits)
- Rehabilitation Theories and Applications (3 credits)
- Theories of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 credits)
- Rehabilitation Services in Healthcare Systems and Delivery (3 credits)
- Teaching Practicum within area of specialization (3 credits)
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Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Concentration (30 credits)
Students will select one of the three areas of concentration identified by the Institute of Medicine. Areas of concentration include:
- Pathophysiology and Impairment
- Functional Limitations/Functional Participation
- Health Services
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Research Core (42 credits)
- Statistics and Research Design courses (9 credits)
- Techniques of Effective Grant Writing (3 credits)
- Writing for Publication (3 credits)
- Research Ethics (1 credit)
- Research Practicum within concentration (6 credits)
- Doctoral Seminar in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (1 credit)
- Dissertation to include proposal in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences(19 credits)
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Electives (6 credits)
*For a detailed list of courses, please download Elective Course Listing [ PDF ].
Sample Plan of Study
Area of Specialization: Functional Limitation
Each student’s plan of study will be unique, depending upon his or her full-time or part-time status and previous graduate coursework. It is highly likely the students most attracted to the Ph.D. in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences will have graduated from a previous M.S. or graduate professional program related to rehabilitation (e.g. physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition & dietetics, athletic training, sports medicine). The course sequence and timing of courses will depend on the mix of entering full and/or part-time students and the scheduling of courses taken from other schools. Students must be registered for a minimum of 8 hours in the fall and spring semesters to be considered full time. In the summer, full time equals 4 hours. Shown below is a sample plan of study for a full-time student who has a graduate physical therapy degree and has entered the Ph.D. in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences program. The sample curriculum is shown for the Functional Limitation area of specialization but similar sample plans could be put forth for the other concentrations.
Courses included in the following table are illustrative and some of their descriptions are not included in this proposal.
First Year
| Courses Accepted from Previous Graduate Work in Physical Therapy (18 credits) |
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|---|---|
| First Year Fall Semester (8 credits) |
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| First Year Spring Semester (9 credits) |
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| First Year Summer Session (6 credits) |
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Second Year
| Second Year Fall Semester (9 credits) | GRAD G652: Introduction to Biostatistics II (3 credits) SHRS W662: Rehabilitation Services in Health Care Systems and Delivery ( 3 credits) SHRS W670: Research Practicum in Motion Analysis Laboratory (3 credits) |
|---|---|
| Second Year Spring Semester (9 credits) |
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| Second Year Summer Session (6 credits) |
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Third Year
| Third Year Fall Semester (9 credits) |
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|---|---|
| Third Year Spring Semester (8 credits) |
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Fourth Year
| Fourth Year Fall Semester (8 credits) |
|
|---|
Additional Information
Plan of Study. Each admitted student will develop a plan of study in consultation with the PhD program director. Students must achieve and maintain a B average to remain in the program.
Qualification 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 6 months of the original examination.
Advisory Committee. All students will have an Advisory Committee to include at least 2 members from the student’s concentration area and one from another area. At least 2 members of the committee must be members of the graduate faculty. The advisory committee shall approve the student’s plan of study and counsel the student until the passing of the qualifying examination.
Dissertation Committee. To initiate research for the dissertation, the student selects a member of the graduate faculty qualified to chair the research committee who will agree to direct the dissertation. This person will normally serve as chairperson of the research committee. There shall be 2 other committee members representing the concentration area and one from each minor. Another person may be substituted for the minor representation if the student does not have a minor. The committee has the responsibility of supervising the research, reading the dissertation, and conducting the final examination. Overlap may occur among membership in the advisory and research committee.
Minor in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Students enrolled in doctoral and master’s degree programs on campus may earn a minor in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Students will be required to take at least 15 credits hours focusing on health and rehabilitation sciences to include the following core courses:
- SHRS W660: Rehabilitation Theories and Applications (3 credit hours)
- SHRS W661: Theories of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 credit hours)
- SHRS W662: Rehabilitation Services in Health Care Systems and Delivery (3 credits)
Students will need to have an additional 6 credit hours in one of the 3 concentration areas.
