Rehabilitation Services Education

(Undergraduate Degree Program)

Employment Opportunities
The success of our approach at ESU in training rehabilitation specialists within the broad rehabilitation system, including public and private community-based agencies, can be measured by the types of activities engaged in by graduates. It is expected that the graduates of this program will engage in activities to assist individuals with disabilities in reaching their maximum potential. They may participate in developing comprehensive placement-oriented services with varying types of rehabilitation clients. They will be able to recognize the need for basic support services and strategies that may include cognitive and behavior modification elements.

Professional Standards
The task of producing well-trained personnel to meet the growing labor force requirements in the field of rehabilitation has created an awareness of the need to define standards of quality for the preparation of personnel in the field and a method of recognition for undergraduate rehabilitation programs. Standards and recognition are important to graduates of these programs who must market themselves in an increasingly competitive labor market. Over the past five years various individuals have reviewed the needs in the rehabilitation field and the components necessary to create a recognition process for undergraduate programs.

In July, 1998 formal approval was granted to implement a registry of undergraduate rehabilitation education programs in the United States. This approval was provided by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) which has primary interest in improving and maintaining quality academic programs in rehabilitation. The ESU program was reviewed during the fall semester of 1998. In July 1999, ESU was identified as one of only eleven university programs that were included on the first Registry of Undergraduate Rehabilitation Programs.

Financial Assistance
A wide variety of financial programs are availabe to assist students in obtaining their educational goals at ESU. They include grants, scholarships, work programs and loans. Completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for all federeal programs. The priority filing date is March 15.

For more information about financial aid go to http://www.emporia.edu/finaid/

Professional Organizations
Throughout the academic programs of students the importance of involvement in professional organizations is stressed. Students are encouraged to join at least one of the two major national organizations that represent the professionals in the field of rehabilitation, National Rehabilitation Associations (NRA) and Amercian Counseling Association (ACA). The majority of students become involved in the Student Chapter of the Kansas Rehabilitation Association; meetings are held monthly.  Students are also encouraged to join and attend the conference of the organization of community-based programs in Kansas (InterHab) as well as attend the Regional VII, Issues Forum Conference in Kansas City during the Spring of each year.

Top of Page