Rehabilitation & Disability Studies
Programs + Internship
Rehabilitation & Disability Studies is available as a major and a minor. RDS offers students a comprehensive yet practical foundation of principles, strategies, and experiences to facilitate employability in the broad fields of rehabilitation and human services. The program provides undergraduate training in rehabilitation and disability studies for those students who plan either to enter the work force upon graduation or do graduate work in counseling.
Where is rehabilitation practiced?
The need for rehabilitation services continues to grow exponentially. Rehabilitation graduates have the opportunity to enter careers in diverse fields, such as:
- Community Support Services
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling
- Mental Health
- Developmental Disabilities
- Student Services
- Residential Care
- Supported Employment
- Independent Living Services
- Services to the Elderly
- Child and Family Services
- Corrections
- Therapeutic Recreation
Why Emporia State?
- low student to professor ratio
- experienced faculty
- high demand for qualified professionals
- diverse clinical experiences
- individual career guidance
Graduates of the Rehabilitation & Disability Studies program can be eligible for the Kansas Licensed Addictions Counselor (LAC) credential.
Where is the Rehabilitation & Disability Studies program located?
We are located in The Earl Center, located off of State Street across from Hammond Park. Learn more...
Rehabilitation & Disability Studies, RDS Concentration
Bachelor of Science
Rehabilitation & Disability Studies, Addiction Counseling Concentration
Bachelor of Science
Mission and Objectives
The mission of the Rehabilitation & Disability Studies program is to prepare undergraduate rehabilitation professionals to work in a variety of human service settings that provide support services to and with individuals with disabilities. Frequently, these settings focus on supporting individuals obtain employment, participate in the community, and develop as much independence/inter-dependence as possible.
The primary objectives of the Rehabilitation & Disability Studies program are:
- to prepare students to assume positions as rehabilitation service specialists in a variety of human service settings; and
- to prepare students to enter graduate study in Rehabilitation Counseling and related professional service fields.
Admission Requirements
Individuals wishing to major or minor in Rehabilitation & Disability Studies must meet the following conditions prior to being accepted in the program:
- have completed a minimum of 30 undergraduate credit hours;
- earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale);
- complete either RE 290 Introduction to Rehabilitation Programs (3 hrs) or RE 291 Survey of Disabling Conditions (3 hrs) with a grade of B or better; and
- complete an application to the program (DOC) and return it to the Department of Counselor Education.
RDS Student Manual (PDF)
Contract for Undergraduate Degree in RDS (DOC)
Internship Information
One of the main objectives of the rehabilitation program internship is to provide practical application of the undergraduate training experience. Such a program brings together in a realistic setting the diverse kinds of client behavior, and problems, with which a rehabilitation specialist is concerned
RSE students are expected to serve a minimum of 600 clock hours for nine hours of undergraduate credit. The student intern will work during the agency’s regular working hours. If the student’s internship is scheduled for two semesters, they work 20 hours per week for 30 weeks. In order to understand the scope of services and the problems of service delivery, students are expected to meet the requirements by working in only one field setting.