MRC

Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling

About the Program

The Rehabilitation Counseling program is housed within the USU College of Education and is in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling. The Master’s of Rehabilitation Counseling (USU MRC) program is ranked #6 in the nation by the US News and World Report. Rehabilitation Counseling has a dual identity, that of an allied health profession and that of a specialized area of general counseling. This degree prepares rehabilitation counselors at the master’s degree level to serve people with disabilities and “assist persons with physical, mental, developmental, cognitive, and emotional disabilities to achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals” (CRCC, Scope of Practice Statement). The MRC program emphasizes counseling skill development, vocational and mental health assessment, transition services for youth with disability, ethical service delivery, advocacy, and employment

Additionally, the USU MRC program prepares rehabilitation counselors to provide professional counseling services to individuals with a broad range of disabilities in a variety of settings, such as state rehabilitation agencies, independent living centers, Veterans Administration, rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric and community mental health programs private rehabilitation facilities and agencies, employment assistance programs, and private industry. The degree is a 61-credit program accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

MRC Mission and Goals 

The mission of the Master of Rehabilitation Counseling program is to promote quality rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities through the education of rehabilitation counselors and professionals, provision of continuing education specific to rehabilitation counseling and serving people with disabilities, emphasizing ethical service delivery, and through research related to rehabilitation.

The USU Rehabilitation Counseling program recruits, admits, assists, and retains diverse students who contribute to the general needs of the rehabilitation field and persons with disabilities. The program is dedicated to the preparation of practitioners who will provide rehabilitation counseling in accordance with the standards outlined by the accrediting body, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP), as well as adhering to the legal and ethical considerations outlined in the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) Code of Professional Ethics and Scope of Practice.

Our students graduate with the ability to:

  • use counseling theory and theories of human growth and development to better conceptualize clients;

  • implement individual counseling and group counseling skills;

  • administer and interpret assessments;

  • find and understand research to better implement Evidence Based Practices; and

  • adhere to professional codes of ethics.

In so doing, students will be better able to engage in meaningful relationships with individuals with disabilities as they engage in the counseling process to enhance personal/psychological, educational, and career/vocational planning goals.

The program provides a high-quality learning environment which stimulates interactions and communication with faculty and other students. The program also provides opportunities for students to have exposure with industry leaders, workers, consumer and advocacy groups, and other helping professionals. Students are encouraged to develop skills for lifelong learning through involvement with professional organizations, professional counseling literature, and conference participation.

 

The following program objectives are used to assess student learning outcomes within the program:

  1. Students will be knowledgeable of and adhere to the ethical standards of professional counseling organizations, specifically the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) Code of Professional Ethics.
  2. Students will understand the impact of heritage, attitude, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experience on their individual views of others.
  3. Students will understand and apply theories of individual and family development across the lifespan to enhance case conceptualization and service delivery.
  4. Students will be able to implement strategies for facilitating client skill development for career, educational, and life-work planning and management.
  5. Students will be able to use essential interviewing, counseling, and case conceptualization skills as they engage with clients.
  6. Students will understand the dynamics associated with group counseling process and development.
  7. Students will be able to use assessments for diagnostic and intervention planning purposes.
  8. Students will understand the basic elements of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods.
  9. Students will be able to assist individuals with disabilities in obtaining knowledge of and access to community and technology services and resources.
 

Program Emphases


Advocacy


Counseling Skill Development


Employment


Ethical Service Delivery


Transition Services for Youth with Disability


Vocational and Mental Health Assessment

Scholarships

The Rehabilitation Counseling Program has a limited number of scholarships funded through the U.S. Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration. These scholarships require a postgraduate commitment to work for a not-for-profit agency serving the needs of individuals with disabilities for two years for every year of scholarship received.

temp
95%
Job Placement Rate (%)
61
Required Credits
93%
Program Completion Rate (%)
19
Student to Professor Ratio

The MRC program at Utah State University prepares its students to work in my setting by providing a strong foundation in transition services, as well as the core counseling theories, counseling skills, and group counseling courses that are central to a rehabilitation counseling program. In addition, there is a strong emphasis on mental health counseling, which is often overlooked in this field.

Sue Reeves (NCC, CRC, LVRC), Program Director for Aggies Elevated
Sue Reeve's Photo



Opportunities After Graduation

The MRC program provides a high-quality learning environment which stimulates interactions and communication with faculty and other students. The program also provides opportunities for students to have exposure with industry leaders, workers, consumer and advocacy groups, and other helping professionals.
Our graduates go on to work in a variety of settings, such as

  • state rehabilitation agencies,
  • independent living centers,
  • Veterans Administration,
  • rehabilitation hospitals,
  • psychiatric and community mental health programs, and
  • employment assistance programs


Average annual salary for Rehabilitation Counselors with a Master's degree in the United States:

$47,130


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