PhD in Rehabilitation and Health Sciences
A minimum of 60 credits, post-graduate degree or equivalent, are required within the following areas: Academic Core, Research Core, Specialized Program, and Dissertation.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Rehabilitation and Health Sciences program provides students with a wealth of interprofessional, academic, and scholarly training opportunities to develop their area of expertise and become independent scholars, educators, administrators, or leaders within their disciplines. The program is offered through either traditional (on-campus; Pocatello, ID or Meridian, ID) or non-traditional (online) models with full-time or part-time options, however certain limitations may apply.
Program Learning Outcomes
The College of Health Ph.D. program graduates will have successfully:
- Participated in several professional multidisciplinary experiences such as interdisciplinary and interprofessional: didactic coursework, colloquium seminars, mentoring, research, and clinical service provision.
- Demonstrated proficiency in face-to-face and online teaching as well as the ability to use innovative pedagogical strategies to enhance student learning outcomes.
- Demonstrated the ability to plan, initiate, conduct, analyze, and disseminate quality research within their discipline.
- Submit at least one manuscript for publication consideration to an academic refereed journal.
- Passed comprehensive examinations.
- Submitted a grant proposal for funding consideration.
- Completed the core curriculum in the program.
Curriculum (60 credits [cr] minimum [min])
- Academic Core (12 cr min): Academic core is focused on enhancing students’ understanding of the related professions, interprofessionalism, and pedagogical theory and application.
- Research Core (15 cr min):Research core facilitates students’ understanding of the scientific method, statistics, statistical procedures, research design, scholarship, scientific dissemination, and grant writing through theoretical understanding and application of such procedures. Students are required to take a repeatable COH 8020, Doctoral Colloquium (1cr) each academic semester they are enrolled in the program.
- Specialized Program (15 credits): Specialized program develops students’ area of expertise and scholarship through coursework, independent studies, student-directed learning, and mentored research. At least 6 credits of basic or applied sciences outside of the COH must be taken and should be based on students’ area(s) of interest and program needs. A main requirement of the Specialized Program element is the research practicum, CRCS 8050, where students are mentored through a research project that results in a manuscript submitted for publication consideration to a refereed academic journal of appropriate caliber.
- Dissertation (18 credits): Dissertation further enhances students’ area of expertise and scholarship through development of their dissertation project(s). Dissertations should be primarily self-guided by students and should take a minimum of one-year to complete.
Other Program Requirements
- Thesis Equivalent (1-6 credits of COH 7050): Students who did not complete a graduate thesis (or comparable research project) must complete a mentored research project prior to starting their research practicum, preferably completed within the student’s first year of the program.
- Comprehensive Examinations: During or near the final semester of didactic coursework, the student’s advisory committee will determine the nature of the written and oral comprehensive examinations.
- Grant Submission: The student and advisor will work together to develop and submit at least one proposal for funding during the program of study
