Rehabilitation and Human Services, Minor

Program Description

The minor in Rehabilitation and Human Services supplements the educational needs of students across disciplines who wish to gain advanced knowledge and skills related to health, disability, and interpersonal interactions. In today’s society, due to medical advances and an aging population, more people are living longer with chronic illnesses and disabilities and many jobs require advanced interpersonal skills and knowledge of health, disability, and human service skills. The minor in RHS is responding to this growing need by providing students with specific applied knowledge about living and working with a disability or chronic illness, as well as adjusting to a variety of social needs and problems, such as poverty, addiction, family violence, and homelessness. The minor is appropriate for any student interested in learning how to effectively work with people, particularly as they adapt and adjust to life with a disability. The minor enhances the education of students majoring in social and behavioral sciences, as well as business majors who work in settings that hire and maintain work environments for persons with chronic illnesses and disabilities. The minor will also enhance graduate study preparation for many students interested in working with people in applied settings. For the minor in Rehabilitation and Humans Services, a minimum of 18 credits is required, 12 in RHS, including 6 of which must be at the 400 level.

You Might Like This Program If...

• You enjoy working closely with people.
• You are interested in health, disability, and wellness.
• You are interested in facilitating life goals, such as employment, health, and relationships for people with disabilities.
• You are interested in enhancing daily living for people with a range of disabilities.
• You appreciate diverse human conditions and respect all lives.
• You enjoy advocating for people with disabilities in a range of settings, including employment and community settings.

Program Requirements

Requirements for the Minor

12 credits in Rehabilitation and Human Services, including 6 which must be at the 400 level.

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
RHS 100	Introduction to Disability Culture	3
RHS 301	Introduction to Counseling as a Profession	3
RHS 403	Medical Aspects of Disability	3
RHS 410	Employment Strategies for People with Disabilities	3
Additional Courses
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
Select 6 credits of the following:		6
Biobehavioral Health (BBH)
Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD)
Criminal Justice (CRIMJ)
Disability Studies (DBLTY)
Education Theory and Policy (EDTHP)
Global and International Studies (GLIS)
Health Policy and Administration (HPA)
Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS)
Kinesiology (KINES)
Labor and Employment Relations (LER)
Nursing (NURS)
Psychology (PSYCH)
Sociology (SOC)
Special Education (SPLED)
Workforce Education and Development (WFED)

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Deirdre O’Sullivan
Professor in Charge, Rehabilitation and Human Services
125 CEDAR Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-4594
dmo11@psu.edu

Wilkes-Barre

Melisa Littleton
Program Coordinator, Rehabilitation and Human Services
44 University Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
570-675-9213
man20@psu.edu

Career Paths

The minor in RHS enhances the education of students majoring in social and behavioral sciences, as well as business majors who work in settings that hire and maintain work environments for persons with chronic illnesses and disabilities. We also welcome students who wish to design assistive technology for people living with disabilities. The minor will enhance graduate study preparation for many students interested in working with people in applied settings.

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, COUNSELING, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION
125 CEDAR Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-3641
emg5338@psu.edu

https://ed.psu.edu/epcse/rhs/faculty-staff

Wilkes-Barre

44 University Drive
Dallas, PA 18612
570-675-9213
man20@psu.edu

http://wilkesbarre.psu.edu/academics/rhs/minor