Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling

Program Overview:

The M.S. degree program in Rehabilitation Counseling is offered by the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. The mission of the M.S. program in Rehabilitation Counseling is to educate individuals to be socially responsible professionals who will work competently, creatively and collaboratively in community settings in the field of counseling with a specialization in rehabilitation so that people with disabilities are empowered to pursue career and other related goals with success and satisfaction.  We also seek to address New Jersey’s ongoing needs to prepare counselors with specialized expertise in providing counseling in community settings for people with disabilities of all types, including psychiatric, physical and developmental.  The increased availability of counselors with this expertise is expected to benefit persons with disabilities as well as their families and their communities by providing community-based counseling services that will enable persons with disabilities to enhance their quality of life within the community including their ability to live independently, get and keep employment, gain an education, and form social relationships and networks.  The mission of the M.S. program in Rehabilitation Counseling is consistent with that of the Department, the School of Health Related Professions (SHRP) and the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). UMDNJ as a leader in health professions education is ideally suited to provide this program.

The M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE).  CORE describes a Rehabilitation Counselor as a counselor who possesses the specialized knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to collaborate in a professional counseling relationship with people who have disabilities to achieve their personal, social, psychological, and career goals.

The M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling is designed to enhance the career advancement of experienced people already working in the field of rehabilitation as well as prepare people to enter the field.  Highly qualified personnel are needed to provide counseling services in community settings to persons with disabilities, including psychiatric, physical and developmental disabilities.  Professionals with graduate degrees in rehabilitation counseling are in high demand in New Jersey and the surrounding region as well as nationally.  Employment settings include community-based agencies, state and federal government agencies, the insurance industry, and private practice.

The M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling is a 51 credit degree. It can be completed on either a part-time or full-time basis. The curriculum is designed to reflect major areas of study important in the preparation of counselors with expertise in working with individuals with disabilities in the community.  These include:

1. Professional Identity
2. Social and Cultural Diversity
3. Human Growth and Development
4. Career Development
5. Helping Relationships
6. Group Work
7. Assessment
8. Research and Program Evaluation
9. Community Services and Resources
10. Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Disability

As part of the curriculum, all students complete a Practicum and an Internship to practice and integrate counseling skills learned in coursework.  With the permission of their agencies and of the Program Director for the M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling, students employed in relevant settings may complete these experiences at their agency job sites.

The degree is available at both the Scotch Plains campus and the Stratford campus. The Scotch Plains campus is conveniently located for students living in North and Central New Jersey, New York or Eastern Pennsylvania. It is located off Exit 135 of the Gadren State Parkway or Exit 41 of Route 78. The campus can also be reached from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Elizabeth by using New Jersey Transit Bus 112.

The Stratford Campus is conveniently located for students from Southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. It is located on Laurel Road off Route 30 (White Horse Pike), which can be reached from Route 295 and the New Jersey Turnpike. The campus can be reached from the PATCO High Speed Line and the Atlantic City Rail Line. Use the Lindenwold Station. Travel directions to both campuses are available on the UMDNJ web site at About UMDNJ at www.umdnj.edu/home2web/about/index.htm, and then scroll down to Directions.

Additional Information:

You can request a Student Handbook, which gives more detailed information about the program, by emailing lewisel@umdnj.edu (preferred) or by calling the Department Office at (908) 889-2535.

General Questions about the M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling and about the Scotch Plains Campus:

Janice Oursler, Ph.D., NCC, CRC, Program Director
M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling
Telephone: (908) 889-2462 or e-mail: ourslejd@umdnj.edu
Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
1776 Raritan Rd., Scotch Plains, NJ 07076

Questions about the M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling at the Stratford Campus:
Bill Green, M.S., CRC
Telephone: (856) 566-2785 or e-mail: greenwf@umdnj.edu
Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions 

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Primary Care Center - Room 228
40 East Laurel Road, Stratford, New Jersey 08084

Other Degree Programs within the Department:
The Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions offers degree programs at the associate, bachelors, masters and doctoral levels. Programs at the undergraduate level are offered in partnership with other universities. Under these partnerships, students take their specialized courses from UMDNJ and their other courses at the affiliated institution.

Academic degree programs are:

Associate of Science in Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Treatment jointly offered with Middlesex County College.

Associate of Science in Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Treatment jointly offered with Union County College.

Associate of Science in Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Treatment jointly offered with Warren County College.

Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Psychology jointly offered dual major program with Kean University of New Jersey.

Master of Science in Psychiatric Rehabilitation. This is a 36-credit degree focusing on the study of Leadership. It is designed for experienced psychiatric rehabilitation professionals who are interested in professional development to prepare for roles as supervisors, administrators, teachers, and program evaluators. This degree is available on-line. It is not a counseling degree.

Doctoral degree in Psychiatric Rehabilitation: The doctoral level program is designed to prepare students for careers as faculty, researchers, and other leadership positions in psychiatric rehabilitation.

For information about undergraduate programs including associate and bachelor’s level programs, contact Nora Barrett, MSW, Program Director, at (908) 889-2431 or by e-mail at barretnm@umdnj.edu.

For information about the M.S. in Psychiatric Rehabilitation, contact Prof. Amy Spagnolo, Program Director, at (908) 889-2544 or by e-mail at spagnoam@umdnj.edu. 

For information about the Doctoral Program in Psychiatric Rehabilitation, contact Dr. Carlos Pratt, Program Director, at (908) 889-2461 or by e-mail at pratt@umdnj.edu.