Introduction
The PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science is an interdisciplinary post baccalaureate degree program with concentrations in Pathology and Impairment, Functional Limitations, and Health Services. The concentration areas encourage interdisciplinary collaboration between students and faculty and train team scientists to approach complex disorders and conditions from a cross-discipline and cross-system perspective. Graduates of the Ph.D. in Health and Rehabilitation Science degree will become the scholars, researchers, program directors and educators who advance the body of knowledge about health and rehabilitation sciences. 

Admission Criteria
Students will have completed a bachelor’s or graduate degree that provides a background and preparation in the following areas: Functional Limitations, Pathology and Impairment, and Health Services. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrate through previous academic work and relevant professional experience the likelihood of success in the Ph.D. program and research career.
• Demonstrate potential for successful pairing with a faculty mentor and mentorship team conducting research in the student’s area of interest.

To determine the likelihood of success, the admissions committee will interview the candidates and review:

• Scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
• Grade-point average of 3.0 (minimum) in prior academic work
• Personal Statement
• Baccalaureate or graduate degree in a relevant discipline or first professional degree 
• Professional experiences in the discipline
• Professional letters of reference

Curriculum
The Ph.D. in Health and Rehabilitation Science requires a minimum of 90 semester hours organized as follows. The Professional Development Core and the Research Core are required, ensuring that all students receive a thorough grounding in Health and Rehabilitation Science, a teaching practicum, and a critical overview of key issues in the profession. All students acquire the research skills (design, methodology, and analyses) and training necessary to position them to become leading research scholars in the field. 

The concentration area will be designed and overseen by the primary mentor and doctoral committee based upon the student’s previous preparation and experience, area of specialization, and research interests.

Below is a detailed plan of study:

PhD – Rehab Science
PC – Professional Core
RC – Research Core
CC – Concentration Core
E – Elective
D – Dissertation

The Professional Development Core and the Research Core are required, ensuring that all students receive a thorough grounding in Health and Rehabilitation Science, a teaching practicum, and a critical overview of key issues in the profession. All students acquire the research skills (design, methodology, and analyses) and training necessary to position them to become leading research scholars in the field. 

The concentration area will be designed and overseen by the primary mentor and doctoral committee based upon the student’s previous preparation and experience, area of specialization, and research interests.

Course Descriptions
HRS 720. Independent Study in Health Services. This courses provides the student with the opportunity to engage in a mentored, individualized, in-depth study/experience in a focused area of health services as it relates to health and rehabilitation sciences. 1-4

HRS 725. Independent Study in Functional Limitations. This courses provides the student with the opportunity engage in a mentored, individualized, in-depth study/experience in a focused area of functional limitation as it relates to health and rehabilitation sciences. 1-4

HRS 730. Independent Study in Pathology and Impairment. This course provides the student with the opportunity to engage in a mentored, individualized, in-depth study/experience in a focused area of pathology and impairment as they relate to health and rehabilitation sciences. 1-4

HRS 735. Special Topics in Health Services. This course provides the student with the opportunity to explore a specialized area of interest in health services related to health and rehabilitation sciences. 1-4

HRS 740. Special Topics in Functional Limitations. This course provides the student with the opportunity to explore a specialized area of interest in functional limitations related to health and rehabilitation sciences. 1-4

HRS 745. Special Topics in Pathology and Impairment. This course provides the student with the opportunity to explore a specialized area of interest in pathology and impairment related to health and rehabilitation sciences. 1-4

HRS 800. Translational Research Students will critically evaluate the relevant literature to broaden their perspective on translational research and funding opportunities. Invited guest speakers, MUSC faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students will present recently published papers and develop research proposals related to translational research. 3

HRS 810. Introduction to Health and Rehabilitation Theories Students will explore historical, philosophical, and theoretical foundations of health and rehabilitation science with special emphasis on the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Enabling America (1997). Students will analyze the stages, components, and domains of the enabling-disabling process and review rehabilitation research and relevant funding mechanisms in the United States. 3

HRS 805. Introduction to Health and Rehabilitation Services Students will study the roles, goals, and objectives of the various health services and rehabilitation disciplines with specific emphasis on issues related to healthcare organization, financing and delivery of services, patient access and associated barriers to services, reimbursement for health and rehabilitation services, and emerging technologies relevant to health and rehabilitation services. 3

HRS 819. Doctoral Seminar-College Teaching Students will learn philosophies of teaching and the basic skills and strategies for successful college teaching with special emphasis on technological advances designed to enhance the teaching process. 3

HRS 816. Doctoral Seminar-Translational Research Students will engage in pilot data collection for a pre-dissertation project. 1

HRS 817. Doctoral Seminar-Diversity and Culture Students will critically evaluate the relevant literature to broaden their perspective on diversity and cultural issues relevant to research and funding opportunities. Invited guest speakers, MUSC faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students will present recently published papers and developing research proposals related to research pertaining to diversity and culture. 1

HRS 820. Applied Rehabilitation Statistics This course provides a working knowledge of approaches to the analysis of archival data in rehabilitation research. The course is intended for PhD students in the College of Health Professions, but would also be of interest to graduate students in other professional programs. Topics include: 1) data set and variable description; 2) issues of ascertainment bias associated with retrospective data; 3) criteria for the selection of descriptive statistics; 4) visual presentation of parameters; 5) formulation of hypotheses appropriate for the data; 6) multivariable analysis for continuous dependent variables; 7) log transformation; 8) logistic regression; 9) Kaplan Meier curves; 10) controls for selection bias; 11) use of factor and cluster analysis for data reduction; 12) interpretation of outputs from SAS and SPSS statistical software; 13) proper use of statistical or other expert consultants; and 14) presentation and discussion of results. Students will use SAS software to perform analyses of observational data to answer rehabilitation questions and interpret results in terms of both clinical and statistical conclusions. 3

HRS XXX. Dissertation. The student will complete a dissertation based on original investigation, which gives evidence of mature scholarship and critical judgment, indicates knowledge of research methods and techniques, and demonstrates the ability to carry out independent investigation. 1-9

DHA 866. Applied Research. An advanced seminar on principles and techniques for designing and implementing studies of organizational effectiveness in health care organizations and integrated delivery systems. Critical assessment of literature and cases on the role of executive management in study selection, design, implementation, and application of results. Review of techniques for problem definition, model formulation, determination of data requirements and availability, selection of analytical techniques, use of computer software, analysis and interpretation of results, and application of study results to management decisions for organizational change. 3

DHA 867. Quantitative Methods for Research. This course will focus on the fundamentals of logic and decision making. Emphasis will be placed on instruction in classical methods of analysis, symbolic logic and game theory. This will include practical applications of logical tools to evaluating evidence, dissecting argument and arriving at valid conclusions in the context of real-world health administration and leadership. 4

DHA 870. Advanced Techniques in Applied Research. This is an advanced course covering principles and techniques for designing and implementing studies of organizational effectiveness. Students will learn to critically assess the literature and identify the role of health executive management in study selection, research design, research implementation, and the application of research results. This course will build on topics and methods introduced in the Foundations in Applied Research course, and will develop both qualitative and quantitative research skills. 3

MCR 724. Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials. This is a comprehensive course in the design and conduct of clinical trials. The course covers the types of clinical trials; study design (including sample size estimation); randomization methods and implementation; project and data management; ethics; and issues in data analysis (e.g., intent-to-treat; missing data analysis). Both clinical and basic science investigators can benefit from this course provided they have the required background in statistics. 3

MCR 733. Comparative Effectiveness This course is focused on design and measurement issues for three of the four types of study designs: 1) Systematic Review; 2) Database Review; 3) Prospective Observational Study. (The issue of design of the Randomized Clinical Trial is covered in a separate course.) This course will also cover the approaches used for interpretation and translation of CER data through decision models to compare the cost effectiveness of treatments. Decision analysis models are predictive mathematical models that are used to structure CER and cost data to help inform evidence-based decision choices. The following topics are include in the course: 1)a review of research designs and statistical methods for outcomes research, 2)measurement of efficacy, effectiveness, opportunity cost, and quality of life, 3)benchmarks for economic value, cost effectiveness, cost utility, and budget impact, 4)mathematical approaches for estimating expected outcomes: decision trees, Markov and simulation/estimation with regression. The course is designed for clinical researchers who have an identified area of interest in medical condition or a treatment approach. Most course assignments require the student to have a clinical focus area to which they can apply the course topics and designs. The design and construction of a decision model in an area of interest to the individual student is required. 3

MCR 725. Grant Writing This course is required for participants in the Clinical Masters program and Ph.D. students in the Department of Biometry and Epidemiology. The objective of the course is to prepare the student to develop a draft grant application by teaching them about grantsmanship, helping them to develop the sections of a grant (aims, background, preliminary studies, methods), teaching them about IRB regulations and procedures, about ethics, and about developing a research budget. Students will be given examples of successful grants and grants that have not been funded to discuss and critique. 2

MCR 789-20. Doctoral Seminar-Ethics Students will critically evaluate the relevant literature to broaden their perspective on research ethics. Invited guest speakers, MUSC faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students will explore ethical conduct in conducting research with special emphasis on working with human subjects. 1

Application
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Information for International Students

Contact
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the program, please contact:

Dr. Bonnie Martin-Harris
Director
Email: harrisbm@musc.edu
Phone: (843) 792-7162

University Office of Enrollment Management
Ashley Stuckey
Phone: (843) 792-8712
Email: stuckey@musc.edu
Web: www.musc.edu/em

The Medical University of South Carolina does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or marital status in the administration of admission policies, educational policies, financial aid, employment, or any other university activity. For further information, contact Willette S. Burnham, Medical University of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, (843)792-2146.