Assumption’s Rehabilitation Education Master’s Program Receives Full Accreditation from National Organization

A nationally respected accrediting entity has recognized Assumption’s rehabilitation counseling master’s program with full accreditation for eight years, the longest period for which accreditation is available.

“We are very pleased with CORE’s decision to recognize the value of our program and feel it positions us well for continued preparation of excellent rehabilitation professionals across the country,” said Nicholas J. Cioe, Ph.D., CRC, director of the institution’s rehabilitation counseling program. “Given the continued demand for well-prepared professionals in this field, Assumption College will continue to provide academic preparation to those who seek a fulfilling career in rehabilitation counseling.”

According to the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE), it is the accrediting body for master’s degree programs in Rehabilitation Counselor Education (RCE) in the United States. CORE shares that the accreditation process promotes:

• The effective delivery of rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
• Continuing review and improvement of master’s degree level RCE programs;
• Program self-improvement based on outcome-oriented data obtained from feedback from graduates, students, and employers;
• Meeting the personnel needs of both public and private rehabilitation agencies; and
• Providing graduates who have the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to provide rehabilitation counseling services to individuals with physical, mental, and/or emotional disabilities.

The Department of Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies (HSRS) offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.) in rehabilitation counseling. Graduates seek employment in settings that focus on rehabilitation, human services, and allied health and education. The intent of the program is to develop leaders in this highly specialized field using a multi-disciplinary approach that draws from rehabilitation, sociology, psychology, natural sciences, economics, education, and the humanities.

The rehabilitation counselor degree training at Assumption is provided through both a traditional campus as well as entirely online program.  The combination of these programs—which attract nearly 100 individuals across the country each year—utilizes the expertise of the nation’s leading rehabilitation counseling faculty.

The program is also managing a five-year, $1 million U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Service Administration (RSA) grant.  Assumption uses 75 percent of the funds to provide tuition assistance to full-time graduate students enrolled in the program. Grant funding is also allocated to support student attendance at local, regional and national conferences and trainings. The competitive grants are awarded to only a select group of master’s programs that demonstrate program quality and the ability to produce leaders in the rehabilitation field.