The mission of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington is to improve the function, level of independence, and quality of life of people who have disabilities brought about by illness, injury, or are of congenital origin. We provide regional and national leadership in patient care, education, and research. Our dedicated faculty members represent a broad spectrum of scientific and clinical disciplines.
The overarching mission of the PhD Program in Rehabilitation Science is to prepare researchers, educators, and leaders in the area of rehabilitation science to contribute to the development of rehabilitation practice and policy. Our emphasis is on understanding and advancing the science of rehabilitation from a life-span perspective, with a focus on:
- models or frameworks that synthesize biological, psychological, social, and environmental perspectives to the enabling/disabling processes and related habilitation and rehabilitation processes;
- research methods appropriate to the field; and
- theory and methods of teaching specific to higher education, clinical preparation, and continuing education.
We are committed to an interdisciplinary perspective of rehabilitation that is reflected in our students and faculty, our educational practice, and our research and scholarship. We are committed to respecting students; to creating a climate that encourages creativity and excellence; and to fostering collaboration among all students and faculty.
The objectives of our program are to
1. Recruit and retain high quality students reflecting diverse backgrounds.
2. Design, implement, and evaluate a series of cutting edge core and special topics courses relevant to rehabilitation science.
3. Advance interdisciplinary collaboration in research, scholarship, and teaching.
4. Prepare graduates who can meet the identified need for creditable researchers, educators, and leaders in rehabilitation science.