Why should you study online? We get a lot of questions about the Master of Rehabilitation Technology (MRT) online program: Will I still get the best educational experience? How will my online training translate to the ‘real world’? Can I still get hands-on experience? Will I have the same experience as others in residential programs? Can I access labs and research initiatives?
Excellent news for you, dear readers! The answer is a resounding YES. We stand behind our quality educational experience and still have spots available for our upcoming MRT class. So let’s take a closer look at the University of Pittsburgh online MRT program.
Simply put, the online MRT is a personalized educational experience that meets you where you are personally and professionally and can be completed part-time (2 or more years) or full-time (3 semesters total, or one full year). The program is comprised of 35 credits, consisting of 10 courses, an internship and an advised scholarly paper experience The courses are interactive and either discussion-based or lecture-based, providing you foundational knowledge in rehabilitation technology. They consist of content on assistive technology fundamentals, design and service delivery; client-centered design and technology use; individual and social experiences of disability; funding and policy; aging in place and smart home technology.
Since it’s an online program, these courses are, of course, ONLINE! Right now, 80% of these courses are synchronous and 20% are asynchronous. Synchronous means that you’ll be learning at the same time with your peers and, in most cases, teams of instructors. Our team-based teaching system supports best-in-class interprofessional learning and perspectives. Our asynchronous courses are still interactive and incorporate projects and discussion, but offer additional flexibility for you to learn whenever, wherever.
Notably, we still want to offer our students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. Through a non-credit bearing graduation requirement, students must engage in a four-day in-person workshop that can be completed in Pittsburgh or at a comparable event elsewhere, with program director approval. During this workshop, students will participate in hands-on experiences with labs; wheelchairs; alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices; and low vision, computer access, voice assistant and adaptive driving technologies. Students will be able to apply this tech to real-life clients.
Five credits of the program are devoted to your scholarly paper and internship. These provide additional opportunities to learn from a personalized experience, in a location of your choosing and to potentially engage in more research. Starting with the scholarly paper, students work with an advisor, generally across multiple semesters, on a topic of their choice: Case study, design brief, secondary data analysis and literature reviews are just a handful of the available options.
The internship sites range from a variety of nonprofits like VA hospitals, community living centers, university-based assistive technology clinics to for-profits like durable medical equipment suppliers and manufacturers to start-ups. Students sometimes gain extended experience working with one of these organizations that can lead to employment. Others simply complete what's required (240 hours) and land a job at a different site due to their extraordinary experiences. With a 100% job placement rate, you can’t go wrong!
It’s the best of all worlds, wouldn’t you say? What are you waiting for? Apply today! Don’t wait! Apply before March 31 for the opportunity to be considered for a $5,000 scholarship.
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Written by: Mary Goldberg, PhD
MRT Program Director
Associate Professor
Rehabilitation Technology
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Published: 3/7/2022
Updated: 10/17/2022