We welcome applicants of all abilities/disabilities, religions, marital statuses, familial statuses, sexes, ages, sexual orientations, veteran statuses, national origins, ancestries, races, colors, genetic information, and gender identities and expressions.
Admission Requirements
Applicants should have a strong interest in rehabilitation research as well as a master’s degree in an area related to rehabilitation science. The exceptional student with a bachelor’s degree, six or more credits of graduate course work, and compelling clinical/research experience in rehabilitation science will be considered.
Resources, including research mentors, must be available to enable the student to engage in a plan of study and research in the student’s major area of interest in rehabilitation research. Therefore, it is important that there is a match between the research interests of an applicant and an SHRS Rehabilitation Science graduate faculty member.
A minimum GPA of 3.0 (based on 4.0) in all college work is required.
Application Procedures
Application Deadline: Rolling
All applicants must:
- Complete the SHRS online application
- Submit an application fee of $50 (U.S.).
- Submit an essay stating career goals, specific research interests and experience, and clinical interests and experience.
- Provide three to five academic or work related letters of recommendation (at least one academic reference must be included).
- Have a letter of support from their identified Research Mentor. The letter will be provided by the Research Mentor directly to the SHRS Admissions Office.
- Submit a resume including work history, formal education, continuing education, licensing and certification, professional organizations, honors and awards, publications, presentations, and grants.
- Submit transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- Provide at least one example of written work (class project, course assignment, publication for which candidate is first author, etc.).
Additional Requirements
Verification of English Language Proficiency Verification is required unless the following apply:
- the applicant is a citizen of a country whose official language is English
- the applicant has completed a degree program at a regionally accredited institution in the U.S., or
- the applicant is not a citizen of a country whose official language is English but has completed a degree program at an institution outside of the U.S. where the language of instruction is English and where the official national language of the country in which the institution is located is English.
- Request official English Language Proficiency test scores be sent to the University of Pittsburgh from one of the following options. Minimum scores accepted and instructions for sending official test scores follow:
- Duolingo English Test: minimum score of 120. Scores should be made available electronically to “University of Pittsburgh – School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences”
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Band 7.0 (reading and writing modules). Scores should be made available electronically to “University of Pittsburgh Health and Rehabilitation Sciences”
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): 100 (internet based). Scores should be submitted electronically through ETS to institution code "2927"
Applicants who have completed the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree or higher at an institution outside of the United States are required to provide an official third-party course-by-course evaluation of those academic credentials verifying Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale. The evaluation is an application requirement. Provide a credential evaluation from one of the companies listed below. SHRS neither endorses nor recommends any company over another. Electronic submission is preferred.
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
- Educational Perspectives
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc
- International Consultants of Delaware, Inc.
- Joseph Silney & Associates, Inc.
- World Education Services (WES), Inc.
Upon admission official transcripts of all original language academic records for all post-secondary educational endeavors are required. If original documents are issued in a language other than English, certified English translations must also be submitted. A final transcript or diploma showing completion of the undergraduate degree must be submitted prior to starting all SHRS graduate programs.
Additional Information
Graduate Record Examination (GRE General) scores are not required, however applicants may provide them voluntarily. If you would like your GRE included with your application please contact the SHRS Admissions Office.
Applicants are evaluated by the PhD Admissions Committee. Admission to the program requires (1) the applicant to meet the standards for a PhD student in SHRS, and (2) that a faculty member of the PhD program has an opening for an additional PhD student and agrees to be the Academic Advisor for that applicant.