degrees in Rehab Sciences

[Schneider, Phyllis]

As a member of an institution that offers a doctoral degree in
Rehabilitation Sciences, while I am not an impartial observer, I can
comment on your question.  We designed our program to be broad enough to
educate students from the rehabilitation fields (the speech pathology
program is in the Faculty (college) of Rehabilitation Medicine) but
still allow students to specialize within their discipline.  Our
students receive a similar training to students in a speech-language
pathology doctoral program with the addition of depth in rehabilitation
sciences.  In addition to a core set of courses in research design and
other basics, they choose coursework that suits their specific research
areas.  Students have a larger cohort than they would if each department
had its own program, and they gain a broader perspective of
rehabilitation than they normally do in their master's degree programs.
 
We have also hired SLPs who have gotten PhDs in fields such as
Educational Psychology and Linguistics.  The Rehab Sciences degree is at
least as relevant to speech-language pathology as those degrees.
 
So far, our students seem to be marketable -- those that have sought
academic positions have generally been successful.  
 
If anyone has any reservations about this type of degree based on
anything other than unfamiliarity, I would be interested in hearing more
about that.  But based on my experience, I feel that this is a great way
to maximize resources and to maintain a doctoral program with small
individual departments.
 
The website for the program is:
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/rehabmed/nav03.cfm?nav03=10714&nav02=1068
2&nav01=167.
 
Phyllis Schneider
University of Alberta
 
-----Original Message-----
From: info-childes at mail.talkbank.org
[mailto:info-childes at mail.talkbank.org] On Behalf Of Mainess, Karen
(LLU)
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 4:07 PM
To: info-childes at mail.talkbank.org
Subject: 


Dear Colleagues,
I know of a peer who currently holds a masters degree in speech
pathology and is now working on a PhD in Rehabilitative Sciences.
Apparently there are few or no programs in this geographical area which
offer PhDs in speech path.  I would like your opinions as to how you
feel this degree would be regarded in terms of a faculty position in a
speech pathology program.  Do you think it will make a difference to the
degree holders hire-ability / marketability in the academic arena when
compared against someone holding a PhD in speech pathology or
communication disorders?
 
Sincerely,
K. Mainess
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