• A bachelor’s degree from a Regionally Accredited American College or University, or an equivalent degree from another country as determined by the Office of Admissions
• Undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better on a four-point scale
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General test scores – verbal and quantitative
• English Proficiency Requirements (international applicants)
• A personal interview (in person or by telephone) with the faculty

• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General test scores – verbal and quantitative. Official GRE scores from Educational Testing Service (the university’s institutional code is 6681)
• Official TOEFL scores may be required for some non-native speakers of English
• Current Resume
• A statement of purpose, including a statement of your personal career objectives.
• Three letters of recommendation. You will be asked to give the contact information of your recommenders, including their email, on your Admissions Profile. The recommender will then get an email with instructions on how to upload the recommendation letter and/or form.

Program Vision and Values

To be the premier graduate rehabilitation counseling education program recognized for its diversity, and known for excellence in teaching, learning and research. We value:

• Belief in the dignity and worth of all people
• Commitment to a sense of equal justice based on a model of accommodation to provide and equalize the opportunities
• Holistic perspective of the individual
• Belief in self-responsibility and wellness

Program Mission

The mission of the Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Counseling at The University of Iowa is to increase opportunities for participation and choices of people served through education, training, research, leadership, and community engagement.

Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Counseling

The University of Iowa’s rehabilitation counseling program has contributed numerous practitioners, educators, researchers, and administrators to the profession of rehabilitation counseling. The programs have achieved national recognition through many faculty and student awards and publications. The master's program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation on Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP)  and it is in good standing.

The Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Counseling is part of the College of Education as well as the Department Counselor Education. In addition to rehabilitation counseling, the Department provides accredited M.A. programs in school counseling and clinical mental health counseling. At the doctoral level, the Department offers the counselor education and supervision degree. The close coordination and support among the Department's programs provide students access to a wide range of faculty and courses.

• American Rehabilitation Counseling Association
• National Association of Rehabilitation and Multicultural Concerns
• American Counseling Association
• National Rehabilitation Association
• Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
• International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals

The Graduate Programs in Rehabilitation received a RSA Scholars Long-term Training Grant from U.S. Department of Education. The goal is to increase the supply of qualified M.A. students by recruiting, educating, graduating, and placing competent and diverse rehabilitation counselor to work in the state Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and related agencies. Contact john-wadsworth@uiowa.edu for more information. 

Rehabilitation counseling began as an occupation almost 80 years ago, serving the needs of veterans returning from World War I and workers injured in industry. Major strides in the growth and definition of the profession occurred after 1954 with the recognition of rehabilitation counseling in federal legislation and the allocation of training funds for the education of rehabilitation counseling professionals. Today, there are more than 13,000 Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRCs) practicing in the United States, addressing the vocational, psychosocial, and independent living needs of the estimated 49 million persons with physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and developmental disabilities.

Rehabilitation counselors work in a variety of settings including public agencies such as state vocational rehabilitation organizations and Veteran's Administration vocational rehabilitation programs; private non-profit rehabilitation centers and supported employment programs; and private for-profit worker's compensation and insurance rehabilitation agencies.

Many new and exciting types of settings and services are emerging in rehabilitation counselor practice. Rehabilitation counselors may be found in such diverse areas as disability management programs in industry, schools, hospitals and clinics, residential and independent living agencies, university student support services, corrections facilities, and employment agencies, as well as employee assistance programs. Rehabilitation counselors provide interventions that are designed to assist persons with disabilities in adapting to the demands of the environment and that prepare the environment to accommodate the needs of the individual and enhance the full participation of persons with disabilities in society. The median expected salary for a typical Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor in the United States is $59,593 (Source: www.salary.com).

National professional standards require that the qualified rehabilitation counseling professional has (a) completed a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling or a closely related program (e.g., counseling); (b) achieved national certification; and (c) attained the appropriate state licensure in those states that require this level of credential for counseling practice and that allow for the licensing of counselors with a rehabilitation counseling background.