Health and Human Services: Rehabilitation Science and Technology (Ph.D.)
The PhD Option in Rehabilitation Science and Technology aims to prepare students to conduct clinical and translational research to advance the development and implementation of information communication, assistive and rehabilitative technologies to promote health, wellbeing, and healthcare equity. The program will combine the strengths of individual departments as well as ongoing and emerging interdisciplinary research programs across colleges at UNH.
The foundational core of the program in year one introduces students in all Options to the key theoretical tenets and basic sciences in health and human services and establishes fundamental knowledge of research methods, data gathering and analytical techniques. Students then progress into their enrolled Option with a documented degree plan for years two through four.
The Option on Rehabilitation Science and Technology will bring an interdisciplinary focus to the design, development, testing and implementation of cutting-edge innovations in information communication, assistive, and rehabilitative technologies that have wide-ranging implications to promote health, rehabilitation, and community living of individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
Degree Requirements
The PhD program Options in Health and Human Services have the following requirements:
- A minimum of 40-50 credits are required to complete the program.
- Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and earn a minimum of B- in all courses.
- Students must create a documented Individualized Degree Plan in consultation with their program mentor by the end of first year that outlines a systematic plan for completion of their PhD within four to five years.
- Students must pass a comprehensive exam specific to their enrolled Option at the end of year two.
- Students will be assigned individualized yearly milestones by the mentorship committee pertinent to securing academic support grants, career advancement, and dissemination of research.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | ||
| Foundational Course | ||
| HHS 902 | Philosophy of Science and Theory Development in Health and Human Services | 3 |
| Research Methods | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Sociological Methods II: Research Design | ||
| Research Methods and Application | ||
| Research Methods in Recreation Management and Policy | ||
| Statistics and Quantitative Analysis | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Biostatistics | ||
| Statistical Methods for Research | ||
| Introduction to Qualitative Research | ||
| HDS 806 | Qualitative Inquiry in Health Outcomes Research | 3 |
| Scientific Writing & Grantsmanship | ||
| NR 905 | Grant Writing | 2 |
| Professional Seminar Series | ||
| HHS 901 | Seminar Series in Health and Human Services | 6 |
| Rehabilitation Science and Technology Option | ||
| HHS 904 | Foundations in Rehabilitation Science and Technology | 3 |
| Advanced Methods | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
| Sociological Methods III: Advanced Social Statistics | ||
| Applied Machine Learning in Healthcare | ||
| Advanced Statistics in Healthcare | ||
| Advanced Statistical Modeling | ||
| Data Mining and Predictive Analytics | ||
| Applied Regression Analysis | ||
| Design of Experiments I | ||
| Survival Analysis | ||
| Time Series Analysis | ||
| Design of Experiments II | ||
| Qualitative Fieldwork & Data Analysis | ||
| Research Practicum | ||
| HHS 905 | Graduate Research Practicum | 2 |
| Grant Writing, Literature Review or Project | 3 | |
| College Teaching Practicum | ||
| HHS 906 | Graduate Teaching Practicum | 2 |
| Electives | ||
| Elective courses selected in consultation with mentor. | 3-6 | |
| Comprehensive Exam | ||
| Students must pass an option-focused comprehensive exam. | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| HHS 999 | Doctoral Research | 0 |
| Total Credits | 37-42 | |
- Generate new knowledge that addresses significant gaps in rehabilitation and health-based technology and disseminate research findings in scholarly platforms;
- Establish a credible identity in the field of rehabilitation science and technology through impactful research conducted with scientific rigor, ethics, and reproducibility
- Apply conceptual frameworks of health equity, social justice and social determinants of health and well-being towards the advancement of health-based technology to address the needs of vulnerable populations
- Assume future leadership roles in the field of rehabilitation science and technology through clinical and translational research in academic, administrative, and policy settings;
- Use collaborative, interdisciplinary, and innovative approaches to knowledge generation in rehabilitation science and technology through core principles of team science.