School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
School Overview
The mission of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is to prepare health and rehabilitation professionals to serve individuals, communities and organizations through advancement of health professions education, research and service. Our faculty are dedicated, expert clinicians and researchers who employ innovative technology and active learning strategies to provide an outstanding educational experience. Our clinical networks, within Partners HealthCare and beyond, afford our students challenging and robust learning environments that help us prepare strong contemporary practitioners committed to professinal growth and life-long learning.
The School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is composed of programs in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. Together, these programs offer degrees that address the full scope of rehabilitation. Each program prepares students to be strong critical thinkers, compassionate care-givers and competent practitioners. We are committed to interprofessional goals that emphasizes the important role of each discipline in team-based care, and we are truly excited to be moving forward as an interprofessional team to assure the quality of our educational programs.
The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offers a Master of Science to prepare speech-language pathologists for practice in medical settings and school systems. Students can focus on specific clinical concentrations to gain a broader perspective in one area of practice. A Certificate of Advanced Study in Reading is available for educators with an initial license in another subject matter area who wish to become licensed as a reading specialist.
The Department of Occupational Therapy offers the Doctor of Occupational Therapy, the first entry-level OTD in New England, for those with a bachelors degrees in another field who want to become occupational therapists. This program prepares occupational therapy leaders to contribute to the profession in research, education, advocacy or clinical practice, providing the skills needed to excel in today’s dynamic health care and education systems.
The Department of Physical Therapy offers several programs for those who want to become physical therapists, and for licensed therapists who want to advance their knowledge and skill. The entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy program offers a rigorous curriculum that culminates in a year-long internship. We offer a transitional DPT Program for US licensed physical therapists who want to obtain the DPT credential. This program admitted its last class for matriculation in Fall, 2013. In addition, foreign-trained physical therapists can enroll in the Master of Science for International Students to take advantage of clinical and didactic opportunities that help them grow as physical therapy professionals. Practicing physical therapists can also apply for our Orthopaedic Clinical Residency to advance their skills in orthopaedic practice and prepare for the orthopaedic specialty examination.
From active learning classrooms to international and service learning opportunities, to research and evidence-based practice, to advocating for our clients and professions, your experience at the Institute will allow you to develop your own professional goals in an atmosphere of intellectual discovery and collaboration. We look forward to working with you in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.