Message from the Director

Welcome to the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling! We are a dynamic academic unit dedicated to preparing professionals to assist people with disabilities to live full lives. Let us help you reach your career goal in a rewarding field of helping others to achieve their own goals of independence and productivity. 

We offer an undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Services degree with a concentration in addiction (which may lead to licensure), deaf & hard of hearing, and a general rehabilitation track. We also offer a Master of Science degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling which may lead to becoming a Certified Rehabilitation or a Licensed Professional Counselor. Additionally, we offer a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling which prepares graduates to become the next generation of college professors, researchers, and administrators. Both graduate programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). 

We currently have 27 full-time faculty (tenured, tenure track and clinical track) teaching in the program. The School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling is currently ranked #15 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

The School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling is located in a modern facility (Edinburg Health Affairs Building West) featuring dedicated classrooms and a state- of-the-art assessment lab. Currently, we also house the Addictions Resource Center and the Peer Information Center. Students enrolled in the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling are exposed to a rich cultural experience. Due to the proximity of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) to the Texas-Mexico border (approximately 15 miles), most of the area residents are bilingual in English and Spanish. In fact, approximately 88% of the UTRGV student body self-identifies as Mexican American. 

The school sponsors active student undergraduate & graduate organizations: R.E.H.A.B. Club, Aspiring Substance Abuse Professionals organization, R.E.H.A.B South Club, Student Accessibility Council (SAC) at UTRGV and The Graduate Rehabilitation Counselors Association. The stated goals of these organizations are to increase awareness (of self and others) of people with disabilities and provide opportunities for community service while also having fun! Typical student activities include community projects, fund raising, disability awareness activities, and club sponsored field trips. Recent members have taken trips to Corpus Christi, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

Please contact anyone within the School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling to discuss your career goals and how we can help you obtain them. We look forward to hearing from you!