Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
APPLY NOW REQUEST INFO GRADUATE COLLEGEThe Master of Science Degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Program at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley was designed to meet a growing demand for professionally trained counselors in vocational rehabilitation agencies, public and private rehabilitation agencies, mental health centers, substance abuse centers, and medical case management.
The degree prepares students for a profession in rehabilitation counseling through knowledge and skills development in individual and group counseling, vocational assessment, job analysis and placement, medical and psychosocial aspects of disability, case management and research in rehabilitation. The program philosophy is to assist and empower persons with disabilities in adjusting/adapting to their vocational and personal lives.
We encourage you to look through this site regularly to see what our program has to offer. Our faculty and staff are ready to answer your questions and help in any way we can.
The Master of Science Degree In Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Student Handbook
This manual is designed to answer many of the questions you may have to the Master of Science Degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling.
The Masters program is moving toward changing from a 48-hour degree to a 60-hour degree program. It is anticipated that these changes will occur in Summer 2017. That means, pending approval, students who enter the Masters program in Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 will be required to complete a 48-hour degree program, and students that enter in Summer 2017 will be required to complete a 60-hour degree program.
Program Performance and Outcomes
The Master's in Rehabilitation Counseling program is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) for the following term, 2011-2018. However, on July 1, 2017, CORE and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) merged. Therefore our program became a Rehabilitation Counseling program accredited by CACREP. Our program is accredited by CACREP until September 2019 www.cacrep.org
The program admits students twice a year in October and March. Students admitted in October begin the following Spring Semester. Students admitted in March may elect to begin in the following Summer Semester or Fall Semester. The aim of the program is to admit 30-35 students each Fall and Spring. The completion rate of students who begin our program and graduate is 87%. The average time to graduation for students was 2.4 years to complete when the program was 48 required hours. Beginning Summer 2017 the program will increase to 60 required hours. Students can expect to pay $25,451.80 for in-state tuition and fees, and $49,931.80 for out-of-state tuition and fees to complete their 60 hour master's degree. Survey results indicate 89% of students are employed within three months of graduation. To date 100% of students have passed either the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) Exam or the Departmental Comprehensive Examination to meet the graduation requirement. Beginning for students entering the program in Summer/Fall 2018, each MS degree candidate must take and pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination. Students graduating with a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling go to work at various settings, examples include; state vocational rehabilitation agencies, mental health and community agencies, substance abuse centers, job placement specialist and transition specialist in school districts, private rehabilitation, private counseling centers, self-employed forensic rehabilitation, behavioral health centers, etc. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook employment of rehabilitation counselors is expected to grow by 28 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for rehabilitation counselors is expected to grow with the increase in the elderly population and with the continued rehabilitation needs of other groups, such as veterans and people with disabilities. Graduate of the MRC program are eligible to sit for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination during their final semester, and the Licensed Professional Counselor Examination upon graduation. All classes in this program are offered during the evening hours to accommodate students who continue to work full-time jobs.
The 2020-21 CACREP Annual Report can be accessed here.
The 2019-20 CACREP Annual Report can be accessed here.
The 2018-19 CACREP Annual Report can be accessed here.
To learn more about the Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling degree please contact Dr. Saara Grizzell at 956-665-3050 or email: saara.grizzell@utrgv.edu
Or visit the Graduate College to read more and apply today.
Degrees Awarded
Many of the students in the MRC program continue to work full-time; therefore, some students take two classes per semester, while others take three or four classes per semester. Time to graduation for a Masters student is an average of 2.4 years.
| Academic Year | Masters |
| 2017-2018 | 54 |
| 2018-2019 | 39 |
| 2019-2020 | 53 |
| 2020-2021 | 44 |
| 2021-2022 | 50 |
Enrollment Data
| Year | Masters |
| 2017 | 161 |
| 2018 | 155 |
| 2019 | 177 |
| 2020 | 157 |
| 2021 | 170 |
| 2022 | 162 |