Rehabilitation Science

Rehabilitation Science

The Arkansas Tech Rehabilitation Program has the distinction of being the first undergraduate rehabilitation program offered by a university in Arkansas, and is the only program in the state admitted to membership in the Undergraduate Registry of the Council on Rehabilitation Education. As a member of the Registry the program is one of approximately 25 in the United States and 2 Internationally that have been admitted to Registry membership.

The Rehabilitation Science major is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare students as generalists for entry-level caseworker positions in a variety of rehabilitation-human services settings. Examples are: rehabilitation caseworker-counselor I, employment counselor-interviewer, probation-parole officer, juvenile court intake worker, juvenile probation officer, correctional counselor, family services worker, halfway house caseworker, substance abuse caseworker, mental health case manager, elderly services case manager, vocational evaluator I, social security disability determination worker, developmental disabilities case manager, and others.

In addition to preparing students for employment at the bachelor's degree level, the Rehabilitation Science curriculum also prepares students for graduate study leading to the Masters degree in fields such as Rehabilitation Counseling, Community Agency Counseling, Social Work, Gerontology, Counseling Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, Vocational Evaluation, and Corrections.

As part of their studies Rehabilitation Science majors are required to complete 12 hours of course work in a primary emphasis area and 6 hours in a secondary emphasis. Emphasis areas available to the student include Aging, Child Welfare, Corrections, Social Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation. Related to the Child Welfare emphasis the Rehabilitation Science program is part of a nine university Child Welfare Partnership that works with the Division of Children and Family Services to prepare students for employment as family services workers. For more information on the Child Welfare Partnership, click here.

A unique feature of the Rehabilitation Science program is the internship-field placement option. Rehabilitation Science majors complete either a full-time one semester internship or three semesters of part-time field placements in agency settings related to their chosen emphasis areas, giving them hands on experience in the field prior to graduation.

Rehabilitation Science Faculty

Lyman B. Harris, Ph.D., LPC, CRC (1975-2010)
Professor & Director of Rehabilitation Science

Margaret (Marti) Wilkerson, MRC, LPC
Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Science &
Coordinator Child Welfare Partnership

Penny P. Willmering, Ph.D., CRC, Licensed Psychologist (MO), LPC
Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Science

Child Welfare Partnership Staff

Joy Wheeler , B.A., LSW
Research Assistant-Field Trainer

Beth Morris, MRC, ACADC, LPC
Research Assistant-Field Trainer

Stephanie Johnson, B.A.
Research Assistant

Kori Toth-Gray, B.A.
Research Assistant-Field Trainer

Krista Chandler, B.S.
Research Assistant