Rehabilitation Counseling Program Information
Program Mission
This program is designed to educate an individual to become a professional counselor with a specialization to work with persons with disabilities, such as physical, psychological, substance abuse, developmental, behavioral and cognitive. A rehabilitation counselor is committed to assist the individual to achieve equal access, inclusion in society, meaningful work and independent living with quality of life. A rehabilitation counselor believes that individuals with disabilities represent a major resource for the betterment of society.
Program Learning Outcomes
The Rehabilitation Counseling Program at Maryville University of St. Louis prepares professional counselors who:
• Develop a worldview which promotes one’s professional identity, highlights reflective practice, adherence to ethical standards, and is able to work in a variety of settings serving a diverse population. [professional identity]
• Demonstrate clinical competence through the acquisition of knowledge, effective practice, demonstration of skills and professional disposition. [clinical competence]
• Demonstrate cultural competence through counselor awareness of their own values and biases, understanding of the worldviews of culturally different clients, developing and implementing appropriate intervention strategies in working with culturally different clients as an ongoing professional practice. [cultural competence]
• Demonstrate professional, social and emotional development that foster respect for diversity and the dignity of all. [professional behavior]
Innovative Learning Experiences
Infused throughout the curriculum is an emphasis on developing as professional counselors committed to clinical and cultural competence. Coursework is designed to introduce, reinforce and master CACREP standards. Students will be actively engaged in coursework through a variety of experiential- and evidence-based learning practices including: case studies, role plays, projects and 750 hours of clinical work. Upon completion of the program, students are well prepared for Missouri licensing as a Professional Counselor (LPC) and national certifications as a Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and a national certified counselor (NCC).
- All students receive an iPad to enhance learning
- 16 face-to-face courses that can be completed in 2 years
- Courses offered at 5 p.m. or 7:30 p.m.
- Each student has a faculty advisor
- Graduates are highly sought after in the community
- Scholarships and a graduate assistantship available
- Please email Dr. Kiener at mkiener@maryville.edu if you wish to view program syllabi
Matriculation Requirements
Individuals can enter the program at the beginning of the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Upon receipt of all application materials, the program will review the documents and make an admittance decision. Letters of acceptance or non-acceptance will be sent to all applicants who submitted all application materials. Once applicants accept their status in the program they begin the registration process with the director of the program. During this process students gain information on advising, creating an email, purchasing textbooks, financial aid, scholarships, obtaining a student ID, parking, and attending new student orientation. New student orientation is held on the first day of every semester. During new student orientation students will meet core faculty, classmates, and go over the student manual. At any point in the matriculation process individuals can contact the director regarding any questions they may have.
Minimum Degree Requirements
All students who successfully graduate from the program will have completed all 16 courses (48 credit hours), pass the oral exam, completed at least 750 clinical hours (40% of those hours will have been providing direct client services), earned a 3.0 grade point average or better, and earned no more than two Cs.
All coursework (CACREP curriculum and specialty courses) are computed for grade point averages.
Accreditation
The Rehabilitation Counseling program is fully accredited by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) through the end of academic year 2030. CACREP is located at 1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 510 Alexandria, VA 22314. Program evaluation is conducted each semester using numerous procedures to assess student outcomes.
Seventeen students graduated from the program from Fall 23, Spring 24, and Summer 24 semesters. As the program has been closed, no new students have been accepted into the program.
The program has a 60% completion rate after 3 years in the program for students starting academic year 2021-2022. Most students complete the program in 5-8 semesters and the average actual total cost of the entire program is $34,498 for graduates from Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. The University has numerous scholarships that are available to students and the program has two scholarships specifically for rehabilitation counseling students.
Of the graduating students from Fall 23, Spring 24, and Summer 24 for whom we have information, 82.4% were employed in their field within six months. Students find employment with state vocational rehabilitation, mental health facilities, non-for-profit community agencies, private for-profit rehabilitation agencies, and the federal government. Graduates from Maryville’s Rehabilitation Counseling program are eligible to sit for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam and the National Counselor Exam (the licensure exam for Missouri).
All graduates successfully complete a comprehensive oral exam. Over the 2023-2024 academic year, 84.6% (11/13) of the students who indicated taking the National Counselor Exam reported they passed and 100% (5/5) of the students who indicated taking the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam reported they passed.
The program taught 13 course sections over the Fall 23, Spring 24, and Summer 24 semesters, and all were taught by full-time faculty. The student to faculty ratio was 5 students to 1 faculty in the Fall 23 semester. The program currently has three tenured full-time faculty.
Professional Partnerships
Maryville is proud to work with numerous corporate and civic organizations in St. Louis and beyond through partnerships created in support of our academic programs and student opportunities. The list of the University’s partners is long, impressive, and ever expanding: Department of Veterans Affairs, Youth in Need, St. Patrick Center, Crider Health System, State of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education vocational Rehabilitation, Mers Goodwill, Alive, Mercy, Preferred Family Healthcare, Paraquad, State of Missouri Department of Social Services Family, Support Division, and Marygrove, just to name a few. Our partners provide students with opportunities to experience hands-on involvement in real-world projects, requiring them to hone market-ready skills even before they graduate. Students also experience a variety of work environments and develop a network of industry contacts through these partnerships, so Maryville graduates often have a competitive edge in the job market. In fact, many of our partners provide valuable internships—which can lead to full-time jobs with the firm or agency.