Rehabilitation Sciences MHS

Major: Rehabilitation Sciences
Degree Awarded: Master of Health Science (MHS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 45.0
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 51.2314
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 29-1123

Note - This program is not accepting applications for the 2025-26 Academic year. 

About the Program

Individuals cannot enroll directly in the Master of Health Science in Rehabilitation Sciences program. Requirements for the degree completion include successful completion of 45.0 credit hours, concluding with a case study or a clinical project.

Upon completion of the MHS program, graduates will be prepared to:

• Analyze the impact of injury or disease process on musculoskeletal or neuromuscular function within a specific population, including orthopedics, pediatrics and hand rehabilitation.
• Improve their practice through clinical decision-making that is consistent with concepts of health promotion, client-centered care and current best evidence.
• Facilitate the transfer of health care policy and research findings into clinical practice.
• Evaluate methods of service delivery and intervention strategies and procedures at individual and program levels.
• Serve effectively as clinical educators and consultants to consumers and colleagues.
• Engage in professional lifelong learning and contribute to the field of rehabilitation.

Additional Information

 For more information, visit the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences webpage.

Degree Requirements (MHS)

* Additional courses (as approved). Number of credits required for electives is dependent upon total credits in concentration selected. Contact the Rehabilitation Sciences Mater of Health Science Program for more details.

Facilities

Teaching Facilities and Resources

Classes are held in lecture halls, classrooms, laboratories or in clinical and research facilities on the University City campus of Drexel University. The Health Sciences Building (HSB) is where the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences (PTRS) is located along with other programs in the College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) and the College of Medicine. PTRS has two state-of-the-art dedicated laboratories where the clinical components of the professional curriculum are taught. In these laboratories, equipment reflects current physical therapy practice and is part of a multi-disciplinary clinical learning and resource center. Included as part of the resource center is a standardized patient lab that utilizes paid actors to simulate various clinical situations while students' interactions with those "patients" are monitored by supervising faculty. This center provides a rich environment for student learning.  

PTRS also maintains a human anatomy lab in the HSB where students dissect human cadavers during the first two terms of the program. Additional elective coursework may be conducted in the anatomy labs. The gross anatomy lab is a modern, fully equipped facility providing a state-of-the-art dissection laboratory with medical visualization technologies. The facility allows DPT students to focus on the anatomy most relevant to physical therapy while making relevant connections to clinical practice and integrating with other courses.

The DPT program uses its own faculty-staffed clinical sites as well as various clinical sites in the area to enhance the educational experience of the student. The department operates outpatient physical therapy sites in the Drexel Recreation Center on the University City campus and a pro-bono practice in Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11^th Street Family Health Services. Students rotate through these facilities getting individualized mentoring while connecting classroom content with clinical practice. These experiences are in addition to the 33 weeks of full-time clinical education the student will experience throughout the curriculum.

The entire Drexel campus has wireless capability and all courses are linked to the learning platform, Blackboard Learn.  

Research Facilities

The Department conducts hypothesis-driven research in biomechanics, motor control, neuromuscular plasticity, rehabilitation and functional outcomes, community-based practice and family-centered care across the lifespan. The research space is a large, multidisciplinary center in the Health Sciences Building close to classrooms and other clinical labs. The facilities include a gait and running lab and a human performance and aging lab, each containing a motion capture system with in-floor force plates, neuromuscular performance labs equipped with custom-built force measuring systems, EMG system and electromagnetic motion tracking systems and an instrumented treadmill motion analysis lab. 

Research is conducted via partnerships with organizations locally, nationally and internationally. Other departments involved in research in the College include Nutrition Sciences, Nursing, Counseling and Family Therapy and Creative Arts Therapy, which provides fertile ground for collaboration. DPT students have the opportunity to work with faculty and PhD students on ongoing laboratory projects through elective coursework.

Program Level Outcomes

Upon completion of the program graduates will be prepared to:

• Demonstrate understanding of advanced topics in health and rehabilitation sciences.
• Critically read, evaluate and discuss relevant research literature in health and rehabilitation sciences.
• Analyze issues using critical thinking and solution-focused problem-solving skills.
• Communicate effectively with a variety of different stakeholders.
• Students completing a thesis will pursue research activities that lead to published scientific findings.

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty

Emeritus Faculty