Rehabilitation Counseling Doctorate Program
vs. Master's Degree

As you research rehabilitation counseling doctorate programs—or masters degree programs—you may be wondering what exactly differentiates the degrees.

Is a rehabilitation counseling doctorate program worth the extra expense and time in school, or will a masters be sufficient? The answer will depend on your own personal career goals. Here are some details that may help clarify the opportunities each degree can offer.

Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling

A master's degree is now the standard education level required for state licensure or national certification. In the past you may have been able to join the counseling field by obtaining a bachelors degree in social work, human services or psychology, but this has become more of an exception than the rule.

Think of a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling as a practitioner's degree. After getting your post-degree rehabilitation counselor certification, you'll be qualified to practice using the skills of assessment and clinical intervention (with or without supervision, depending on the state). You may work in settings such as schools, clinics and universities with individuals, groups or in family counseling.

More specifically, as a rehabilitation counselor you will help people deal with problems associated with disabilities—social, personal and professional. You can develop a range of expertise in areas such as:

• Counseling
• Social and psychological elements of disability
• Case management
• Ethics in practice
• Independent living
• Disability management
• Transitions from school to work
• The process of vocational rehabilitation
• Vocational assessment
• Employment strategies and career development

Rehabilitation Counseling Doctorate Programs

A master's should give you a firm basis in the practice and profession of rehabilitation counseling. A rehabilitation counseling doctorate program takes a longer time and financial commitment, but in the long run can result in higher wages, work without supervision and more career opportunities. In addition to the practice of counseling, you may want to consider rehabilitation counseling doctorate programs if one of these positions might interest you at some point on your career path:

• Educator
• Researcher
• Supervisor
• Administrator

Educators at the doctorate level are particularly in short supply, according to the National Council on Rehabilitation Education. The NCRE expects that about 50 percent of the 670 rehabilitation educators in the country will retire within ten years.

Doctoral programs typically emphasize research as much as practice, in addition to providing training in teaching. Study areas can include:

• Teaching in rehabilitation counselor education
• Clinical supervision
• Clinical practice
• Advanced study in rehabilitation counseling and psychology

In spite of only a few universities offering rehabilitation counseling doctorate programs, the high demand for educators to train masters-level students will likely increase the availability of such programs in the future.

Making Your Decision

Consider your career goals when deciding between masters or rehabilitation counseling doctorate programs. If you're certain that your passion is exclusively in the practice of rehabilitation counseling, then your course is clear: Obtain a masters degree in the field and the appropriate rehabilitation counselor certification or license.

However, if a higher salary, teaching others to be rehabilitation counselors, doing research in the field or supervising a counseling clinic sounds appealing to you, you may wish to look at rehabilitation counseling doctorate programs and get your PhD.

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