Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Category: General

The Department of Rehabilitation Science & Technology (RST) at the University of Pittsburgh is pleased to announce that scholarships up to the amount of $10,000 are available for candidates interested in pursuing a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Technology (RT).  

RT is the only graduate program accredited by the Committee on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Education (CoA-RATE), in conjunction with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and set forth by the standards of the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). Graduates of the RST program therefore are eligible to sit for the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) board examination soon after graduation. 

Graduates of the program have been able to secure employment in a multitude of positions in the assistive technology field, including product representatives for manufacturers, ATP suppliers, hospital-based clinical rehabilitation technologists, international development in the assistive technology sector, instructors in training programs, and heads of startup innovation companies. A recent study indicated there is a high demand for ATPs to meet the future needs of a growing population of people with disabilities and an aging population who want to continue to live independently in their communities provided that appropriate assistive technology interventions and environmental accommodations can be provided. This can only be accomplished through the development of a trained workforce such as those that graduate with a Master’s degree in the RT program. 

The RT Masters is currently 44 credits that can be completed in one or two years. Courses cover topics that include manual and powered mobility, smart home technology, augmentative communication, computer access, ethical considerations in healthcare, funding, policy, & service delivery models and cas-based & evidence-based practice, among others.

There are minimal prerequisites to apply (other than a Bachelor’s degree) but include basic anatomy and physiology and statistics.

For more information about the program and curriculum, go to https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/msrst

or contact Bethany Semancik, Education & Training Coordinator, at bls200@pitt.edu.