University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Published: March 20, 2008

By CHARLES ANZALONE
Contributing Editor

A new UB online master’s degree program in rehabilitation counseling combines the practical advantage of outstanding job prospects with the opportunity to make a lasting difference in people’s lives.

The new program is the first counseling program at the university to be offered completely online, allowing UB staff to aim for non-traditional students throughout the state, country and the world.

“There is a huge need for graduates,” says David F. Burganowski, associate research professor in the Graduate School of Education and director of UB’s rehabilitation counseling program. “If every graduate of each rehabilitation counseling program in the country took a job with a state agency, there would still be a 30 to 35 percent shortage.

“And that’s just for jobs in the state agencies. The field is clamoring for professionals.”

UB’s master’s degree program in rehabilitation counseling will train students to assist those with disabilities to overcome the emotional, psychological and practical issues of their condition as they pursue goals to become more independent and integrated into the community.

Rehabilitation counselors provide counseling services, referral services, practical advice, career planning, and other assistance and guidance to help someone adjust to a disability. According to Burganowski, “all that leads to assisting a person with a disability to either enter the work world for the first time or return to the world of work.”

The disability could be a condition the person has lived with since birth or something that occurred suddenly following an accident, disease or trauma, he says.

UB’s online program allows staff to reach out to students living outside Western New York, as well as those already in the workforce looking for a change or a second career. Burganowski has received emails from a candidate living in northern New York State who would need to drive 2 ½-hours each way to the nearest university offering a degree in rehabilitation counseling. A professional in a health-related field from India has inquired about the program, along with several people from different parts of Canada, according to Burganowski.

“The unique part is we’re reaching out to students worldwide,” he says.

The program also suits those finishing one career and looking for another challenge, and at the same time finding a way to have an impact on someone’s life, according to Burganowski. He mentioned an acquaintance who just retired from the National Guard; the man was too young to stop working for good, wanted a way to earn a living and was looking to give something back to the world.

“That’s where there is a real opportunity for programs like ours,” Burganowski says, “especially online, to attract second-career people.”

The program also would be a great match for people who are close to others with disabilities, either through friends or family, he says. A master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling would allow these people to come into the field as advocates for those with disabilities, according to Burganowski.

“We’re trying to attract an individual who wants to make a significant difference in people’s lives,” Burganowski says. “That’s what this program is all about.”

Administrators hope to enroll about 17 part-time students who would go through the program at the same time. Students would begin classes this fall and complete the program in three years, taking two courses a semester, plus a course during each of two summer sessions.

The program has three clinical components that incorporate extensive professional experience into the degree. The first is 50 hours of field work to expose students to a rehabilitation agency, such as Goodwill Industries, People Inc., the Heritage Center and Veterans Administration. The second part is a practicum to provide students with clinical experience in the field; at this point they would begin working with individuals who have disabilities.

The final component is a 600-hour internship in the field, half of which would be working face-to-face with those with disabilities.

Burganowski says the program has attracted students with undergraduate degrees in human services, social work, psychology and other health-related fields. “We’re looking for people who like working with people,” he says.

For more information, go to the GSE Web site or call the admissions office of the Graduate School of Education at 645-2110 or email the school at gseinfo@buffalo.edu.