About the Master of clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Program |
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Welcome! Thank you for your interest in the Master of Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling program in the College of Education at The University of Texas at El Paso. We are excited that you have taken the time to visit the website to learn more about the program, the profession of rehabilitation counseling, and career opportunities after graduation.
The first students enrolled in this program in the Fall, 2010. Over the past years, we’ve focused on making this program the best in the region and an excellent learning opportunity for students. The program is recently re-accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
The Master of Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Program prepares students with the specialized knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to collaborate in a professional relationship with people who have chronic illnesses. Counselors assist individuals with physical, mental, developmental, cognitive, and emotional chronic illnesses and disabilities to achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals in the most integrated setting possible through the application of the counseling process. The Master of Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling (CRC) degree provides a strong foundation in the philosophy, process, and profession of rehabilitation counseling through didactic coursework, field experiences, and extracurricular experiences. It develops expertise in the medical, social, and psychological aspects of chronic illnesses and disabilities. Graduates of the MRC program are eligible to sit for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam and are eligible for applying for Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) (if enrolled in designated elective courses).
In collaboration with our partners in the community such as the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), Pride Industry, ReadyOne, Project Search, Project Higher, Employment Service Providers, the New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Volar Center for Independent Living, and the Opportunity Center for the Homeless we continue to offer a range of field-based learning opportunities that will allow students to apply the knowledge they acquire in the classroom.
Graduates are highly sought after by a number of rehabilitation agencies in El Paso, the State of Texas, and the State of New Mexico and across the nation. These agencies include organizations such as the Texas Division of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, worker compensation programs, high schools, and college settings, independent living centers, substance abuse treatment programs, mental health agencies, and corrections facilities, and many other rehabilitation service agencies.
We have obtained funding from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) to provide competitive scholarships to eligible students in order to support students during their graduate education. Students interested in working in the field are eligible for these government scholarships. The funding generally provides $13,000.00 (including tuition and a stipend) for two semesters of study. An additional two semesters of funding, while limited, is available.
Applications are accepted for either Spring or Fall Semester. All CRC classes are scheduled after 5 pm.
We hope you can join us and start your career as a Rehabilitation Counseling Counselor!
Degree Requirements
Master of Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
CRC candidates must complete 60 graduate credit hours ***, which includes a 3-credit hour practicum and a 6-credit hour internship. Depending upon the student's career interests, the internship may be served in a variety of professional settings, including the state rehabilitation agency, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, business and industrial settings, private rehabilitation firms, independent living centers, mental health centers, schools, colleges, and universities. Students who complete the CRC Program are prepared to work as counselors in the public, federal, and private agencies that comprise the diverse service organizations within the rehabilitation community.
*** Note. The CRC program is converting to a new 60 credit hours curriculum beginning in Fall 2021. The new degree plan is listed below.
CRC Program Required Coursework
Course Listing |
Title |
REHC 5300 |
Professional Issues in Rehabilitation Counseling |
REHC 5310/EDPC 5341 |
Theories of Counseling |
REHC 5320 |
Medical Aspects of Disability |
REHC 5324/EDPC 5324 |
Ethics, Legal, Professional Issues in Counseling |
REHC 5330 |
Psychosocial Aspects of Disability |
REHC 5350 |
Psychiatric Rehabilitation |
REHC 5360 |
Career Counseling and Development |
REHC 5370/EDPC 5346 |
Counseling Multicultural and Diverse Populations |
REHC 5375 |
Assessment in Rehabilitation Counseling |
REHC 5338/EDPC 5338 |
Group Counseling |
REHC 5339/EDPC 5339 |
Techniques of Counseling |
REHC 5389/EDPC 5310 |
Applied Research Design |
EDPC 5347 |
Addiction Counseling |
EDPC 5317 |
Human Growth and Development |
EDPC 5345 |
Abnormal Human Behavior |
EDPC 5360 |
Introduction to marriage and family therapy |
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Program-related elective |
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REHC 5390 |
Practicum in Rehabilitation (100 hours) |
REHC 5391 |
Intership in Rehabilitation (I) (300 hours) |
REHC 5392 |
Intership in Rehabilitation (II) (300 hours) |
FIELD EXPERIENCES
Field-based experiences are a critical component of the MRC program. These experiences allow students the opportunity to express and develop the knowledge and skills they have developed through classroom instruction. Under supervision, students provide rehabilitation counseling services to clients in the community. These services will require students to use the concepts reviewed in the classroom to develop therapeutic relationships with clients and work collaboratively with them toward their rehabilitation goals.
REHC 5390 Practicum in Rehabilitation (100 hours)
REHC 5391, 5392 Internship in Rehabilitation I and II (600 hours; 6 credit hours)
ELECTIVES (3 semester credit hours)
Although all graduates are awarded a MRC degree, students select electives to develop a more specialized course of study. Specializations through the selection of electives and field placements are encouraged (e.g., licensed professional counselor, psychiatric disabilities, assistive technology, head injury, assessment, and transition).
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
In the final semester of the program, students are required to successfully pass a comprehensive examination. The exam covers the entire curriculum of core courses and includes multiple-choice questions .
CRC EXAM
The Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) Exam is an approved alternative to the MRC comprehensive exam. The CRC exam consists of 175 multiple-choice questions administered during an allotted 3½ hours within an 8-day testing window. CRC exam overview and preparation is provided here ( https://www.crccertification.com/crc-exam-overview)