Rehabilitation Science — Ph.D.

Program director
Edward K. Bitok

Designed to be inclusive of a wide range of rehabilitation professions, the program provides opportunities for qualified clinical professionals in allied health to pursue advanced preparation for careers in independent research, higher education, and leadership. The interdisciplinary nature of the program encourages collaboration across fields such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, communication sciences and disorders, orthotics and prosthetics, nutrition and dietetics, and other allied health disciplines.

Program learning outcomes

1. By the end of the program, graduates should be able to:

   1. Lead the integration of rehabilitation professions within healthcare systems.
   2. Commit to delivering whole-person care, emphasizing holistic well-being.
   3. Advance rehabilitation science through innovative research and scholarly contributions.
   4. Acquire and apply interdisciplinary knowledge from the social and basic medical sciences.
   5. Assess, design, and implement community-based, interdisciplinary services.

In addition to Loma Linda University and School of Allied Health Professions admissions requirements, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Master’s Degree in an allied health profession or related field (e.g., physical therapy, orthotics and prosthetics, occupational therapy, nutrition and dietetics, cardiopulmonary sciences, communication sciences and disorders).
• Minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 in academic and professional coursework.

Prospective students are required to submit the following:

1. A formal letter of support from a primary research faculty member at Loma Linda University whose research interests and availability most closely match those of the applicant. The program director will coordinate meetings between applicants and prospective research faculty members.
2. Curriculum vitae (CV), including work history, formal education, continuing education, licensure or certification, professional organizations, honors, awards, publications, presentations, and grants.
3. At least one example of written work (e.g., term paper, course assignment, publication, master's degree research project or thesis).
4. Proof of involvement in a complete research project (group or individual) that involved data collection and production of a research paper or research poster.
5. International students must also provide the following:
   1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): Minimum score of 80 or higher (or an approved substitute).
   2. Foreign transcript evaluation by ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators) or WES (World Education Services).

A minimum of 74 units beyond the master's degree is required for students holding a master's or doctoral degree in a professional area.   The student's program coursework for the degree must be approved by the Doctor of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Science Committee.

¹

Fulfills service learning requirement

²

Culminates in a written and oral dissertation proposal defense and advancement to candidacy. Students will register for 1-3 units at a time (per quarter). Students must complete a minimum of 3 units.

³

Students register for 1 or 2 units at a time (minimum 80-160 hours/unit) to conduct faculty-mentored research in their discipline, typically beginning in the second year. Research findings may lead to publication or peer-reviewed presentation. Minimum of 3 units required.

⁴

Students engage in independent, faculty-mentored research aligned with their area of interest and dissertation topic. Activities include literature review, study design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation. Students register for 1 to 3 units per quarter until the required 12 units are completed.

Completion of this course requires submission of a Dissertation Guidance Committee–approved dissertation, submission of publishable papers, evidence of at least one accepted or published peer-reviewed manuscript, and successful oral defense of the dissertation.

Service learning requirement

This requirement may be met by taking RELR 540 Wholeness and Health, PHCJ 610 Building Healthy Communities or any other course with service-learning designation. For more information about this requirement and a list of approved courses see section on academic service learning in this CATALOG.

Comprehensive examinations

The comprehensive examination is a written test designed to assess a student's ability to integrate advanced knowledge and apply quantitative reasoning and analytical skills in problem-solving. Students are eligible to take the comprehensive exam after completing the Rehabilitation Science and Allied Health Core courses and at least one Research and Statistics course.

The preliminary oral examination is designed to establish that the student possesses sufficient foundational knowledge in appropriate content areas and has developed a viable plan to address a research question suitable for doctoral-level investigation. The examination will cover both the student’s research proposal and the relevant content areas upon which the proposal is based.

Students may schedule the preliminary oral examination after completing the majority of required coursework and passing the written comprehensive examination. The oral examination is scheduled by the student’s research mentor in consultation with the program director.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of the research proposal is not required prior to the preliminary oral examination.

Advancement to candidacy

The student may apply for admission to doctoral candidacy after (a) passing the written and preliminary oral comprehensive examinations, and (b) securing the approval of their research advisory committee. Candidacy becomes official only after the Faculty of Graduate Studies formally approves the advancement. 

Dissertation

To demonstrate scholarly achievement and the capacity for independent investigation, each PhD candidate must present and successfully defend an original doctoral dissertation. The research must result in a minimum of two manuscripts suitable for submission to peer-reviewed journals. Of these, at least one manuscript must be accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal prior to graduation.

General requirements

For information about requirements and practices to which all graduate students are subject, the student should consult the Policies and General Regulations sections of this catalog for the University and the School of Allied Health Professions.

Normal time to complete the program

Four (4) to five (5) years based on three-quarter-time enrollment