University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Admission Requirements for the Rehabilitation Teaching/Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Program

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
• An overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (based on a 4.0) or a 3.0 in the last 60 hours or a masters degree or higher from an accredited institution of higher education.
• A personally-written essay of approximately 500 words describing applicant’s background, experiences and goals related to rehabilitation teaching/vision rehabilitation therapy. The essay may be emailed to the program coordinator, Dr. Pat Smith at pbsmith@ualr.edu. The information should include the applicant’s name, address, telephone, email, and semester entering the program.
• A personal interview with the RT/VRT program coordinator. The interview may be conducted by telephone.
• Completed application to UALR’s Graduate School and submission of official transcripts. Note: Please notify the RT program coordinator if the name on the official transcripts is different than the name submitted on the application to graduate school.

  Applications are submitted electronically through UALR’s BOSS [Banner Online Self Services] system.

• Applicants to the Rehabilitation Teaching/Vision Rehabilitation Therapy (RT/VRT) Program are expected to have basic computer literacy skills and personal independent living skills. Applicants must have the potential ability to tactually or visually discriminate embossed braille configurations and may use assistive devices as needed. Potential students who are uncertain of their ability to meet this requirement should contact the RT/VRT program coordinator for further information and clarification.
• Students who wish to complete two related masters degrees must be accepted and enrolled into both programs concurrently. The two most common double degrees in rehabilitation at UALR are:
  • Rehabilitation Teaching and Rehabilitation Counseling
  • Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation & Mobility
• Students with disabilities who may need special accommodations with the online courses and/or during the required hands-on workshops are urged to contact the program coordinator and UALR’s Disability Resource Center.

Conditional Status
If not meeting the requirements for regular admission, applicants may be considered for conditional admission with an overall GPA of 2.5 and submitting documentation showing evidence of their ability to succeed in graduate-level work. This documentation may include official transcripts of graduate course work from an accredited university, examples of academic and professional work, test scores from the GRE or MAT, and letters of reference. Students admitted on conditional status must move to regular status at the completion of 12 semester hours with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and a grade of “B” or better in designated program courses.

Pending Status
Students can enroll in classes for one semester while their applications are under consideration [pending]. To enter pending status, candidates must submit an application for admission to the graduate program, a photocopy of a transcript showing that a bachelor or higher degree has been conferred. Grade point averages must meet the standards for regular or conditional admission. Pending status would be allowed for one semester with a maximum enrollment of six credit hours.

Transfer Credits
Students may request to transfer graduate course credits from other universities if the course content is comparable to required courses at UALR. Up to 50% of the total number of hours required for the rehabilitation teaching degree may be accepted from accredited institutions. The earned grades must be “B” or better and completed within five years of admission to the program. Transferred courses that were part of another degree may not be counted as part of the credit hours toward a second degree. However, if course content is comparable, the applicant may request an exemption to a required course.

Program Costs
Tuition for the RT/VRT required courses is $309 per credit hour (regardless of state of resident). Courses are three credit hours, thus making the cost of one course $927. Tuition increases should be anticipated each new academic year.

In addition to tuition costs, students are responsible for other program costs, which include:

• Textbooks and course project materials.
• Travel, room and board for required hands-on workshops held in Little Rock.
• All equipment necessary to complete course assignments, primarily personal computer hardware and software.