University of Wisconsin - Stout

Are you a person who wants to make a difference in the lives of other people? Do you want a job that will give you a feeling of accomplishment? Do you want a job with a lot of variety? Do you believe that people with disabilities have the same rights and privileges as others? Are you committed to helping them use those rights? If so, consider a career in Vocational Rehabilitation. Vocational Rehabilitation is holistic in its approach and identifies, provides or coordinates all services necessary for the successful rehabilitation of its clients.

Interested?

The goal of the Vocational Rehabilitation program is to promote academic and career success, self-growth and leadership development. As part of your educational experiences, you will be exposed to many of the services provided to clients. The Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute provides on-campus independent living, vocational evaluation, and rehabilitation technology assessment and services to persons with disabilities. Faculty are highly skilled, caring individuals. They are committed to providing quality education, to giving personal attention to students, and to helping students develop personal and professional skills that make a difference in the lives of people.

UW-Stout's Vocational Rehabilitation program is the largest undergraduate program of its kind in the United States.

Rewarding Careers

The Vocational Rehabilitation program prepares students for dynamic careers in the human services field. Students may select coursework that will result in the ability to assume positions such as:

Learning Experiences

Courses in the program are in three areas: general education studies, professional studies, and concentrations. Instructional methods include both classroom and field-based experiences. Classroom experiences provide students with a theoretical foundation. Field-based experiences allow students to apply what they have learned. Concentrations allow students to focus newly acquired skills on a specific clientele or service delivery system. Ten concentrations are offered through the program.

Special Education Certification: UW-Stout offers the only transdisciplinary special education certification concentration in the Midwest. A graduate wrote to the program director, "I feel that in many ways I have an edge over other special education teachers due to my combination background in vocational rehabilitation and special education." Graduates of the Special Education Certification concentration are endorsed for Wisconsin licensure to teach students with cognitive disabilities, grades K-12 or 6-12.

Enjoying Student Life

The campus learning environment includes a wide variety of activities. Intramural sports, social clubs, sororities and fraternities, honor societies, and professional organizations are all included. Two student professional organizations related to the Vocational Rehabilitation program are the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Club and the Council for Exceptional Children.

Studying and Traveling Abroad

UW-Stout has study abroad programs in England, Australia, Scotland, Wales, and Mexico. In addition, specific relationships with rehabilitation professionals have been established in Holland and England.

Experiencing the Professional World

Practicum and field experience courses are requirements for graduation. A carefully planned sequence of experiential learning is integrated into the major. Students participate in their first community-based activity by year two. A second experience builds on the initial practicum. The final applied experience is developed to enhance the chosen area of concentration.

Getting Ready

High school students contemplating a career in vocational rehabilitation should take college preparatory classes. Effective communication skills are important, so technical writing and speech courses are recommended. Students are strongly encouraged to acquire related experience by tutoring special education students, volunteering in community work, or joining organizations like ARC (an advocacy group for persons with mental retardation).

Entry Positions

Graduates of the Vocational Rehabilitation program encounter an excellent job market, both in the number of openings and in the diversity of positions available. Salaries have shown a steady increase over the past several years. Entry-level salaries for 2006-07 graduates ranged from $19,000 to $55,000, with an average of $29,000. Three-year follow-up studies show steady advancement and salary increases with a mean of $31,500.