(SIMS Code: 444070)
The purpose of this certificate is to train interested engineers and non-engineers in the field of rehabilitation technology using formal classroom instruction, project design and fabrication, and internship. Enrollment in this certificate program will provide interested engineering students exposure to rehabilitation technology. For non-engineering rehabilitation professionals (e.g. vocational rehabilitation counselors, special education teachers, transition and supported employment specialists), the certificate program will provide specialty training in the application of rehabilitation technology. Specifically, the certificate program will do the following:
- Expose graduate engineering students to the problems and promises of rehabilitation engineering as a field of specialization.
- Provide a number of interrelated training activities that will improve the professional competence of employed rehabilitation workers.
- Provide opportunities for extensive training, in the form of extended internships with knowledgeable rehabilitation professionals whose backgrounds are in such specializations as biomechanics, physical and occupational therapy, prosthetics and orthotics, rehabilitation counseling, rehabilitation electronics, rehabilitation engineering, special education, speech, language, and hearing sciences, etc.
- Offer both formal classroom instruction and guided problem solving opportunities in designing, building, customizing, and delivering rehabilitation technology for enhancing the integration of individuals with disabilities into school, residential, community, and employment settings.
This is an advanced trans-disciplinary academic certificate at the postbaccalaureate level. Admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree in engineering, rehabilitation, or special education, or a related allied health field. Students admitted into the program must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all certificate coursework with no less than a grade of C in all courses. Depending on the background and work experience, students may be required to remove deficiencies through additional coursework as part of the certificate requirements.
Students in the certificate program will complete 12 units of formal coursework and one semester of internships as described below unless alternative courses are approved by the program advisers.
E E 502 (Electronic Devices for Rehabilitation - 3 units) will acquaint students with the design and application of electronic devices used in rehabilitation; explain the problems of the disabled; and present possible solutions for some of their needs. This is a non-traditional and practical electrical engineering course that requires student involvement in the collaborative assessment (with students in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences 676) of disabled persons for their cognitive, communicative, and physical abilities at the SDSU Communications Clinic.
ARP 607 (Applications of Rehabilitation Technology - 3 units) will provide an overview of assistive technology in the areas of assessment, accessibility, mobility, communication, employment, and more. Students will collaborate on transdisciplinary teams to design and construct an adaptation or modification which will enable a person with disabilities to participate more fully in school, work and/or community environments.
ARP 685A or ARP 685B (Medical and Psychological Aspects of Disability - 3 units) will cover the impact of different disabilities (e.g. visual and sensory impairments, orthopedic impairments, burns, amputation, chronic pain, cancer, developmental and learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries) in terms of functional limitations, rehabilitative services needed, and environmental adjustments required.
E E 798 (Special Study in Rehabilitation Technology Design - 3 units) will provide students hands-on opportunities to work with rehabilitation professionals, occupational and physical therapists, and other non-engineers on technology teams in the design and fabrication of customized adaptations for persons with disabilities.
Internships (one semester) will provide guided field experience through placement with knowledgeable practicing rehabilitation professionals in settings as the Sharp Rehabilitation Center, Assistive Device Assessment Program within the SDSU Communications Clinic-Alvarado, Access Center of San Diego, and San Diego schools.
For application and additional information, contact the program adviser Dr. Andrew Szeto in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering or Dr. Caren L. Sax in the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education.
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