UMass Boston's Rehabilitation Counseling Graduate Certificate gives you the specialized knowledge and skills to help people with disabilities achieve their career and life goals. Designed for individuals with a master's degree in a related field, the program builds on your existing education. With flexible learning options, you can develop the skills to support people with disabilities in a variety of settings, including health care organizations, community rehabilitation programs, state rehabilitation services, schools, universities, and other public agencies.
Here’s your chance to:
Work toward becoming a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) with a certificate that may qualify you to take the certification exam if you hold a master's degree in counseling.
Join a program that stands out nationally as one of just seven programs designated as a Center of Excellence by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).
Learn alongside a close-knit community of 40–50 graduate students from across the country, with classes averaging just 12 students.
0
ranked rehabilitation counseling program in New England
Prepare to work in agencies like the Veterans Administration, community mental health counseling services, state vocational rehabilitation programs, community rehabilitation programs, private/forensic rehabilitation and insurance companies, or schools and universities. Help individuals with disabilities achieve their goals and ensure access to education, employment, and independence.
Here’s where this degree can take you:
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Transition Service Specialist
Student Disabilities Services Coordinator
School Career Counselor
Job Placement/Development Coordinator
Example Employers of Program Graduates
UMass Boston Rehabilitation Counseling Certificate alumni launch careers at state agencies, rehabilitation programs, hospitals, insurance companies, schools and universities, and more, including:
Plan Your Education
How to Apply
Deadlines:
Summer Admission: February 1 (priority), April 15 (final)
Fall Admission: June 15
Spring Admission: December 1
All admission materials are submitted by students through the Graduate Admissions Portal and admission interviews will be conducted for candidates in February, April, June, and November.
Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.
Applicants must hold a graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher education
Two (2) letters of recommendation from individuals able to testify to the student’s suitability as a prospective counselor
Statement of intent (approximately 400 - 600 words):
Explain your personal and professional reasons for wishing to pursue graduate studies in rehabilitation counseling.
Describe your personal and professional characteristics that you believe will contribute to your future success as a student and as a counselor.
Indicate your specific interest in working with people with disabilities and discuss the type of work you would like to do in this field.
This statement will be reviewed for both your overall message and your ability to write at the graduate level. Proofread your writing carefully.
Submit a current résumé outlining relevant work experience or other background information
A formal Zoom interview by the program’s faculty admissions committee will assess the prospective student’s application materials as well as personal/professional attributes and life experiences that may support the individual’s ability to be successful in the field of rehabilitation counseling. Be sure to research the role of a rehabilitation counselor.
A standardized test score such as the GRE or MAT is NOT required.
Curriculum
The Rehabilitation Counseling Certificate Program comprises 21 credits (7 courses). Each student's plan of study is individually tailored to ensure that students do not need to re-take courses that they completed as part of their Master’s degree. If the student has sought advice from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) about content areas to be addressed for Certification requirements, then the program will tailor the plan of study accordingly, and students can choose other courses to meet the 21-credit requirement.
Required Courses (21 Credits)
COUNSL 605 - Principles of Vocational, Educational, and Psychological Assessment 3 Credit(s)
COUNSL 614 - Counseling Theory and Practice I 3 Credit(s)
COUNSL 653 - Sociocultural Considerations in Counseling 3 Credit(s)
REHAB 603 - Foundations of Rehabilitation 3 Credit(s)
REHAB 610 - Ethics, Case Management and Planning in Rehabilitation 3 Credit(s)
REHAB 612 - Vocational Rehabilitation and Placement 3 Credit(s)
For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.
The Flexibility to Learn Anywhere. The Connection to Learn Together.
Learn online without giving up the interaction and community of a live classroom. Meet weekly with faculty and classmates in live online classes built around discussion, collaboration, and real-world cases. Through interteaching, an evidence-based approach to active learning, you’ll explore complex counseling concepts, learn from your peers, and receive individualized feedback from faculty.
Keep learning between live class sessions through readings, videos, podcasts, case studies, online discussions, collaborative projects, and other interactive activities. You’ll examine current issues affecting people with disabilities, apply what you learn to real-world situations, and develop the critical thinking, communication, and professional skills you’ll use throughout your career.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the program will:
Demonstrate an ability to empower individuals with disabilities to select and implement life goals that are congruent with their individual values, beliefs, and lifestyles. For many persons with disabilities, this includes support for access to meaningful education, employment, and independent living arrangements that match their interests and abilities.
Be able to conceptualize and implement rehabilitation counseling services and interventions for people with disabilities from a holistic and developmental perspective.
Develop a professional counseling identity and demonstrate the ability to function ethically and effectively within settings that offer counseling, vocational rehabilitation, advocacy, and/or related services to diverse populations.
Identify and implement a range of assessment, counseling and case management strategies applicable in a diverse and pluralistic society with individuals and groups to promote change and growth.
Demonstrate respect for the impact of social and cultural factors on human behavior and the role of individual differences in establishing and working toward counseling objectives.
Here is more about what our students learn as they pursue this goal:
Students will become knowledgeable and skilled practitioners through training and experiences in:
The historical, philosophical, legislative, and theoretical foundations of rehabilitation, emphasizing disability rights, social justice, and the role of rehabilitation professionals in promoting self-determination, inclusion, and full participation in society.
Principles and practices of vocational rehabilitation, emphasizing career development, vocational assessment, job placement, and employment support strategies that promote competitive integrated employment, self-determination, and meaningful career opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
Major theories and approaches to counseling, emphasizing their philosophical foundations, key concepts, and practical applications in developing effective, culturally responsive, and evidence-based counseling interventions for individuals with diverse backgrounds and needs, as well as theories of psychological, educational, and vocational assessment.
Medical, psychological and educational aspects of disability
Dynamics of multicultural influences on individual worldviews and individual uniqueness
Case management principles as it relates to persons with disability
Students will become caring, principled, and respectful professionals through training and experiences in:
Humanistic and person-centered approaches
Guided practice in acquiring interpersonal skills
Ethical principles, standards of practice and respect for all people
Students will become committed agents of change for social justice through training and experiences in:
Laws and regulations governing the practice of their profession
Theories of empowerment
Theories of oppression and dominance
Theories of change and advocacy
History of the profession
Graduation Criteria
Program Requirements
Complete 21 credits from seven courses outlined in the student’s plan of study.
Students who have completed required courses as part of a master’s program should speak with the graduate program director about possible substitution courses.
Rehabilitation Counseling Graduate Programs for admissions and other program-related questions:Janice McDonald
Study in a program built for impact.
Learn within UMass Boston’s School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD), one of the first graduate schools in the world dedicated to advancing wellness, social justice, and economic opportunity. You’ll explore how to support individuals and communities who have been historically excluded while building the skills to lead change across nonprofit, health care, education, and policy settings. Through a transdisciplinary approach, you’ll gain experience in research, advocacy, and real-world problem solving, with opportunities to collaborate across programs and with the nationally recognized Institute for Community Inclusion. The result is an education that prepares you to create more inclusive systems both locally and globally.
The mission of the Rehabilitation Counseling Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston is to prepare ethical, compassionate, and highly skilled professional rehabilitation counselors and clinical counselors who empower people with disabilities and mental health conditions to achieve their personal, educational, career, and community goals. As a program within the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development and College of Education and Human Development at UMass Boston, we are committed to advancing disability inclusion, equity, and social justice through excellence in teaching, scholarship, research, and community engagement.
We recruit and support a diverse community of students from across the country and prepare graduates with the knowledge, clinical skills, and professional dispositions required for certification, licensure, and professional practice. Our curriculum integrates evidence-based practice, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration to prepare counselors who are responsive to the evolving needs of individuals, families, and communities.
Our graduates are prepared to work across a broad range of rehabilitation, mental health, educational, healthcare, vocational, advocacy, and community settings. Guided by the principles of self-determination, human dignity, cultural humility, and inclusion, our graduates advocate for the removal of attitudinal, systemic, and environmental barriers that limit opportunity and full participation in society. We believe that disability is an important dimension of human diversity, and that rehabilitation counselors play a vital role in promoting access, belonging, and meaningful participation for all.
In fulfilling this mission, the faculty are committed to:
Creating an inclusive and intellectually rigorous learning environment that supports the success of students from diverse backgrounds.
Preparing graduates who demonstrate excellence in counseling, ethical practice, leadership, advocacy, and lifelong learning.
Maintaining a curriculum that reflects current evidence, emerging best practices, and the professional standards established by CACREP (our accreditation body) and the rehabilitation counseling and broader counseling profession.
Advancing knowledge through scholarship, research, community partnerships, and externally funded initiatives that improve the lives of people with disabilities.
Collaborating with employers, alumni, and community partners to prepare graduates who are ready to lead and innovate in rehabilitation counseling and related allied health professions.
Program Outcomes
In Fall 2025 there were:
17 students in the Clinical Track
13 students in the Vocational Track
3 Certificate students
5 students have taken a leave of absence for personal reasons.
The most recent pass-rate for the CRC exam, as reported by the CRCC is 88% (compare to national pass rate of 63%).
The job placement rates for our 15 graduates in the academic year 2025-2026 is 100%.
The number of students who received a RSA scholarship in the academic year since Spring 2026: 11 students.
The acceptance rate into the program 2025-2026 is 62%.
SARA Compliance, Disclosure & Dispute Resolution UMass Boston programs are designed to meet the requirements for licensure or certification in Massachusetts. Please contact your state licensing or certification board to determine whether the program meets the requirements for licensure or certification in other states.
