Doctor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences

Boston University faculty from a variety of academic departments and disciplines involved in rehabiliation sciences participate actively in the interdisciplinary Doctor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences(ScD) program, particularly in the Health, Adaptation, and Disability specialization (Research Track).

Rehabilitation sciences is an interdisciplinary field of study with the primary aim of enhancing health, function, and quality of life among persons who have, or who may be at risk of developing, acute injuries or long-term conditions.

Rehabilitation professionals — both scientists and clinicians — strive to optimize an individual’s performance of functional activities and his or her participation in work, personal care, and social roles, thereby minimizing disability.

The conceptual and theoretical foundations of rehabilitation and movement, clinical outcomes research, and program evaluation are fundamental aspects of rehabilitation science. This program is grounded in a framework that is both multidisciplinary and multi-tiered.

  • Multidisciplinary refers to empirically and theoretically directed training in the movement, behavioral, and psychological sciences, and in qualitative and quantitative methodology (mathematical/computational modeling and statistical analysis).
  • Multi-tiered refers to the requirement that rehabilitation encompass diagnostic and intervention processes whose targets range from impairments in body structure through restrictions on participating in society.

The relatively local level of body structure and function includes such things as neurological functioning or ranges of motion at single joint.

The level of activities moves to the performance of important life activities, and includes such physical skills as locomotion and opening a jar, both of which require coordinated movement patterns spanning multiple joints, as well as cognitive and interpersonal skills.

The relatively global level of participation examines the participation of an individual in societal roles — work, education, family, and personal.