Our transfer-friendly program lets you bring in up to 60 transfer credits from prior coursework or professional experience. This means you can graduate faster without sacrificing the quality of your education. Learn more about our transfer pathways.
UW-Stout Polytechnic's 100% online Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Rehabilitation Services program (formerly Vocational Rehabilitation) will train you to identify, provide and/or coordinate services for people with disabilities. Turn your passion for people into a meaningful career related to counseling, psychiatric rehabilitation, social work or substance abuse and create a difference in the lives of those who deserve our support.
100% of Graduates Are Employed or Continuing Education Within 6 Months
Prepare for your career with hands-on experiential learning. Through a carefully planned sequence of experiences, the B.S. Rehabilitation Services program will introduce you to the career field through a pre-practicum course. You'll refine your knowledge with two required practicums:
- A community-based online experience that develops your skills and understanding working with persons with disabilities.
- An applied experience designed to enhance your impact in a chosen area of concentration.
Career-Defining Rehabilitation Curriculum
The program is dedicated to promoting your academic and career success, self-growth and leadership development. As part of your educational experiences, you'll learn about the many types of services provided to clients.
Program Overview
Pursue the Concentration That Meet Your Career Goals
- Social Work
- Individualized: Focuses on the student's area of interest, ie. Physical Therapy or Occupational Therapy.
Earn a Professional Certificate While Fulfilling Your Degree Requirements
"Stout was truly my second home. I could not say enough wonderful things about my program and the professors I worked with. Professionally and personally this was one of the best experiences of my life and the growth I have experienced has been tremendous!"
~Alexa DeMoe ('15, '18)
Mental Health Therapist
SOAR Services
Transfer-Friendly Program
What Makes Rehabilitation Services Unique at UW-Stout Polytechnic
- Hands-on learning through two practicums providing services in the community
- An experienced faculty and a national reputation for preparing graduates to work effectively with older adults and people with disabilities
- Networking with community agencies
- Affiliation and collaboration with the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute
Use the Request Information form to receive a program summary and learn more about the online Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation Services.
Request Information
Industry-Experienced Faculty Instruction
Forget TA-taught classes and 200-person lectures. Building close relationships with our industry-experienced and academically accomplished rehabilitation faculty will play a key role in your polytechnic education. Learn more about your future instructors!
Do More in Our Rehabilitation Labs & Facilities
Graduate Ready to Solve Tomorrow’s Rehabilitation Challenges
Each year, Stout rehabilitation services graduates are among the most sought-after hires to enter the workforce, routinely beating out applicants for impactful positions as social services specialists, residential supervisors, behavioral treatment techs, and more. Why? Stout is a national leader in vocational rehabilitation training. Everything you learn in our program enhances the skills you'll use on day one of your career. Where others list their education, you’ll be able to identify your experience.
Select Recent Employers
- AdventHealth
- Aurora Community Services
- Aurora Residential Alternatives
- Center for Independent Living
- Family & Children's Center
- Foundations Therapy
- L.E. Phillips Career Development Center
- Lifeworks Services, Inc.
- Lutheran Social Services of WI and Upper MI, Inc.
- Marathon Residential and Counseling, Inc.
- Northwest Counseling and Guidance Clinic
- Preferred Home Care of New York
- Rise
- Rolling Hills Equine
- Wisconsin Early Autism Project
- Workforce Resource Inc.
Application
To apply to this degree program, you need to apply to UW-Stout Polytechnic.
Financial Aid
Students who are attending another institution, but are planning to receive their degree from UW-Stout Polytechnic, may be eligible to receive aid from UW‐Stout Polytechnic. In these cases, UW‐Stout Polytechnic is considered the Home Institution and the other campus is considered the Visiting Institution.
Transfer Students
The Department of Rehabilitation and Counseling provides academic and experiential coursework leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Services. The mission of the B.S. Rehabilitation Services program is twofold: first, to prepare individuals for careers as specialists in a variety of rehabilitation settings. A second objective is to provide a comprehensive broad-‐based education for those persons wishing to pursue advanced professional study in rehabilitation. All students enrolled in the B.S. in Rehabilitation Services program must also complete a concentration, specialization, or minor as a requirement of the program.
Program Objectives
There are three basic broad objectives of the online B.S. in Rehabilitation Services:
- Students will have a thorough understanding of the “Foundations of Rehabilitation," which includes philosophy, values, and professional ethics.
- Students will have a comprehensive understanding of people and disabilities as they relate to rehabilitation.
- Students will understand and demonstrate professional behaviors in the application of the rehabilitation process as it applies to persons with disabilities or who are disadvantaged.
Expected Objectives Upon Graduation
- Understand the underlying philosophy of rehabilitation in America.
- Recognize the historical significance of legislation in the development and evolution of the vocational rehabilitation movement.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the rehabilitation process.
- Examine the medical, psychological, social, behavioral, and vocational implications of disability.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of planning in the rehabilitation process.
- Evaluate community agencies and resources devoted to helping persons with disabilities through vocational rehabilitation and independent living services.
- Demonstrate skill in communicating professionally and effectively with clients, referral personnel, colleague, and representatives of rehabilitation resources.
- Recognize the needs of the diverse client population.
- Discuss the family's impact on the client and the rehabilitation process.
- Identify the ethical and professional responsibilities of rehabilitation professionals.
- Understand the importance of advocacy and improvement in the rehabilitation process.
- Examine the current and future role and functions of rehabilitation professionals.
Learning Experiences
Courses in the program cover three areas: general education studies, professional studies and concentrations, which allow you to focus newly acquired skills on a specific clientele or service delivery system. Instructional methods include both online courses and field-based experiences. Courses will provide you with a theoretical foundation. Field-based experiences allow you to apply what you have learned.
Graduates of the program have excellent job prospects, both in the number of openings and in the diversity of positions available. Salaries have shown a steady increase over the past several years. Three-year follow-up studies show steady advancement and salary increases.
The Rehabilitation Services program prepares you for dynamic careers in the human services field. You'll select coursework that will prepare you for positions such as:
- Case Manager
- Work Experience Coordinator
- Behavioral Specialist
- Job Placement Specialist/Employment Counselor
- Rehabilitation Specialist or Technologist
- Independent Living Coordinator
- Case Manager/Social Worker
- Residential Counselor
- Community-Based Specialist
- Activities Program Director
UW-Stout Polytechnic Graduates at Work
- Behaviorist Counselor
Supported Employment Program, Eau Claire, Wis. - Job Placement Specialist
Eau Claire Job Center - Residential Counselor
at Correctional Program in Wittenburg, Wis. - Disability Case Manager
Private Rehabilitation Center, Madison, Wis. - Vocational Specialist/Social Worker
Mental Health Center, Baraboo, Wis. - Counselor
Opportunity Partners, St. Paul - Manager of Residential Services
Lutheran Social Services - Jail Program Coordinator
Triniteam, Eau Claire, Wis.
Advisory Committee Members
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Organization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamie | Arenz | First-Year Advisor, Achievement Center | UW-Stout |
| Kira | Blake Sullivan | Manager, Business & Partnership Development | Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin (NCW) |
| Kevin | Drzakowski | Associate Dean, College of Arts & Human Sciences | UW-Stout |
| Tom | Hallgren | Licensed Social Worker | Wright County Minnesota Department of Health & Human Services |
| Whitney | Hamilton | Licensed Social Worker | Chippewa Valley Correctional Treatment Facility |
| Daniel | Kelsey | Professor; Program Director, M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling | UW-Stout |
| Kyle | Kleist | Executive Director | Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin |
| Greg | Quinn | Veterans Service Officer | Dunn County Veterans Service |
| Yen Chun | Tseng | Assistant Professor; Program Director, B.S. Rehabilitation Services | UW-Stout |
| Kyle | Walker | Executive Director, Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute | UW-Stout |
Customized Tuition & Fees
UW-Stout Polytechnic degree programs using the all-inclusive customized instruction model are designed with the adult learner in mind. Other universities will present costs and value differently, so make sure you're comparing apples to apples. If you're comparing UW-Stout Polytechnic's online degree customized instruction (CI) tuition to our competitors, keep in mind:
- Customized instruction tuition rate includes the textbook rental fee.
- There are no additional or hidden university-based semester or technology fees.
- Students in customized instruction programs pay the same rate of tuition regardless of where you live.
More Value for Your Money
Customized Instruction also provides:
- Program Director/Coordinator: Faculty with academic and industry expertise.
- Student Services Advisor: One point of contact, providing dedicated support throughout your degree program.
- Course Sequences & Matrices: Plan ahead with clear program outlines so you know what courses are offered when.
- Stackable Courses & Programs: Many of our courses and certificates can be applied to our degree programs.
- Flexibility: Courses are designed to offer the flexibility and convenience working professionals need to get ahead in their careers without sacrificing their current income and responsibilities.
