Certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling

The Department of Counselor Education offers a 30-credit hour program leading to the Certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling. This program prepares students to assist individuals with psychiatric, developmental, cognitive, emotional, or physical disabilities to achieve their maximum level of independence, integration, and inclusion into employment and the community. 

Application deadlines are accepted for spring, summer, and fall semesters:

The courses required for the program will be offered in remote and online formats:

• Remote Learning (RL): A remote learning course meets virtually at set days/times that students are “present” for. The ratio of meetings and independent work varies by instructor. 
   
• Online (OL): An online course has no set meeting times; students work independently through the course materials on D2L or a similar platform, submitting their work to meet deadlines. There may be group work, discussions, etc., that students complete collaboratively. The instructor is available for assistance via office hours, email, etc.

The certificate program is open to individuals who already possess a master’s or doctoral degree in counseling or a closely related field of study, and desire to obtain certification in rehabilitation counseling through Category 3 eligibility requirements set forth by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counseling Certification (CRCC). 

The applicant must have a degree in counseling or a closely related field from an accredited university program that meets the academic and clinical requirements for certification from CRCC. Applications accepted for spring, summer, and fall semesters. Only applications that are received by the deadline date will be reviewed.

Cost of Attendance

Financial aid does not cover the cost of graduate certificate programs. For more information on the cost of attendance, please refer to the graduate tuition rates provided by Northeastern Illinois University.

Application Requirements 

Applicants will have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and can apply to the program through NEIUs online application system.  The online application requires the following: 

• Application form
• Application fee
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended  
• Current resume
• Two recommenders (applicants will be prompted to enter contact information for two professional recommenders)
• Signed Informed Consent
• Essay: In 500-700 words, please respond to the following prompts:  
  How do you see yourself aligning with NEIUs Counseling Department?
  Please talk about your personal and/or professional experiences that make you a strong candidate for this program.

For additional information, or if the links are not working, contact the Department at (773) 442-5550 or counsedu@neiu.edu.

Curriculum in the Certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling

The courses required to complete the 30 credit-hour program are listed below. All courses are graduate courses:

Core Courses: 21 credit hours

• COUN 403 Theories of Counseling (3 cr)
• COUN 408 Research Seminar (3 cr)
• COUN 409 Career Development (3 cr)
• COUN 433 Foundations of Rehabilitation Counseling (3 cr)
• COUN 434 Medical & Psychosocial Aspects of Counseling (3 cr)
• COUN 435 Work & Disability (3 cr)
• COUN 436 Case Management in Rehabilitation Counseling (3 cr)

Clinical Courses: 9 credit hours

• COUN 446 Practicum in Rehabilitation Counseling (3 cr)
• COUN 463 Internship I: Rehabilitation Counseling (3 cr)
• COUN 473 Internship II: Rehabilitation Counseling (3 cr)

Certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling Program Planning Guide

Use the Certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling program planning guide to outline your proposed plan of study.