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Lasell University
Lasell University

2019 - 2020 Academic Catalog

Master of Science in Rehabilitation Science

The Master of Science in Rehabilitation Science (MS in RS) is a multidisciplinary program designed for health, wellness, and rehabilitation professionals interested in expanded roles in professional practice, administration, and research. This is a fully online program with a required ten-day on-campus summer residency. The residency provides hands-on training in accordance with a four-credit Techniques in Manual Therapy course focusing on clinical skill acquisition and application. The proposed degree is intended to provide professions in these positions opportunities to gain advance clinical techniques and skills together with the knowledge, skill, and ability to engage and produce discipline specific research (through the Rehabilitation Program Capstone).

Graduate and Professional Studies, in collaboration with the Athletic Training/Exercise Science Department, has established the following Goals and Outcomes for the Master's in Rehabilitation Science degree.  The program is structured to support students to achieve these goals and outcomes by the time they complete the program.  

Goal 1: Mastery of the Field of Rehabilitation Science
Upon completion of the major program of study in Rehabilitation Science, students will be able to

1. Identify, analyze and interpret disciplinary concepts
2.Acquire and implement advanced skills and abilities in rehabilitation techniques
3. Understand motor control, functional movement and the bases of dysfunctional movement
4. Recognize ethical issues pertaining to the Healthcare industry
5. Identify psychosocial interventions in health, wellness and fitness
6. Acquire and apply leadership skills in a healthcare environment
7. Develop and apply specialized manual therapy techniques
8. Engage and assess normal and abnormal human movement
9. Analyze, use, create and produce graduate level research
10. Synthesize and apply exercise prescription and therapeutic program design
11. Analyze and interpret normal and abnormal human movement

Goal 2: Clinical Reasoning
Upon completion of the major program of study in Rehabilitation Science, students will be able to

1. Incorporate evidence based practice into clinical decision making to improve patient/client outcomes
2. Develop of effective PICO questions for the purpose of engaging in evidence based practice

Goal 3: Develop, Implement and Consume Evidence-based Research
Upon completion of the major program of study in Rehabilitation Science, students will be able to

1. Synthesize accurate explanations of information presented in statistical forms. Make appropriate inferences based on that information.
2. Consume and interpret quantitative /qualitative analysis of data as the basis for deep and thoughtful judgments, draw insightful, carefully qualified conclusions from this work.
3. Explicitly describes assumptions and provides compelling rationale for why assumptions are appropriate. Show awareness that confidence in final conclusions is limited by the accuracy of the assumptions.
4. Apply quantitative information in connection with the argument or purpose of the work, present it in an effective format, and explicate it with consistently high quality.

Goal 4: Develop and Practice Effective Communication Skills
Upon completion of the major program of study in Rehabilitation Science, students will be able to   

1. Engages in effective situational patient and client interaction
2. Develops effective communication strategies utilizing appropriate communication mediums
3. Identifies potential causes of communication breakdowns and conflict
4. Create, implement and analyze solutions applied to resolve conflict

Goal 5: Develop Effective Leadership Skills
Upon completion of the major program of study in Rehabilitation Science, students will be able to  

1. Indentifies, develops and evaluate qualities of effective leadership
2. Develops and motivates people and teams to meet emerging trends and challenges
3.  Demonstrates a critical understanding of financial, human and technical resources needed to manage and implement change.  

MSAT700 - Prof Behaviors & Evidence Based Practice

This course focuses on the ever-changing contemporary issues that impact direct and indirect patient care, and highlights the importance of evidence-based practice. The NATA code of ethics and BOC Standards of Professional Practice will be used as a framework to highlight the importance of working as part of a health care team, advocating for patients and the profession, and providing medical care in a non-discriminating or prejudicial manner.

MSAT714 - Behavioral and Mental Health

Behavioral and Mental Health

RSCI701 - Advance Kinesiology and Biomechanics

The course involves a study of joint structure, joint function, and the biomechanical principles underlying the kinetics and kinematics of human motion, including normal gait and human movement. Emphasis is placed on the interaction between biomechanical and physiological factors in musculoskeletal and neuromuscular function, and the application of kinesiological principles to clinical rehabilitation practice.

RSCI702 - Pathokinesiology

The student will be introduced to a systematic evaluation approach based on the pathokinesiological model. The pathokinesiological model will examine human movement systems and it significance to regions of the human body. These regions will be recognized as potential sites for integrated pre-habilitation and rehabilitation exercise programs. Pre-requisite RSCI701

RSCI703 - Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment

The emphasis of this course is on the assessment of functional orthopedic conditions and musculoskeletal screening. The course emphasizes the application of systems analysis principles to clinical situations. The course goal is to improvethe clinician's ability to evaluate the patient's complaint as related to movement andidentify those patients who require additional orthopedic evaluation & referral whileassessing patient complaints in a logical deductive manner. Screening and assessment tools will be demonstrated as part of the process. In addition, the student is able to assess clinical scenarios as illustrated by relevant case studies.

RSCI706 - Rehabilitation Program Design for Human

This course will introduce pre-habilitation and rehabilitation exercise strategies based on limit function and dysfunction. The student will receive detailed insight into the design of corrective exercise programs. The systematic approach of an integrated corrective exercise design uniquely blends the variables of available flexibility, isolated and integrated strengthening, and exercise design to provide the student with the necessary foundation in designing and developing safe prevention and corrective exercise programs. Pre-requisite RSCI703.

RSCI709 - Concepts & Application of Manual Therapy

Concepts & Application of Manual Therapy

RSCI716 - Ethical Issues in Healthcare Professions

This course is a study of the application of ethical principles, which includes the legal factors and professional behavior, which impact patient management and the rights of the consumer in the provision of medical and rehabilitation services. Ethical issues explored include: human value development, decision making, basic principles of health care, the nature of rights, confidentiality and management of health care information, professional gate keeping as a function of role fidelity, autonomy and paternalism, and justice and the allocation of scarce resources.

RSCI780 - Quantitative & Qualitative Research

This course provides an overview of foundations of research design and the uses and interpretation of results. Content includes: reviewing the literature, developing research problems/questions; hypothesis testing, experimental, quasi-experimental and other research designs; and evaluating research studies as they relate to evidence-based practice in the health professions. The intended outcome is to familiarize students with the evidence-based guidelines associated to clinical outcomes and evidence-based practice.

RSCI781 - Capstone

Through the completion of a research project, on a topic within the field, this course serves as an essential outcome component to augment the professional development and new learning that occurs in didactic course work and demonstrates the ability of the graduate to make significant contributions to their professions. Pre-requisite: must be taken in final semester of program.Prerequisite: RSCI780