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Rehabilitation Counseling Program ranked in Top 20

By Tom Uribes

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Rehabilitation Counseling Program at Fresno State in its Top 20 of "America's Best Graduate Schools." The rankings name Fresno State's program as 20th in the nation among master's degree programs, inclusive of those with doctoral programs, and seventh among master's degree-only programs.

Along with being nationally ranked, the program is nationally accredited with student enrollment increasing 33 percent in the past two years alone.

In an age of hi-tech electronics, the program has managed to carve a niche in the world of Rehabilitation with a vision of "Changing the Face of Human Service," said Dr. Charles Arokiasamy, coordinator or the program in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development.

The program adopted the slogan, a "National Leader in Hands-On, Real-World Rehabilitation Counseling."

"The program recruits and trains warm, empathetic, competent and qualified rehabilitation professionals," Arokiasamy said. "They have created a teaching environment that allows for real-life, hands-on internships and experiences for their students through various opportunities."

He cited as examples the Vocational Evaluation Center, one of the largest of its kind in the world; the Job Retention Program that is fast becoming a model nationally; and the newly-created, Workability 4 Program, as well as a variety of sister agencies throughout the Central Valley and United States.

Fresno State's masters of science in rehabilitation counseling is a 60-unit program that prepares students for professions in agencies or private settings assisting individuals with physical, mental or emotional disabilities to adjust personally, occupationally and socially.

With an enrollment of 80 students, the program is one of the largest graduate programs on campus and one of the largest rehabilitation counseling programs in the country. The program attracts students from all over the world, Arokiasamy said.

He added that the program "enjoys an enviable rate" of 99 percent of its graduates being hired within three months of graduation.

Arokiasamy said the program's future holds high promise. Goals in the next five years include:

o Increasing enrollment to 120 students from the current 80, with 50 percent from outside the state.

o Funding at least four perpetual scholarships.

o Building a multi-million dollar Rehabilitation Counseling Institute complete with classrooms and clinic amenities.

Back to University Journal, 5/03 Issue