Program Details | Clinical Rehabilitation

Total creditsEstimated resident costEstimated Washington border costEstimated non-resident cost
90$56,350$61,300$78,490

Program cost estimates are based on 2025/26 PSU tuition and fees only. This chart is provided to help you estimate the minimum tuition and fees for program completion. Additional fees may apply depending on the course of study that you choose to pursue and the specific courses for which you enroll, so you may also find it useful to review detailed tuition and fee information and the full cost of attendance for PSU programs.

Financial aid and scholarship options may be available to offset program costs. Visit COE Scholarships for specific details on how to qualify and apply.

Curriculum

Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling provides students with generalized training to work with a wide variety of clients and includes specialized courses for working with clients with disabilities.

Training includes both regular coursework and clinical practice, with greater emphasis on clinical work as students progress through the program.

The first year includes foundational courses on developmental foundations, theories and interventions, legal and ethical issues in counseling, and diagnosis and treatment planning, as well as a group counseling experience. In the second year, students engage in specialized coursework and begin their clinical work, providing low cost services to community members through a practicum in our Community Counseling Clinic. In their final year, students complete advanced coursework in their specialization and serve as interns 20–30 hours per week with our partner organizations throughout the metropolitan area.

Course descriptions

For full course descriptions, please consult the Bulletin or Class Schedule.

Program Format

Modality

In Person: This program is held in person with classes held on-campus.

Full-time

Time to completion: Three years

Scheduling 

Primarily evenings with some daytime requirements: Classes are generally held in the later afternoons and evenings. Clinical training in the second and third years requires daytime hours.

Weekly Estimated Time Commitment

The PSU Credit Hour Policy defines 1 credit hour as requiring a minimum of 3 hours of student time per week over the course of the term. PSU operates on the quarter system, and terms last 10 weeks.

Graduate school is a big commitment; please consider this information as a starting tool to help you gain a sense of the time commitment. Students learn differently and you may find that it takes you more time to complete the coursework on a weekly basis. Generally, a graduate program is more intensive and should require more time on homework than undergraduate courses; therefore, we recommend planning for more time than the minimum.

Students in this program generally take 9 credits per term and should expect to spend at least 18 hours per week outside of classroom time on homework and related activities.

Beyond the academic requirements, training as a counselor is a transformative experience that involves significant intrapersonal reflection and growth which can require additional time and energy.

As the program progresses, students engage in experiential learning through internships, which take additional time to complete. Internships generally require 30 hours per week.

Program of Study

Cohort: This program operates as a cohort model, meaning that students follow a set program of study with a group of peers, learning together and providing a peer-support network. The program of study below outlines these classes term by term. 

*Courses with an asterisk can be taken at multiple points during the program.

Year 1CR
Fall
COUN 551: Theories and Interventions I3
COUN 570: Legal and Ethical Issues3
COUN 587: Foundations of Rehabilitation Counseling3
*COUN 509: Practicum: Group Experience1
Winter
COUN 552: Theories and Interventions II3
COUN 569: Developmental Foundations3
COUN 591: Medical Aspects of Disability3
*COUN 509: Practicum: Group Experience1
Spring
COUN 543: Counseling Skills3
COUN 585: Diagnosis and Treatment Planning I3
COUN 592: Psychosocial Aspects of Disability3
Summer
*COUN 582: Research and Program Evaluation in Counseling3
Electives 
Year 2CR
Fall
COUN 509: Practicum: Counseling3
COUN 581: Multicultural Counseling3
COUN 593: Case Management3
Winter
COUN 509: Practicum: Counseling3
COUN 566 (taken with 567): Appraisal Instruments3
COUN 567 (taken with 566): Using tests in counseling1
COUN 588: Diagnosis and Treatment Planning II3
COUN 594: Occupational Analysis/Vocational Analysis3
Spring
COUN 509: Practicum: Peer Mentorship1
COUN 568: Career and Lifestyle Planning3
COUN 571: Group Counseling3
COUN 580: Supervision1
COUN 586: Psychopharmacology3
Summer 
COUN 509: Practicum: Peer Mentorship1
*COUN 582: Research and Program Evaluation in Counseling3
Year 3CR
Fall
COUN 504: Internship 4
COUN 531: Foundations of Addictions Counseling3
Winter
COUN 504: Internship 4
COUN 575: Foundations of Couples, Marriage, and Family3
Spring
COUN 504: Internship 4
COUN 595: Contemporary Issues & Applications in Rehabilitation Counseling2
Total Electives4
Total Program Credits90

Internship information

During their final year of study, students complete extensive 20-30 hour per week internships with organizations throughout the metropolitan community. Here is a small sample of some of our long-term partners:

  • Children's Home Society of Washington
  • Domestic Violence Resource Center
  • Family Roots Therapy
  • Fora Health
  • Helen Gordon Child Development Center
  • Northwest Regional Re-entry Center
  • Oregon Commission for the Blind
  • Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation Services
  • Owl's Nest North
  • PSU Student Health and Counseling Center
  • PSU Community Counseling Clinic
  • Sakura Counseling 
  • Therapy, Altered
  • William Temple House

Please note this is just a sample of the many amazing internship sites we work with. You can read more about the internship process on our internship website.

Students do not have to seek out their internship placements; rather, our dedicated Internship and Practicum Coordinator supports our students in applying to internships with our partner organizations. We have worked hard to develop and maintain strong relationships with our internship sites, ensuring students receive high-quality support and supervision.

Licensure

Clinical Rehabilitation Counselors completing specified courses in their master’s program are eligible to apply for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) in the State of Oregon. The licensure statutes can be found online at the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT). These statutes outline requirements for: a) education, b) exam, and c) post-master's experience under supervision. Please read, print, and keep a copy for your records.

Currently, the licensure board does not allow applicants to take a state exam until the applicant meets the three-year post-master's experience requirements. The state licensing board does recognize a satisfactory score from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) or the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) exams. Because PSU is CACREP accredited, the NBCC allows students to apply for and take the national exam prior to graduation. Therefore, many of you may want to take the exam at the time you are completing your program of studies. Please note that NBCC requires a minimum of five-quarter hours in eight of 10 categories.

When PSU's Department of Counselor Education was approved by the state licensing board, the following provision was made:

Graduates completing the master's degree program will be allowed to utilize the direct clinical service hours documented in their master's program toward the 1,900 clock hours required for state licensure. The NCC credential now requires 3,000 clock hours of experience.