Master’s of Science (MSc) in Rehabilitation Sciences Program
RHSC Master’s students will investigate a topic related to rehabilitation sciences and develop skills that permit a critical analysis of problems, which can be related to clinical practice, or to the development of theory.
RHSC Master’s students are required to complete course, research, and thesis requirements. Students will typically spend 2-2.5 years completing coursework and thesis requirements.
Download a copy of the RHSC Master’s General Timeline here.
Please note, the forms listed in the timeline can be downloaded under the ‘Forms and Resources’ tab.
Prior to the start of the Master’s Program, all RHSC students are required to complete the following onboarding items.
- Attend the UBC RHSC New Student Orientation
- RHSC New Student Checklist which includes items such as: BC Criminal Record Check, UBC Anti-Bullying & Harassment Certificate, Research Ethics Certificate, and more.
We recommend allocating around 5-10 hours for all the onboarding items if you are new to UBC.
RHSC Master’s students are required to complete a minimum total of 30 credits of graduate-level studies split into 12 credits of coursework and 18 credits of thesis/research work. Of the 12 credits of coursework, students must complete 6 credits of: RHSC 500 (2 credits), RHSC 502 (3 credits), and RHSC 530 (1 credit). The other 6 elective credits can be from 300-level or above courses offered across UBC that support your development as a research-based Master’s student. Ask your supervisor for elective course recommendations as you see fit.
Registration will typically follow the schedule below; however, we encourage students to consult with their supervisors to ensure that it makes the most sense for your research.
| Term 1 and 2 (Year 1) | Term 3 - 6 (Year 2) |
| RHSC 500 Advanced Concepts for Rehabilitation Research (2 credits) | RHSC 549 MSc Thesis* (18 credits) |
| RHSC 502 Rehabilitation Theory (3 credits) | |
| RHSC 530 Research Proposal (1 credit) | |
| 6 credits elective courses | |
| RHSC requirements = minimum 30 credits total | |
*Ensure that you are registered for RHSC 549 in every term that you are completing research or your thesis to maintain student status, including summer and winter terms.*
For a full list of courses, visit the RHSC Course Listings Page.
As a thesis-based Master’s, RHSC students are expected to excel in the following skills upon completing the program:
- Critically evaluate scientific literature relevant to rehabilitation.
- Perform a rehabilitation-related research project that demonstrates familiarity with the core literature relevant to their area of study.
- Incorporate suitable research study design, methodology and data collection.
- Apply appropriate statistical or analytical tools and approaches to data analysis and interpretation.
- Defend their research project in the format of a written thesis and an oral defence.
Specific forms that need to be completed throughout the duration of the Master’s program can be found on the Student Forms and Resources page.
Please refer to the RHSC Student Handbook for detailed information regarding program requirements. If you are unable to find what you’re looking for, feel free to reach out to the RHSC Program Assistant at rehab.gradprogram@ubc.ca.
Download: RHSC Graduate Student Handbook