Why a Minor?
Do you seek to improve quality of life for individuals with disabilities and those that need rehabilitation? Do you wish to design devices for those with disabilities, work in health-related professions, or seek to empower individuals to optimize health outcomes?
The Minor in Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Science from UAB will help you develop the skills that could set you apart as you embark on your career after UAB.
Course offerings for this minor offer flexibility to students to build a foundation to work with individuals with disability and those that require rehabilitation. Through the courses you will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are needed to guide those with disability or those in need of rehabilitation to achieve better quality of life. You will learn ways to prevent health related issues after rehabilitation and gain experience into evaluating trends and treatments in disability research and rehabilitation.
Admissions
The Undergraduate Minor in Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Science is designed to complement your main program of study. This minor is available to any current UAB student in good academic standing and you only need 18 hours to complete. Declaring a Minor in RHB is done through BlazerNet.
Curriculum
Our courses are designed for those with a passion for delivering hands-on support to others. We have opportunities for experiential learning with organizations like "Come Roll With Me," who bridge the gaps in how wheelchair users engage in everyday activities, and "We Can Do It," where UAB student mentors deliver educational sessions on topics such as exercise, healthy eating, relaxation and restful sleep to children with disabilities.
Our curriculum will provide you with opportunities to earn direct experience. It is ideal for future engineer majors who want to design equipment for those with disabilities, encounters with individualized groups for public health majors, and rehabilitation experiences for kinesiology majors looking to advance to occupational therapy, physical therapy and other health profession fields.
Course Recommendations
We encourage everyone interested in this minor to take RHB 210 and RHB 220. They are the perfect building blocks to structure your rehabilitation knowledge. And they do not have to be taken in any specific order so you can take either course in fall or spring semesters.
- RHB 210 - Introduction to Rehabilitation Science (3 Hours): Delve into the science from cell and body structure through person, family, community and society level. Rehabilitation science is the foundation for developing and evaluating approaches to enhancing enablement and minimizing disability.
- RHB 220 - Rehabilitation and Healthcare in the US (3 Hours): Unpack the history of rehabilitation and health care in the United States. Witness the impact of societal events and factors as well as the growth of specific health disciplines that contribute to or support rehabilitation health care teams.
Questions?
If you have questions, please contact our academic advisor, Adam Pinson at