Master of Rehabilitation Studies

Purpose

• To address the need for advanced interdisciplinary and intersectional study in the fields of disability and rehabilitation, as expressed in various provincial, national and international policy documents, charters and treatises.
• To provide an interdisciplinary pool of specialised rehabilitation professionals from a variety of professional backgrounds, who have the necessary clinical decision-making, managerial, research and educational knowledge, skills and socio-political attitudes, to assume positions of leadership within the field of Rehabilitation.
• To provide rehabilitation specialists who can act as specialist consultants in public and private rehabilitation services, within their specific professional areas of practice.
• To equip the qualifying learner with a sophisticated knowledge and understanding of phenomena pertinent to the disability and rehabilitation related fields, within a human rights and social model perspective.
• To ensure mastery in the field of Rehabilitation, by high level analysis of new information, the ability to deal with complexity and to find workable solutions to problems and challenges.
• To enable the qualifying learner to do advanced and independent research through rigorous training in research methods.
• To introduce the qualifying learner to the world of scholarly communication, inter alia through assistance in publishing own research reports.
• To contribute to the pool of rehabilitation academics and professionals with the competence and critical intellectual abilities to ensure future advancement of the field of Rehabilitation.
• To address the country's need for rehabilitation specialists of the highest calibre in the workforce.

Rationale

The qualification provides benefits for the South African community and economy by

• Providing the community with specialist rehabilitation workers who are equipped to develop new, and transform existing, rehabilitation services and programmes that address the specific rehabilitation needs of persons with disabilities, and promote their inclusion into the midstream of South African society.
• Providing the community with specialist rehabilitation workers who can address the unfair discrimination and injustices of the past, in respect of persons with disabilities.
• Correcting past inequities and inequalities, in that persons of all population and ethnic groups are eligible to obtain this qualification, and in so doing, transforming the profile of South African postgraduate rehabilitation professionals.

The qualification strives to fulfil the objectives of the National Qualification Framework by

• Equipping qualifying learners with the ability to address the needs of the disabled population in South Africa in a holistic, comprehensive and interdisciplinary manner.
• Playing an active role, and forming an integral part, of the national framework for learning by facilitating admission, mobility and progression within tertiary education and occupational opportunities.
• Promoting quality of education and contributing to the comprehensive personal development of each qualifying learner and the social economic development of community.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Access may be gained to the qualification through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Entry Requirements

• A Bachelor's Degree, Level 8 in an appropriate rehabilitation or rehabilitation related area.
• A Bachelor Honours, Level 8 in an appropriate rehabilitation or rehabilitation related area.

1. Effectively and confidently apply elements of health, natural and social sciences and technology, and demonstrate mastery of advanced theory and its application to the field of Rehabilitation.
2. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of rehabilitation programme delivery within a systems model, in which problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
3. Demonstrate as an advanced rehabilitation specialist, responsible participation in the promotion of the quality of life and full inclusion of all persons with disabilities into the local community, the South African population and the global community.
4. Demonstrate advanced understanding of cultural, religious, social and ethnic diversities and their influences on the disabled consumer's perception of health, impairment, disability and handicap.
5. Identify, and find solutions to disability and rehabilitation related problems through research and the use of critical and creative thinking within an outcome based approach.
6. Work effectively with persons with disabilities, disabled persons organisations and other community groups, and demonstrate leadership of interdisciplinary rehabilitation teams at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of service delivery.
7. Demonstrate the capacity for responsible and efficient organisation, management and delivery of comprehensive rehabilitation programmes.
8. Submit research findings for publication in an approved scientific publication.
9. Communicate research findings effectively to colleagues, in order to improve rehabilitation and disability related programmes.
10. Collect, analyse, organise and critically appraise information.
11. Reflect on and explore a variety of research strategies to promote rigorous scientific investigation.
12. Have comprehensive knowledge of the principles, concepts and models of programme delivery within the field of disability management and rehabilitation applied to the various contexts at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
13. Show mastery of advanced theory and its application to the specialised field of Rehabilitation.
14. Be familiar with the legislation, policy documents, and research literature in the field of disability and rehabilitation.
15. Have well-developed research skills.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria are assessed in an integrated manner across all the Exit Level Outcomes

• Critically evaluate relevant literature.
• Identify and define complex problems and apply appropriate knowledge and skills for their solutions.
• Perform independent analysis of new data and problems and confidently use a wide range of appropriate methods, techniques and research skills in the field of Rehabilitation.
• Critically review evidence from the body of scientific literature and from own research findings, to support conclusions.
• Extrapolate implications and impact of given data and use higher order cognitive skills to relate data to new, broader issues through deductive reasoning.
• Identify contradictions, challenge orthodox theory and practices, and suggest new methodologies in the fields of disability management and rehabilitation.
• Interact and engage in debate with a learning or professional group and produce detailed and coherent reports.
• Take initiative, negotiate effectively and manage conflict in intellectual debate.
• Show mastery of advanced theoretical subject matter within the specialised field of Rehabilitation.
• Demonstrate the capacity for independent study and research through the completion of an assignment, projects or a thesis.
• Understand and apply appropriate academic and professional values and ethics.

Integrated Assessment

• Qualifying learners must achieve a minimum of 50% for each module of the course and must have satisfactorily completed all compulsory assignments.
• Qualifying learners must submit a research assignment containing a report of their research, for which they must achieve a minimum of 50%. This report must meet the standards and requirements of a Master's research assignment and should demonstrate proof of successful integration of theoretical constructs and research competencies at a Master's level.
• Qualifying learners doing research only must submit a thesis that meets the standards and requirements of a Master's thesis. The thesis should demonstrate proof of successful integration of theoretical constructs and research competencies at a Master's level.