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2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog | Expires Aug. 2030 
    
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Rehabilitation Medicine (B.S.)


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Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine

The Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine is available to students who are enrolled in the Kinesiology Department and interested in professional graduate studies in a wide array of healthcare and rehabilitation fields, including but not limited to physical therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy, physician assistant, chiropractor, and prosthetics.

The Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine-OT is ONLY available to students who have completed a minimum of 90 undergraduate credits and have been formally selected and matriculated into the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program at Saginaw Valley State University.

Mission Statement

The Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine at Saginaw Valley State University is committed to creating opportunities for pre-professional healthcare and rehabilitation students to achieve intellectually, professionally, and personally through their academic, professional, community, and cultural experiences. The Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine degree is available to students in the Department of Kinesiology. Upon completion of the degree requirements, students will demonstrate educational competencies and clinical proficiencies required for professional graduate studies in a wide array of healthcare and rehabilitation fields, including but not limited to physical therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy, physician’s assistant, chiropractor, and prosthetics.

Students must complete the Interdisciplinary Major Requirement; a minor is not required.

Student Learning Goals for the Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine

Using the concept of evidence-based medicine/practice (where applicable), students will be able to:

Identify and understand risk management and injury prevention strategies and demonstrate the necessary skills to plan, implement, and reassess strategies to mitigate risk and prevent injury and illness in the general and physically active population.

Identify and understand acute/emergent injuries and illnesses and demonstrate the ability to recognize, assess, and manage patients with acute/emergent injuries and illnesses and provide an appropriate medical referral when applicable.

Identify and understand the components of a musculoskeletal physical examination and demonstrate the ability to diagnose a patient by identifying: (1) common acquired or congenital risk factors that would predispose the patient to injury, (2)  orthopedic injuries to determine proper care, including referral of the patient to other healthcare providers when appropriate.

Identify and understand the components of a general medical and physical examination and demonstrate the ability to examine and diagnose a patient to identify general medical conditions and disabilities to determine proper care, including referral of the patient to other healthcare providers when appropriate.

Identify and understand the theoretical foundations of therapeutic modalities and demonstrate the ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and document the efficacy of therapeutic modalities in treating injuries and illnesses in the general and physically active population.

Identify and understand the theoretical foundations of rehabilitation/strength and conditioning and demonstrate the ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and document the efficacy of therapeutic exercise and performance training in treating and preventing injuries to and illnesses in the general and physically active population.

Identify and understand the sociocultural and psychosocial aspects of injuries and illnesses and demonstrate the ability to recognize, intervene, and refer to a qualified healthcare provider when appropriate for patients exhibiting sociocultural, mental, emotional, and psychosocial behavioral problems/issues.

Identify and understand the nutritional aspects of a healthy lifestyle and improved physical performance; demonstrate the ability to develop and communicate healthy nutritional habits for improved physical performance; recognize, intervene, and refer to a qualified healthcare provider for patients exhibiting eating disorders or disordered eating.

Identify and understand the legal, ethical, and administrative aspects of managing a healthcare or rehabilitation facility and demonstrate the ability to develop and communicate appropriately with stakeholders regarding the daily operations of and management of healthcare or rehabilitation facilities.

Identify, understand, and demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to use a systematic approach to ask and answer clinically relevant questions affecting patient care.

Identify, interpret, and incorporate the best available evidence, their clinical experience, and the needs of the patient to maximize patient outcomes.

Understand the need for performing quality research (i.e., original research, case reports, evidence-based practice, systematic reviews) and provide opportunities for obtaining, interpreting, evaluating, and applying relevant research data, literature, and/or other forms of information to add to the current body of knowledge and/or affect change in the local community.

Identify, appreciate, and demonstrate the foundational behaviors of professional practice as established by a wide array of healthcare and rehabilitation medicine fields.

Understand the need for continuing professional education and provide opportunities for students to participate in continuing professional education programming such as national, district, and state professional meetings.

Successful admission into a professional graduate program in a wide array of healthcare and rehabilitation medicine fields, including but not limited to, physical therapy, athletic training, occupational therapy, physician’s assistant, chiropractor, and prosthetics.

Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine-OT

Saginaw Valley State University is committed to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to earn a Baccalaureate Degree.

For this reason, the Department of Kinesiology and Occupational Therapy has developed a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine-OT. The dual enrollment program allows students to work toward their graduate degree while completing their baccalaureate degree.

The Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine-OT is ONLY available to students who have completed a minimum of 90 undergraduate credits and have been formally selected and matriculated into the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program at Saginaw Valley State University. Additionally, students must have completed all of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Medicine-OT as outlined in the curriculum sequence.

General Education Required Core - Rehabilitation Medicine


SVSU requires a total of 124 credits including 42 upper level credits and 2 CI (!) courses.

Fulfull the 10 General Education categories to meet the University General Education   requirements (35 credits)

Students are required to fulfill the following General Education courses as part of the Exercise Science degree requirements.

Category 3


Complete one of the following courses to fulfill the General Education and Rehabilitation Medicine major (4 cr).

Category 4


Complete BIOL 111A  and one of the following Chemistry courses (3-4 cr) to fulfill the General Education and Rehabilitation Medicine major. 

Students will have the option to complete CHEM 102A  or CHEM 102B  or CHEM 111 . This will be dependent on the prerequisite courses needed for matriculation to a professional graduate healthcare program. For those students seeking a professional graduate healthcare degree program, it is recommended to complete CHEM 111  and CHEM 111L .

Category 6


Complete the following course to fulfill the General Education and Rehabilitation Medicine major requirements (4 cr).

Category 10


Complete the following course to fulfill the General Education and Rehabilitation Medicine major requirements (3 cr). 

The following General Education courses are recommended.


Rehabilitation Medicine Core (14 cr)


Complete the following courses to fulfill the Rehabilitation Medicine Core requirements for the Rehabilitation Medicine major.

Rehabilitation Medicine Elective Core (9 cr)


Complete 9 credits from the following to fulfill the Rehabilitation Medicine Elective requirement for the Rehabilitation Medicine major.

Interdisciplinary Major Core (14 cr)


To meet the requirements for this interdisciplinary major, students must complete courses from at least three departments outside of Kinesiology. These courses must total at least 14 credits and include at least one upper division (300-400 level) course.

Students will meet this interdisciplinary requirement by completing BIOL 232  and BIOL 233 , one Physics course (PHYS 107 PHYS 111 /PHYS 111L , or PHYS 150 ) and an additional upper-level course from the list below.

Physics Requirement


Students must complete one of the following courses as part of the Interdisciplinary Major requirements.

Biology Requirements


Students must complete the following two courses as part of the Interdisciplinary Major requirements.

Upper Division Requirement


Students must complete one of the following courses to fulfill the upper-division course requirement of the Interdisciplinary Major requirement.

General Education-Rehabilitation Medicine-OT


Fulfill the 10 Categories to meet the University General Education requirements (38 credits)

SVSU requires a total of 124 credits with 42 upper level credits w/2 CI! courses.

Students will be REQUIRED to fulfill the following General Education courses as part of the degree requirement.

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