What kind of educational background is required for admittance into the RT program?
Any Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university will be acceptable for admittance into the program. Overall grade point average must be a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale or a 3.0 on the last 60 hours.
Are a thesis and comprehensive examinations required?
No thesis or comprehensive examinations are required for completion of the RT degree.
What is the length of time required to complete the UALR RT program?
The length of time required to complete the program will depend on the number of courses taken each semester. For example, if two online courses are taken fall and spring semesters and one course during the summer semesters, the degree can be completed in three years. The university requires that advanced degrees be completed within six years. The program coordinator will draft a tentative plan of study for each student based on the individual's preferred coarse load, so the anticipated time frame may be determined prior to actually beginning the program. Each semester throughout the student's program, the individualized plan is re-visited during the advising conference and adjustments made as needed.
How often will I have to come to campus?
Four of the required courses required a hands-on workshop, necessitating the students come to Little Rock. The course, Basic Independent Living Skills for Persons with Impaired Vision is held each summer semester, which begins the end of May. The hands-on assessment workshop for the course is usually held the first week in August. Methods of Teaching Adaptive Communication Skills and Methods of Teaching Adaptive Life Skills are offered alternating spring semesters, which begin in January. The workshops are usually held the last week in April. The fourth course requiring a trip to Little Rock is the Techniques of the Counseling Interview. The course is offered most semesters. The counseling workshop and the RT workshops in the spring semester are schedule consecutively back-to-back. The counseling workshop begins on a Thursday morning and ends on Saturday; the RT workshop begins on the following Monday morning and ends on Saturday.
Where can I stay when I come to Little Rock for the workshops?
It is anticipated that the required hands-on assessment workshops for the Basic IL, Methods of IL, and Communication courses will be held in a meeting room at the Best Western Governors Suites (not on the UALR campus). [The workshop for the counseling course is usually held on the UALR campus.] Students are responsible for making their own hotel reservations and for all costs. Best Western Governors Suites
1501 Merrill Drive
Little Rock, AR 72211
501-224-8051 The hotel has 49 nonsmoking guest rooms, arranged in a rectangle around a center, indoor atrium. All rooms have electronic door locks and open to the indoor atrium. The one person suites contain: one king size bed, couch, large upholstered chair, small table with two chairs, small room refrigerator, small microwave, iron and ironing board, hairdryers, coffeemaker, television with cable and HBO, free internet access, free local calls. Suites are available with two double beds and a sofa-bed. Room rates are subject to change. Estimated cost: single rooms: $75 per day; double: $85 per day; three persons; $95 per day. Hotel guests have access to the hotel's outdoor swimming pool [in season], free health club privileges at the Powerhouse Gym [half a block from the hotel] and complimentary full breakfast buffet. Hotel's website: http://www.bestwestern.com/governorsinnsuites A grocery store (Harvest Foods) and K-mart are about three blocks away, with sidewalk access. There are several restaurants and stores within easy walking distance.
General Driving Directions:
  • From I-40 take the I-430 exit south
    OR
    From I-30 take the I-430 exit north
    From 1-430 take the Rodney Parham Road exit, turn west
    [coming from the north, it will be a right hand turn off the exit ramp; coming from the south, it will be a left hand turn from the exit ramp]
  • Turn left onto Shackleford Road [0.27 miles from 1-430]
  • Turn right onto Merrill Drive [about 2 blocks from Rodney Parham]
  • Best Western Governors Suites is about 2 blocks on the left on the southwest corner of Merrill Drive and Huron [called Market Street on the north side of Merrill Drive, called Huron on the south side of Merrill Drive.]
How do I obtain the textbooks required for the courses?
Once you have verified with your program advisor in which courses you will enroll for the coming semester, she will send you a list of the required texts. Students may purchase their textbooks directly from the respective publishers or from an online book source. A few of the instructors have the UALR bookstore order copies of the textbooks that will be required for their specific courses. Those texts can then be ordered from the UALR bookstore via credit card with the additional handling and postage charges. Students who are members of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired {AER} may receive a discount on any textbook published by the AFB Press when ordered through AER.
If I already know contracted braille, do I have to take the Braille and Relevant Formats Course?
Braille Proficiency Test
Student who are proficient in reading and writing contracted braille may wish to take a proficiency tests. For specific information, contact the RT program coordinator, Dr. Pat Smith, pbsmith@ualr.edu. The test consists of three parts: braille to print, print to braille, and proofreading. Students who demonstrate braille competency have two options:
  1. Request an exemption to the braille course requirement and enroll in another course as an elective in order to complete the required 42 credit hours of the RT master's degree.
    OR
  2. Register for the braille course, pay the tuition; the grade received on the proficiency test will then be processed as the course grade at the end of the semester. Students who choose this option and have successfully passed the proficiency test do not have to complete the braille assignments required in the class.
Note: The braille proficiency test must be completed on a manual braille writer or slate and stylus. A computer braille software program cannot be utilized when completing the test nor when completing the course assignments.
What if something happens that I'm not able to finish the courses for a particular semester?
If a student has justifiable extentuating circumstances that can be appropriately documented AND has successfully completed the majority of the course, a request for a limited time extension [incomplete] may be submitted to the instructor to allow for successful completion of course requirements. Students may need to withdraw from a course by the published withdrawal date to avoid a grade penalty. As per university policy, any incomplete grades that are not finished within a maximum of one year will automatically be converted to a grade of "F" on the student's transcript.
How are the clinical field experience's [practicum and internship] locations determined?
Upon successful completion of all key rehabilitation teaching courses and with the approval of their faculty advisor, students may enroll in practicum and then internship. Internship is the final course of the Rehabilitation Teaching program, culminating in the master's degree and Graduation! The UALR RT field experiences must meet the current requirements for ACVREP clinical field experiences so that all graduates will meet eligibility requirements for national certification in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy [CVRT]. The program advisor will meet with each student to obtain his or her preferences and priorities, such as geographical location, target population, service delivery system. The program advisor will make the specific arrangements with the respective agency administrator and RT supervisor. The RT supervisor must hold current ACVREP-VRT certification, have a minimum of three years successful RT experience, and preferably have a master's degree from an approved university RT personnel preparation program. The field experience must include opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge for the full range of RT teaching responsibilities and encompass a minimum of 350 clinical practice hours.
Will I earn a state teaching certificate with a master's degree in Rehabilitation Teaching?
The master's degree in Rehabilitation Teaching is not affiliated with state teaching certificates. Graduates of the RT program meet eligibility requirements to apply for certification in vision rehabilitation therapy [CVRT] through ACVREP [Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals]. Specific CVRT requirements may be found on the ACVREP webpage at http://www.acvrep.org. Note: Student who wish to complete a double major in RT and in Teaching Students with Visual Impairments [TSVI] would need a state teaching certificate to meet the eligibility entrance requirements for the UALR TSVI program. However, RT students can take TSVI courses as electives without having a state teaching certificate. Most of the TSVI courses are not available totally online, but may be in the future. UALR TSVI website: http://www.ualr.edu/coedept/teached/emphasis_4.htm
What kinds of job opportunities are available for graduates of the UALR RT program?
Rehabilitation Teachers are typically employed in a variety of agencies, schools, and organizations within federal, state, and private settings. Instructional delivery systems for rehabilitation teaching occur within both center-based programs as well as itinerant service delivery systems. Employment scenarios can range from full benefit employment to contractual employment. Teaching responsibilities may cover a single subject to the entire range of adaptive life skills [communications, home management, personal management, recreation/leisure, and pre-cane orientation & mobility. Instruction may be provided on a one-to-one basis or in small group individualized instruction.
The UALR RT program maintains a list of potential job openings to assist students in seeking employment.
What is required for graduation?
Students must successfully complete the required plan of study earning a minimum of 42 credit hours with an overall grade point average of 3.0 ["B"]. A minimum of a "B" is required for key RT courses. Note: Students must apply for graduation, even if they do not plan on marching in one of the commencement ceremonies. UALR holds commencement ceremonies at the end of fall and spring semesters. Participation in the commencement ceremony is not required. However, many students have expressed surprise at the unexpected positive feelings they had after participating in commencement. They stated it gave them a wonderful feeling of success and closure for all the hard work they had done!

 

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Dr Angela Sewall
Dean UALR
College of Education
Elected President of Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities