Two people perform arm exercises with hand weights, representing rehabilitation, physical function, and health services research.

Rehabilitation and Health Services Research - PhD

The Rehabilitation and Health Services Research (RHSR) PhD program at the UTMB School of Public and Population Health prepares researchers to study functional independence, rehabilitation outcomes, and health services delivery. Students receive advanced training in interdisciplinary and translational science focused on the assessment, development, restoration, and maintenance of independent function in persons with physical and cognitive impairments.

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A student speaks with two attendees in front of a research poster during a graduate research discussion.

Why Rehabilitation and Health Services Research at UTMB

~5 Years
Average Time to Degree
Funded
For Competitive Applicants
MPH Option
Earn an MPH While Pursuing the PhD
Small Cohorts, Close Mentorship
Students work directly with their faculty advisor from day one. Small cohort sizes mean individualized training, regular feedback, and strong working relationships throughout the program.
Interdisciplinary Faculty Expertise
Faculty research covers healthcare quality and outcomes, clinical and translational rehabilitation, aging with disability, and traumatic brain injury. Students align with a mentor whose work matches their research interests.

What You Will Learn

The curriculum includes coursework in health services research, evidence-based rehabilitation, dissemination and implementation science, and biostatistics. Graduates are expected to:

  • Evaluate the roles that social, behavioral, environmental, healthcare systems, and biological factors play in contributing to functional independence
  • Develop and use conceptual models to examine rehabilitation and health services research questions
  • Apply research concepts or approaches to address specific research questions in rehabilitation science and health services research
  • Describe the strengths and weaknesses of study designs for rehabilitation science and health services research
  • Communicate the methods, findings, and implications of rehabilitation science and health services research to scientific and lay audiences
  • Select methods to translate evidence into clinical-, community-, and policy-based interventions that promote functional independence

What Makes a Competitive Applicant

 
Well-defined career goals that require doctoral training
 
Research interests that align with faculty expertise
 
Familiarity with faculty members and their research
 
Knowledge of current public and population health challenges
Two students stand beside research posters during a doctoral poster session while other attendees talk in the background.

Application Materials

  • Documentation of U.S. or Canadian transcripts
  • CV or resume
  • Personal statement
  • Writing sample
  • Three professional letters of recommendation

International applicants must also submit an iCAP course-by-course evaluation of academic records and TOEFL or IELTS scores less than two years old.

Resources

Apply to PhD Program

Contact Us

SPPH Graduate Programs | University of Texas Medical Branch
301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555-1150 | (409) 772-1128


Brian Downer, PhD
Program Director, Rehabilitation Sciences PhD Program
Associate Professor, Population Health & Health Disparities
E: brdowner@utmb.edu

Tawny Stromberg
Tawny Stromberg
Coordinator II, Admissions & Dual Programs
(409) 266-8457
spphadmissions@utmb.edu