Research Facilities
The Rehabilitation Institute currently has several community-service programs that offer training and research experiences for students. For example, the Evaluation and Developmental Center provides vocational rehabilitation, adult education, and independent living services to adolescents and adults with disabilities. Project 12-Ways offers a behavioral intervention program to prevent child neglect and abuse. Speech and Hearing Services assess and treat people with communication disorders. This Institute's Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders has been recently added to enhance the language and social skills of preschool children with autism. The service programs provide lifelong benefits to people with different rehabilitation needs, serving hundreds of citizens of Southern Illinois yearly. They also provide excellent real-world training and research opportunities for students.
Financial Aid
Financial assistance is available to students through graduate assistantships, traineeships, and tuition scholarships. Students with outstanding qualifications may be considered for graduate fellowships. The University Financial Aid office is also a source of assistance.
Cost of Study
In-state graduate tuition is $313.90 per credit hour in 2008-09. Out-of-state tuition is 2.5 times the in-state tuition rate ($784.75 per credit hour). Graduate students with at least a 25 percent appointment as a graduate assistant receive a tuition scholarship. Fees vary from $511.26 (1 credit hour) to $1416.05 (12 credit hours). Students with a graduate assistantship receive a 25 percent reduction in the Primary Care Medical Fee.
Living and Housing Costs
For married couples, students with families, and single graduate students, the University has 690 efficiency and one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments that rent for $484 to $686 per month in 2008-09. Residence halls for single graduate students are also available, as are accessible residence hall rooms and apartments for students with disabilities.
Student Groups
Approximately 25 students enter each master's program per year. About half of the M.S. students enter just after receiving their bachelor's degree. Others enter after having worked and are seeking a career change or advancement. The students are a diverse group and enjoy close working relations with faculty members and each other.
Location
SIUC is 350 miles south of Chicago and 100 miles southeast of St. Louis . Nestled in rolling hills bordered by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and enhanced by a mild climate, the area has state parks, national forests and wildlife refuges, and large lakes for outdoor recreation. Much of the area is a part of the 240,000-acre Shawnee National Forest . Cultural offerings include theater, opera, concerts, art exhibits, and cinema. Educational facilities for the families of students are excellent.
The University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a comprehensive public university, founded in 1869, with a variety of general and professional education programs. The University offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, in addition to the J.D. degree and the M.D. degree. The University is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Graduate School has an essential role in the development and coordination of graduate instruction and research programs. The Graduate Council has academic responsibility for determining graduate standards, recommending new graduate programs and research centers, and establishing policies to facilitate the research effort.