Elizabeth Holaday
Program Manager; Staff Council Rep for the School of Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences Physical Therapy, Human Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences
YOU ARE BOUVÉ
What does it take to restore movement, rebuild capacity, and reimagine what’s possible for people across every stage of life? That’s the question driving this PhD program — and the researchers who choose it.
This interdisciplinary doctorate prepares you to lead original, high-impact research at the intersection of movement science, rehabilitation, cognition, and communication. Whether your background is in engineering, physical therapy, neuroscience, or beyond, you’ll find a program built to support your growth.
What you’ll get:
We translate research from bench to clinic — and from the lab into real lives. From early childhood development to healthy aging in the community, this is work that matters.
Degree Type:
Interdisciplinary Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences PhD
Study options:
– On-ground (Boston Campus)
– Full-time or part-time
Application deadline: December 6
GRE: Not required
Applicants accepted:
Domestic and International
Term Start: Fall only (Requests for a Spring start are considered on a case-by-case basis by the Program Director.)
Please Note: PhD students in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences may not request enrollment deferrals. If you are admitted for a given term but wish to be considered for a future term instead, you must re-apply to the program in order to be considered for admission and funding.
Our doctoral students conduct research that address several factors in human movement, rehabilitation, neuroscience, behavior and communication science, including but not limited to:
Students must complete 32 credit hours of courses, complete a comprehensive exam, and publish a doctoral dissertation. The course requirements include five required courses and then a set of electives determined by the student and their research advisor to provide the individual set of interdisciplinary skills needed for their research project and career.
Our graduates are well-prepared to enter into a number of post-doctoral career paths including:
Curriculum subject to change.
See the course catalog for most up-to-date information.
Based on a student’s background in their preceding master’s or clinical doctorate degree, core coursework and total hours for the advanced entry program may vary. The program director will consider all the program requirements and applicants’ previous experience when advising students on a plan of study.
All students will complete the milestones as documented below:
We expect each student in the program to have core knowledge and skills addressing the common issues for human movement and rehabilitation in interdisciplinary clinical and rehabilitation sciences as well as research methods. These are reflected in the core courses in:
In addition to the core requirements, students must complete electives chosen from a list approved by the advisor to earn a minimum of 32 program credits.
Our program does not have specific requirements with regard to classes applicants must take or have taken prior to applying. While competitive applicants typically already possess an advanced degree, we will consider exceptionally qualified applicants with a bachelor’s degree, as well.
Completed application
All applications must be submitted through the University PhD application system. In addition to the application, applicants must submit a resume and a personal statement.
Personal statement (Minimum 500 words)
Your personal statement should discuss how your background informs your research interests. It should demonstrate how your training and experience motivates you to pursue a type of research. The type of research doesn’t have to be specific, but it should also not be too general (e.g. movement and rehabilitation sciences). Prospective students are highly encouraged to reach out to research faculty in the program with overlapping areas of interest.
A CV or Resumé (no more than 3 pages)
Three letters of recommendation
Only academic and professional letters of recommendation will be accepted.
Official transcripts
Official transcripts generated by the registrar’s office at all previous institutions attended should be submitted. Student generated/unofficial transcripts are not accepted. If transcripts are being mailed, use the below mailing address.
Transcripts mailed from inside the US:
Northeastern University
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Applicant ID: XXXXXXX (insert your applicant ID number)
Graduate Application Processing Center
P.O. Box 1434
Portsmouth, NH 03802 USA
Transcripts mailed from outside the US:
Northeastern University
Bouvé College of Health Sciences
Applicant ID: XXXXXXX (insert your applicant ID number)
Graduate Application Documents
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115 USA
TOEFL scores are required from international applicants who possess degrees from institutions outside the United States. Use code #3629. The PhD Program requires a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL (official test scores from similar English-language tests may not be substituted in place of the TOEFL).
Our program focuses on research within a highly interdisciplinary setting using multidisciplinary and multidimensional concepts of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health model (ICF). It operates with the support of University based research activities at the interface of rehabilitation, neuroscience, and movement sciences that span the colleges of the university. All students will have exposure to basic, translational, and applied research training since these are considered hallmarks of the program. The curriculum incorporates global concepts for interdisciplinary clinical and rehabilitation sciences.
Faculty Biography | Interdisciplinary Health, Body Composition, and Neuroscience Lab
You’ve heard it at least 100 times — regular physical activity does wonders for your health. It can help you maintain a healthy weight and dramatically reduce your risk for developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. But less well-known is the impact of physical activity on the mind…
A maximum of 9 semester/12 quarter hours of credit obtained at another institution may be accepted towards the degree, provided the credits consist of work taken at the graduate level for graduate credit, carry grades of 3.000 (B) or better, and have not been used toward any other degree. These courses must have been taken within 5 years prior to the transfer.
TOEFL scores are required from all international applicants who have received degrees from institutions outside the United States. Guidelines for submitting a request to waive the TOEFL requirement are outlined in the Admissions section.
Doctoral students in the Interdisciplinary Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program pay per credit taken. The latest cost per credit for Bouve College of Health Sciences programs can be found on Northeastern’s Student Financial Services webpage.
Our program offers a select number of graduate assistantships for doctoral students, which covers tuition and includes a yearly stipend in exchange for 20 hours of work each week. You do not need to do anything further than submitting an application to the Program to be considered for a graduate assistantship.
Applications to the Interdisciplinary Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program do not require GRE scores. However, TOEFL scores are required from all international applicants who have received degrees from institutions outside the United States. Guidelines for submitting a request to waive the TOEFL requirement are outlined in the Admissions section.
Yes, we would be happy to put you in touch with our faculty. Please send your query along with a description of your research interests so you can be appropriately matched.
Some required courses have online course equivalents that doctoral students may choose to take, but it is not required.
We welcome any questions you might have about our program. Please feel free to send general program inquiries and admissions-related questions to Elizabeth Holaday, the Program Manager.
This program is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
Program Manager; Staff Council Rep for the School of Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences Physical Therapy, Human Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences
PhD
Associate Professor; Program Director, PhD in Interdisciplinary Clinical and Rehabilitation Sciences; Assistant Dean for PhD Education in Bouvé College of Health Sciences Physical Therapy, Human Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences
