Rehabilitation engineers develop devices that aid people who are recovering from or adapting to physical or cognitive impairments.
[Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/biomedical-engineers.htm#tab-2 (visited April 13, 2023)]
Rehabilitation engineers are involved with the design, development and application of rehabilitative and assistive technology to assist persons with disabilities in achieving greater independence. The typical rehabilitation engineer may be involved as a team member addressing problems related to wheelchairs and mobility, corrective postural positioning, independent living, workplace modification, adaptive driving and augmentative communication.
Students who wish to become a rehabilitation engineer must complete a two year Master's degree program in rehabilitation engineering or technology. Entrance to the Master's degree program usually requires an appropriate undergraduate engineering degree (biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering) as a prerequisite. Rehabilitation engineering is typically a specialty area in a traditional engineering Master's degree program and can be a thesis or non thesis degree program.
