Entry into the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program in the School of Allied Medical professions requires a Masters degree.  In some cases, students for whom the PhD is the intended and appropriate degree may not have a Masters degree in any field at the time of application.  Students in this situation will be encouraged to work with the potential PhD advisor to find an existing area of emphasis in the SAMP MS program to serve as a vehicle for earning the MS along the way to the PhD.  All existing MS areas of specialization can serve as a pre-PhD pathway.  However, the breadth of faculty research areas in SAMP means that some faculty with research programs appropriate for the training of PhD students may not have a research program that aligns with the pre-existing MS areas of specialization.  Since the purpose of the PhD program is ultimately to engage the student in dissertation research under the mentorship of a faculty member, the purpose of the Pre-PhD pathway is to provide a flexible vehicle for attaining the MS along the way to the PhD, with coursework and learning activities tailored specifically the work required for success in the PhD.