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Orientation and Mobility for Adults—MA

Orientation and mobility is an exciting discipline in low vision and blind rehabilitation that teaches people to travel safely, efficiently and independently in their environment. Orientation is the process of mentally organizing the environment and determining one's location within that environment. Mobility is the act of moving through the environment in a safe and graceful manner. An orientation and mobility specialist teaches people who are blind or visually impaired to travel by:

Assessing an individual's current travel-related skills, discussing goals and helping the individual to select a program of instruction that will allow for achieving the greatest travel potential.
Teaching people to travel by using their hearing, remaining vision and other senses.
Teaching people to use a long cane for travel and to establish and maintain orientation while traveling.
Orientation and mobility specialists work with people across the lifespan, from infants to senior citizens. The majority of clients on an orientation and mobility instructor's caseload tend to have some remaining vision. It is also common to have clients with additional disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, hearing impairments, physical impairments or cognitive impairments.

There has been a national shortage of orientation and mobility specialists for several years. Individuals willing to relocate generally have little difficulty in finding employment. Orientation and mobility specialists may work in schools, at agencies for the blind or visually impaired, at Veteran Administration Medical Centers and at universities and colleges. Many orientation and mobility specialists, after gaining experience in the field, contract to schools and agencies as part of their own private practice.

Orientation and mobility is a profession of highly trained, caring individuals who are committed to providing the best service to each client and who are committed to a professional code of ethics. Many professionals in the field are members of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and are certified by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals, which are professional organizations that govern the field.

Intakes

Application Processing Time in Days: 30

Minimum English Language Requirements

English Level Description	IELTS (1.0 -9.0)	TOEFL IBT (0-120)	TOEFL CBT (0-300)	PTE (10-90)
Expert	9	120	297-300	86-90
Very Good	8.5	115-119	280-293	83-86
Very Good	8	110-114	270-280	79-83
Good	7.5	102-109	253-267	73-79
Good	7	94-101	240-253	65-73
Competent	6.5	79-93	213-233	58-65
Competent	6	60-78	170-210	50-58
Modest	5.5	46-59	133-210	43-50
Modest	5	35-45	107-133	36-43
Limited	4	32-34	97-103	30-36
Extremely Limited	< 4	< 31	< 93	< 30

Job Opportunity Potential

Career and student employment services supports students by empowering them to develop the skills necessary for reaching their career goals. Through career advising, and learning about career pathways, WMU students get ready for the world of work or service after graduating.

Specific services and programs include:

Access to Bronco alumni to help answer career questions.
Assistance finding a campus job.
Career coaching to learn about career pathways.
Creating a professional “brand” using social media and technology.
Eight job fairs every year to meet with potential employers.
Getting an internship.
Perfecting resumes, curriculum vitae, cover letters and job applications.
Practice interviewing sessions with professional HR recruiters.

Evaluation training at Western Michigan University is offered at the following levels:

Master's prepares graduates for staff positions in evaluation in diverse settings.
Ph.D. prepares graduates for leadership positions in evaluation in many settings.
Career possibilities

Assessment specialist
Data analyst
Evaluation coordinator
External evaluator
Internal evaluator
Measurement consultant
Monitoring specialist
Policy associate
Program officer
Project manager
Quality assurance manager
Research analyst
Statistical programmer

PSW Opportunity

Post-Study Work visa or permit, allowing international students on F-1 visas to work in the US after completing their studies, typically through Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Eligibility:
To be eligible for OPT, students must have been enrolled full-time in a US educational institution for at least one academic year and be seeking work related to their major.

Duration:
Students can apply for up to 12 months of OPT, either before they finish their studies (pre-completion) or after graduation (post-completion).

STEM OPT:
Students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields can apply for an extended OPT period of up to 24 months.

Contact our PSA counselor for more information

Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria

Minimum English proficiency test scores (for most programs):

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): 71 iBT undergraduate, 80 iBT graduate (WMU Institutional Code: 1902)
TOEFL Essential: 7 Undergraduate; 8 Graduate
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic: 6.0 undergraduate, 6.5 graduate
Pearson Test of English, Academic Module (PTE): 48 undergraduate, 54 graduate or
Duolingo: 100 undergraduate, 115 graduate.
International Baccalaureate, grade of 5 in English at the Higher Level.
General Certificate of Education: A grade of A, B, or C in English from one of the five British-based examining boards undergraduate, a grade of A or B in English from one of the five British-based examining boards graduate.
Successful completion of ESL level 112.
Successful completion of either four years of upper secondary school or one year of full-time, tertiary (university-level) education from select countries meets WMU English language proficiency requirements.
Successful completion of a WMU Pathway II or the final level in the WMU Center for English Language and Culture for International Students (CELCIS).
Completion of a WMU degree.
Cambridge Advanced English Certificate: A grade of A, B, or C undergraduate, a grade of A or B graduate.
SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing Subscore (EBRW): 500 (for most programs).
Michigan English Test (MET): 48 undergraduate, 57 graduate (for most programs).
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): B2 undergraduate, C1 graduate (for most programs).

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo , Michigan ,United States