Program Requirements
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Special Education is a research degree that prepares students to become scholars and teachers who can discover, integrate and apply knowledge, as well as communicate and disseminate it. The intent of the program is to prepare students for a leadership position within the field of special education (e.g., university, school system). The program is competency based, with specific emphasis on research and teaching. Every doctoral student must satisfy all requirements of the Graduate School, as well as requirements in coursework, internships, the comprehensive exam, the dissertation proposal and oral defense of the dissertation as directed by the student’s advisory committee. Students must maintain a B average in all graduate work. Listed below are the guidelines or general expectations for a student receiving the PhD degree; however, the final determination of the course of study is made by the advisory committee. Graduate courses designated for professional development are not eligible to be used toward a graduate degree.
Admission Requirements
For admission, individuals must have completed a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and have K-12 teaching experience in special education or a closely related field. An application package for admission must include (1) online application; (2) undergraduate and graduate transcripts (cumulative minimum grade-point average of 3.25 on graduate work); (3) two recommendations, with one from an immediate prior supervisor; (4) current résumé; (5) copy of teaching and/or administration certifications, (6) competitive GRE scores on verbal, quantitative and writing assessments; and (7) an essay that addresses knowledge, accomplishments, and future career goals. Candidates proceed through an initial committee review and those who present a qualifying application packet are invited for an interview. Students whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL, IELTS or PTE). The deadlines for admission consideration are October 1 and March 1 for the subsequent academic terms.
Core Requirement Goals
The student will be able to critically analyze social, historical, psychological, personal and policy factors in the development and current practices related to individuals with disabilities and the field of special education; acquire an understanding of the research processes including practical design, analysis and reporting; understand how to use historical, correlational, descriptive and experimental methods within research; be able to analyze critically and evaluate research reports; and be able to prepare scholarly research-based reports and presentations.
Course Requirements
The Ph.D. in special education has a minimum requirement of 64 credit hours beyond the master’s degree. Students are required to complete research, core course requirements, and dissertation credit hour requirements. In addition, students are required to pass a comprehensive exam, dissertation proposal defense, and final oral dissertation defense.
The Ph.D. in special education requirements are as follows:
