The Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Special Education
Program of Study
The Ph.D. in Special Education is a flexible doctoral program with provisions for individual planning to prepare special education professionals for positions of leadership in public and private schools and for colleges, universities, agencies, businesses and government entities. Major emphases are internally flexible and may be established to fit a variety of interests in the field of special education. Graduates develop leadership knowledge and skills in special education related to six major themes: theory, pedagogy, research methodology, evidence-based practice, public policy/advocacy, and collaboration. The program is designed to prepare students for creative leadership in a rapidly changing world that is experiencing increasing cultural diversity, curriculum and structural reforms in schools and pedagogical innovations across the educational spectrum.
Special Education Ph.D.
Degree Requirements – 72-81 Credits
Required Major Credits - 23 hours
Note that students will be required to demonstrate literacy and competency in computer applications as part of the program.
Doctoral Core Courses (23 hours)
- EDSE 701 Introduction to Doctoral Study (1)
- EDSE 702 Law and Exceptionality (1)
- EDSE 721 Theories of Exceptionality (3)
- EDSE 727 Issues and Trends in Exceptionalities (3)
- EDSE 728 Professional Writing (3)
- EDSE 732 Research in Exceptionalities (3)
- EDSE 733 Preparing Teachers of Students with Exceptionalities (3)
- EDSE 741 Colloquium on Literacy (1)
- EDSE 742 Colloquium on Talent Development (1)
- EDSE 743 Supervision in Exceptionalities (1)
- EDSE 744 Grant Writing Seminar (3)
Externships (3 hours - minimum)
- EDSE 730 Externship in Special Education (3)
Externships are taken in one to twelve hour blocks and involve an off-campus experience. Variable titles related to inquiry, university teaching and administration are selected based on the nature of the externship.
Elective Credits - 9 hours (minimum)
Students are to select 9 semester hours of courses from in a cognate closely related to the student’s program goals. Electives are chosen in consultation with the major advisor and are an integral part of the program plan.
Areas of Special Interest
The student may select an area of interest (one or more), in conference with his or her advisor, from the following areas: transition of children and youth with exceptionalities; education of preschool children with exceptionalities; one of the categorical areas of special education (autism, learning disabilities, deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, emotionally disturbed, gifted, mental retardation, etc.); curriculum development, special education administration; university teaching/research; or other areas as designed by the student and his or her advisor.
Research Core -12 hours
- SRM 602 Statistical Methods I (3)
- SRM 603 Statistical Methods II (3)
- SRM 680 Introduction to Qualitative Research (3)
- SRM 700 Advanced Research Methods (3)
Research Proposal/Dissertation - 16 hours
Research Tools – 9 - 18 hours
Doctoral students in special education must demonstrate competency in two out of four research tools listed below:
1. Research Design/Applied Statistics (9 hours from the following courses)
- SRM 606 Multiple Linear Regression Analysis (3)
- SRM 607 Non-Parametric Statistics (3)
- SRM 608 Experimental Design (3)
- SRM 609 Sampling Methods (3)
- SRM 610 Statistical Methods III (3)
- SRM 611 Advanced Statistical Data Analysis (3)
- SRM 625 Applied Multiple Regression Analysis (3)
- SRM 627 Survey Research Methods (3)
- SRM 635 Categorical Data Analysis (3)
- SRM 685 Educational Ethnography (3)
- SRM 686 Qualitative Case Study Research (3)
- SRM 687 Narrative Inquiry (3)
- SRM 688 Writing as Analysis of Qualitative Research (3)
2. Foreign Language
Students pass a faculty-approved examination in any major language or in American Sign Language with a score at the 50th percentile or better.
3. Evaluation (9 hours from the following courses)
- SRM 670 Evaluation: Models and Designs (3)
- SRM 770 Evaluation: Advanced Methods (3)
- ELPS 654 Instructional Leadership and Supervision (3)
- ELPS 665 Policy Analysis and Development (3)
4. Instructional Technology (9 hours from the following courses)
- ET 502 Instructional Design (3)
- ET 602 Instructional Analysis and Design (3)
- ET 617 Development of Online Applications (3)
- ET 628 Design of Multimedia Learning Environments (3)
- ET 701 Instructional Design Theory and Research (3)
Comprehensive Performance Assessment
The comprehensive examination consists of a written and oral response to question(s) generated by faculty, plus presentation of a dossier of performance options that demonstrate competency in theory, pedagogy, research methodology, evidence-based practice, public policy/advocacy, and collaboration.