A doctoral in special education enables individuals to become national leaders and conduct thorough research in the field. The program is also designed to prepare students to become professors at colleges and universities. It is designed so that students develop, assess, and spread the expertise, needed for sustainable practices in special education. The program will enable students to discover practices that could help special children and adolescents live independent lives.
Program Objectives
During a doctoral program in special education, students will evaluate current research in the field. They will examine different areas such as assessment, instruction, technology, and service delivery. Students also acquire knowledge to develop, evaluate, or extend current practices in the field. Individuals with a doctoral degree prepare teachers who value and make use of evidence based practices, and use these to meet the needs of students in special education. Students are trained to become leaders in the field of special education within higher education institutions. A major goal of the program is to equip graduates with the necessary skills that are needed for special education in higher education institutes.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for a doctoral in special education will vary among institutes; however, applicants normally need to have a master's degree in special education or a related field such as psychology, school psychology, school counseling, communication disorders, elementary education, secondary education, or educational administration. It is also preferred that applicants possess competencies in special education, and know about related laws, policies, and beliefs. Some years of teaching or administrative experience may also be required from applicants. The admissions of students are finalized after making use of multiple sources of information. Schools and universities offering the program may use GRE scores, college transcripts, work experiences, interests, and recommendation letters to help determine admission.
Coursework
The coursework offered by institutes for a special education doctoral may vary. Many institutes will offer similar core courses that teach topics like research design in special education, disability and social policy, current issues faced by special education leaders, and social justice education. Other important topics covered in the doctorate program may include statistics and measurement, research design and evaluation, qualitative data instrumentation, and analysis. Some schools may give doctoral candidates the opportunity to participate in professional development activities in a number of areas: college teaching and practicum supervision experiences, professional writing for refereed journals, grants, and conference presentations, and service to the profession.
Online Education
Students who are unable to attend classes on a campus may choose to study in an online special education doctoral program. Online programs have several advantages over campus based education. Online program offer flexibility to students in terms of class schedule and deadlines, and they are also relatively cost effective. Online students have the opportunity to create their own study schedule and learn at their pace. Students may be able to reduce their education cost as they are not required to pay for costs related to commuting, textbooks, or dorm room accommodation. Tuition fees for online programs may be less than campus based programs, and this may be due to the cost efficient setup of online education.