Special Education Doctoral Program

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Doctoral Program

The Ph.D. program in Special Education at Michigan State University is designed to prepare leadership personnel for positions in higher education and other educational and community service agencies. Specifically, the program emphasizes the role of research, service, and teaching experiences in the preparation of doctoral candidates.

All doctoral students in special education engage in a number of core experiences, including a professional seminar in Educational Psychology, a series of quantitative/qualitative research methodology courses, an apprenticeship study under the guidance of an experienced faculty member, and a comprehensive examination. Doctoral candidates, with their program director, undertake annual review of their professional activities to help ensure successful movement towards their professional goals.

An especially important feature of the Doctorate in Special Education program at Michigan State University is the opportunity to individualize the program to fit one’s unique interests and needs. This flexibility allows doctoral candidates to take course work and study under scholars who come from many methodological and theoretical perspectives and who conduct research in a variety of disciplines.

Why Special Education?

Chances are you are motivated to study special education by a sincere desire to improve learning opportunities and the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Perhaps you are or were a special education teacher, or perhaps you have a family member or close friend who has a disability. Your interest in obtaining a Ph.D. in special education represents a commitment to providing leadership in a dynamic and exciting field. The nation, and indeed the world, needs your leadership. Public expectations for high quality education and improved student and teacher performance have rarely been higher, and students with disabilities are key targets of educational reform. Signing the recent No Child Left Behind Act (2001), President Bush proclaimed, “the fundamental principle of this bill is that every child can learn, we expect every child to learn, and you must show us whether or not every child is learning.”

As a graduate of the doctoral program in special education at Michigan State University, you will be uniquely qualified to contribute to research, policies, and practices that will help educators throughout the world address the challenges of improving educational opportunities for and the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. You will have the chance to study with nationally renowned faculty members who are committed to advancing theory and practice in special education. Everyone of the faculty is a former special education teacher or service provider and has a deep understanding of authentic instructional challenges and real-world contexts. Faculty members are widely recognized for their commitment to and expertise in classroom-based interventions that translate state-of-the-art learning and developmental theories into effective instructional practice. They work in partnership with teachers, locally and throughout the country, to investigate problems that are complex and important. Here are just a few of the questions at the heart of faculty inquiry:

Faculty will work closely with you in all aspects of your doctoral preparation, mentoring you through numerous scholarly and professional experiences and ensuring that you are prepared for a career in higher education or other leadership positions. We will expect you to engage in research throughout your program and will mentor you as you present and publish your scholarship. Faculty members will offer you opportunities to advance your knowledge and skills as an instructor through teaching internships that include online course development and co-teaching. With support from numerous federal grants and other external funding sources, financial support is available to most of our students as they develop their expertise as instructional leaders and scholars. Not only will you work with an outstanding and supportive special education faculty, you will take courses from and interact with outstanding scholars throughout Michigan State University’s renowned College of Education. You will be stimulated by the quality of intellectual life and amazed by the diversity and richness of experiences that we have to offer. We are confident that you will find our program challenging, yet extremely rewarding, and we have no doubt that the future is nearly limitless for the graduates of our program.



	Doctoral Program PhD Requirements Admission and Application Financial Support Special Education Doctoral Program Master's Program Undergraduate Program Prospective Students Current Students Courses Faculty MSU College of Education CEPSE Department		SPECIAL EDUCATION Doctoral Program The Ph.D. program in Special Education at Michigan State University is designed to prepare leadership personnel for positions in higher education and other educational and community service agencies. Specifically, the program emphasizes the role of research, service, and teaching experiences in the preparation of doctoral candidates. All doctoral students in special education engage in a number of core experiences, including a professional seminar in Educational Psychology, a series of quantitative/qualitative research methodology courses, an apprenticeship study under the guidance of an experienced faculty member, and a comprehensive examination. Doctoral candidates, with their program director, undertake annual review of their professional activities to help ensure successful movement towards their professional goals. An especially important feature of the Doctorate in Special Education program at Michigan State University is the opportunity to individualize the program to fit one’s unique interests and needs. This flexibility allows doctoral candidates to take course work and study under scholars who come from many methodological and theoretical perspectives and who conduct research in a variety of disciplines. Why Special Education? Chances are you are motivated to study special education by a sincere desire to improve learning opportunities and the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Perhaps you are or were a special education teacher, or perhaps you have a family member or close friend who has a disability. Your interest in obtaining a Ph.D. in special education represents a commitment to providing leadership in a dynamic and exciting field. The nation, and indeed the world, needs your leadership. Public expectations for high quality education and improved student and teacher performance have rarely been higher, and students with disabilities are key targets of educational reform. Signing the recent No Child Left Behind Act (2001), President Bush proclaimed, “the fundamental principle of this bill is that every child can learn, we expect every child to learn, and you must show us whether or not every child is learning.” As a graduate of the doctoral program in special education at Michigan State University, you will be uniquely qualified to contribute to research, policies, and practices that will help educators throughout the world address the challenges of improving educational opportunities for and the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. You will have the chance to study with nationally renowned faculty members who are committed to advancing theory and practice in special education. Everyone of the faculty is a former special education teacher or service provider and has a deep understanding of authentic instructional challenges and real-world contexts. Faculty members are widely recognized for their commitment to and expertise in classroom-based interventions that translate state-of-the-art learning and developmental theories into effective instructional practice. They work in partnership with teachers, locally and throughout the country, to investigate problems that are complex and important. Here are just a few of the questions at the heart of faculty inquiry: How can schools be re-cultured to advance the learning of all students, including those with special needs? How can advancements in learning theory and technology impact instructional approaches for working with students who have unique learning needs? How should we think about preparing tomorrow’s teachers for providing concurrent academic and behavioral support that would allow them to reach high academic standards? How do federal policies impact student and teacher learning? What are the component features of exemplary practice that are consequential for advancing the achievement of students with different learning profiles? Faculty will work closely with you in all aspects of your doctoral preparation, mentoring you through numerous scholarly and professional experiences and ensuring that you are prepared for a career in higher education or other leadership positions. We will expect you to engage in research throughout your program and will mentor you as you present and publish your scholarship. Faculty members will offer you opportunities to advance your knowledge and skills as an instructor through teaching internships that include online course development and co-teaching. With support from numerous federal grants and other external funding sources, financial support is available to most of our students as they develop their expertise as instructional leaders and scholars. Not only will you work with an outstanding and supportive special education faculty, you will take courses from and interact with outstanding scholars throughout Michigan State University’s renowned College of Education. You will be stimulated by the quality of intellectual life and amazed by the diversity and richness of experiences that we have to offer. We are confident that you will find our program challenging, yet extremely rewarding, and we have no doubt that the future is nearly limitless for the graduates of our program.

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