SPECIAL EDUCATION

PhD Requirements

Coursework

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree will complete the following sets of courses, distributed according to particular requirement clusters:

A two-semester proseminar (CEP 901 and 902) taken during the first year of advanced graduate study. These two courses are designed to help build students’ academic skills, introduce them to big questions about education, provide them with a preliminary look at the program’s major areas of emphasis and help them establish a professional learning community.

At least four doctoral courses about educational inquiry and research, to include: an introduction to educational inquiry; two courses in quantitative research methods, and a research practicum culminating in a written research paper to be undertaken after the other research courses have been completed.

At least five courses in special education, which forms a major area of concentration.

At least three courses from a specified cognate area that provides the student with broad and diverse perspectives on education.

At least 24 credit hours of dissertation credit, culminating in the completion of the doctoral dissertation.

Other Requirements

The university's residency requirement - defined as enrolling in six credits of coursework in two consecutive semesters - must also be met. (Residency does not necessarily mean that a student spends full time on campus, although the program strongly encourages every Ph.D. student to do this).

In addition to the coursework, and residency requirement students are required to pass preliminary and comprehensive examinations administered according to departmental policy.

Applications and Procedures:
Preliminary and Comprehensive Examinations

Special Education•Doctoral Program•Master's Programs•Undergraduate Program•Prospective Students
Current Students•Courses•Faculty•MSU•College of Education•CEPSE Department