Special Education (PhD)
Our nationally ranked University of Oregon Special Education program has a track record of preparing graduates to stand out in their careers and improve educational practices. The research, resources, and practices our program faculty conduct impacts the field of education in the US and globally.
Our doctoral training experience is unique and individualized. Our program competencies are designed to support you to develop expertise in the domains of teaching, service, and research. Working with your advisor and other program faculty, you will create a plan that will provide you expertise in the areas you are interested in studying while being exposed to all of the service and research experiences our program and COE faculty conduct.
Our program faculty teach and research a wide range of topics in the field of special education (e.g., dual language learners, assessment, autism, social emotional learning, early childhood, behavioral analysis, post-school community engagement, instruction, equity in school discipline, etc.) with a critical eye toward improving systems and practices to promote equity in educational outcomes for all students. We typically admit 4-8 students a year to work as a cohort to maximize your learning and experiences.
Please see the program website for additional information: https://education.uoregon.edu/sped/graduate/phd
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Provide supervision to teacher candidates and have experience in designing, revising, and teaching a course in the field of special education that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion and effectively supports the learning development of undergraduate and/or graduate students.
- Critically evaluate, design, and implement research that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusion to better meet the needs of individuals, students, and families with disabilities.
- Engage in program, college, university, profession, or community service to better understand the roles and responsibilities involved in collaborative efforts with a variety of partners.
Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education
The Special Education Doctoral Program requires 81 credits past the master’s degree.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Coursework | 11 | |
| Seminar: [Topic] (Doctoral seminar taken twice for 1 credit each) | ||
| History of Special Education and Disability | ||
| Social Science and Education Research Design 1 | ||
| Grant Writing | ||
| Research Requirement 2 | 18 | |
| Educational Equity (Choose two courses, at least one with SPED prefix) 3 | 6 | |
| Electives 4 | 28 | |
| Dissertation | 18 | |
| Dissertation | ||
| Total Credits | 81 | |
- 1
Program prerequisite for Research Requirement coursework.
- 2
4 courses from one tradition (quant, qual, or single subject) + 2 from another (quant, qual, single subject, or program evaluation)
- 3
Students must complete at least two courses of graduate-level coursework at the University of Oregon specifically focusing on supporting underserved populations (e.g., emergent bilingual, racially/ethnically minoritized, etc.). There are a number of courses (including topical doctoral seminars) that can satisfy this requirement both within the College of Education and across the University; however, at least one of these courses must have a SPED prefix (e.g., SPED 515, SPED 518). Students should speak with their advisor about course options to fulfill this requirement.
- 4
Electives are determined and approved in the process of developing and reviewing the student's program plan.