Special Education PhD
The Department of Teaching and Learning, in the College of Education, at Washington State University offers a PhD in Special Education. The PhD program is valued by potential students, graduates, and institutions as rigorous, relevant, and innovative, offering superior quality professional preparation that produces exceptional and creative researchers and teachers with a focus on improving the lives of students with disabilities and their families. The PhD program emphasizes the generation, application, and translation of research that will enhance the field and improve the lives of those with disabilities. Graduates are prepared for academic and leadership positions in teaching, research, and service with a focus on equity and social justice for persons with disabilities.
Program Information
The research methods courses in the PhD program are mandatory for all doctoral students in the College of Education:
- Carnegie Core
- Epistemology,
- Principles of Research
- Quantitative Research Methods
- Qualitative Research Methods (12 credits)
The Special Education required core courses in the PhD program include:
- Seminar in Disability Studies
- Response to Intervention
- Single Subject Research Design
- Diversity Issues in Special Education
- Social Development and School-Based Prevention
- Intervention Practices
- Universal Design for Learning and Assistive Technology
- Seminar in Quality Indicators for Research in Special Education (24 credits)
Within these broad-based courses, students have the opportunity to focus on their areas of interest (e.g., Universal Design for Learning as applied to students with intellectual disabilities, autism, or K-12 populations, etc.; Research in Special Education as applied to K-12 settings, early childhood, students with behavior disorders, etc.).
The scholarship support course work includes:
- Academic Writing for Dissertation
- Dissertation Preparation course (6 credits)
- PhD students are also provided with the opportunity to enroll in specialty courses taught by faculty (e.g., Autism, Transition, etc.).
PhD students complete two internships:
- Research in which they obtain hands-on experience in research projects.
- The other internships is focused on teaching in higher education and involves syllabus preparation, effective teaching practices, and assessment/evaluation activities.
Students are supported and mentored throughout their program by faculty advisors and program committees. Dissertations on problems of practice in students’ areas of interest are encouraged.
Special Education Doctoral Program Completion Expectation
After completing the Special Education Ph.D. degree program students will:
- Demonstrate a wide scope of as well as an in-depth understanding for the field of special education research and disabilities.
- Demonstrate critical thinking and ability to evaluate, understand, and communicate (oral/written) special education scholarship and research.
- Demonstrate an understanding of and ability to synthesize and apply special education research (knowledge/theory) to problems of practice through the generation and dissemination of original scholarship.
- Demonstrate scholarly habits of curiosity, inquiry, skepticism, and data-based decision-making.
- Demonstrate understanding and valuing of diversity through pedagogical and inquiry endeavors.
- Demonstrate a professional identity appropriate for future career plans.
Doctoral Handbooks
Research Initiatives
Special Education Faculty
