Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders
Department of Special Education
Designed For
This program is designed for students who aspire to become scholars, researchers, and leaders in special education. It is ideal for individuals passionate about improving academic and behavioral outcomes for learners with learning disabilities and behavioral disorders, including dyslexia and dyscalculia, through research and evidence-based practice.
Career Objective
Graduates are prepared for impactful careers in higher education, research, and leadership roles in schools and districts. The program equips students to advance knowledge, influence policy and practice, and improve educational experiences for individuals with LD/BD, with particular emphasis on reading and mathematics challenges associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia.
At a Glance
Program Starts: Fall
Deadline to Apply:
Funding Priority Deadline: December 1; Rolling admissions until spots are filled.
Length of Program: 48-60 months
Program Location: On campus
GRE Required? No
Lead Change in Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Behavioral Disorder Research
The Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders (LD/BD) Ph.D. program prepares students for impactful careers in university and clinical settings through a strong foundation in research, theory and practice. The curriculum emphasizes current trends, issues and interventions related to dyslexia, dyscalculia, and school-based emotional and behavioral supports for students with LD/BD.
Students complete substantial coursework in LD/BD specialization, research methods, and professional studies, while also exploring at least two additional areas within Special Education and courses outside the department. This interdisciplinary approach supports a broad and flexible scholarly perspective.
A core component of the program is active engagement in faculty-led research. Doctoral students are encouraged to contribute to ongoing projects, publish scholarly work, and present at professional conferences, developing the skills necessary to advance knowledge and practice in special education through ethical, culturally responsive leadership.
Area Coordinator
Sharon Vaughn
Graduate Program Administrator
Kelsey Samsel
Program Overview
Program Requirements
Students develop their own individualized program of study in consultation with their academic advisor and the graduate advisor.
Doctoral Degree Components (54-57 credit hours minimum)
- Specialization Core: 12 credit hours
- Professional Core: 18 credit hours
- Research Core: 18-21 credit hours
- Dissertation: 6 credit hours minimum
Specialization Core Courses (12 credit hours)
Coursework must include at least two courses out of the following three:
- SED 396C Trends & Issues in Learning Disabilities/Behavioral Disorders
- SED 395D Seminar in Reading (every alternate year)
- SED 395D Seminar in Mathematics (every alternate year)
To gain breadth of knowledge, students will take the remaining credits of designated coursework outside the concentration area or outside of the department.
Professional Core (18 credit hours)
- SED 695S A & B Professional Seminar (fall and spring semesters of Year 1)
- SED 398T College Teaching
- SED 380 Diversity and Disability: Continuing Perspectives
- SED 696 A and B Research Mentoring (two semesters)
Research Core (18-21 credit hours)
Students in the LD/BD program must take:
- SED 383 Intervention Research in Learning Disabilities (fall)
- EDP 380C Fundamental Statistics – prerequisite, as needed
Additional coursework must include at least two courses out of the following three:
- Qualitative Research Design and Data Analysis
- Quantitative Research Design and Data Analysis
- Single-Subject Research Design
Coursework must include:
- Seminar in Scholarly/Grant Writing
Select other research courses in consultation with your academic advisor to be sure that you will fulfill research requirements in your concentration area.
Dissertation (6 credit hours minimum)
All doctoral students are required to complete a dissertation. This includes conducting original research with direction from a dissertation supervisor. The dissertation will be submitted and defended to a dissertation committee consisting of faculty in the field of study.
- SED 399, 699, or 999 R and W
Faculty
Develops and evaluates interventions and assessments using technology to support the academic success of Latinx students and other students whose home language is not English.
I work to improve interventions for students with dyslexia and other forms of significant reading difficulty, better understand assessment and assessment practices that best inform instruction, and improve educators' ability to make data-based decisi...
Accepting new students
Focuses on the instructional design and efficacy testing of early STEM interventions for at-risk learners, including English learners and students marginalized and underserved communities.
Examines teacher training needs in evidence-based behavioral interventions through an applied behavior analysis lens, the social inclusion of students with behavioral support needs, and inclusive disciplinary practices for students with behavioral su...
Accepting new students
Focuses on embedding high-level cognitive skills (e.g., working memory; executive function) and motivational skills (e.g., growth mindset, anxiety copying) into academic instructions for children with severe learning disabilities
Accepting new students
Develops and tests interventions for students with mathematics difficulties, emphasizing word-problem solving, mathematics writing, data-based decision making, and the vocabulary within mathematics.
Accepting new students
All of my work focuses on developing and testing for efficacy literacy practices for struggling readers. This includes: * infusing literacy practices into elementary and middle school content area classes; * empowering parents to provide reading su...
Focuses on effective interventions for students with and at-risk for reading disabilities, with a focus on intensifying intervention through data-based instruction and attention to motivational processes
Investigates effective interventions for a diverse group of students with reading difficulties and students who are English language learners.
Additional Information
