Special Education Systems
Department of Special Education
Designed For
This concentration is designed for doctoral students interested in understanding special education as part of broader social, legal and policy systems. It is well suited for scholars who want to examine how education, health care, law and community organizations shape services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities across all populations.
Career Objective
Students will learn to conduct rigorous, policy-relevant research that contributes to improving special education practices at local, national and global levels, preparing them for careers in higher education, research institutions and policy organizations.
At a Glance
Program Starts: Fall
Deadline to Apply:
Funding Priority Deadline: December 1; Rolling admissions until spots are filled.
Length of Program: 48 months
Program Location: On campus
GRE Required? No
Shaping Special Education Systems Through Research and Policy
The concentration in Special Education Systems (SES) prepares scholars to examine how special education is shaped by — and interacts with — larger systems such as law, health care, public policy and community organizations. Students will investigate how these systems influence service access, educational outcomes and family experiences across different populations.
The program emphasizes training in range of research methods, including qualitative, quantitative and legal policy analysis. Students will develop expertise in areas such as:
- Service access and delivery across education, health and social sectors.
- Patterns and outcomes in special education placement.
- Legal and policy frameworks shaping special education practice.
- International and comparative perspectives on special education systems.
The program promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and applied scholarship. Students design individualized programs of study in consultation with faculty advisors and may pursue specialization in a particular disability area, service domain or policy issue aligned with their research and career goals.
Area Co-coordinator
North Cooc
Area Co-coordinator
Natasha Strassfeld
Graduate Program Administrator
Kelsey Samsel
Program Overview
Program Requirements
The Ph.D. degree in Special Education Systems generally takes four years of full-time study to complete. Students develop their own individualized program of study in consultation with their academic advisor and the graduate advisor.
The program of study includes work in core areas. In addition to content and research coursework, Ph.D. students will complete a dissertation and professional activities beyond coursework. This can include supervision of student teachers, presentation at professional conferences, submitting manuscripts for publication and teaching at the undergraduate level.
Doctoral Degree Components (54-57 credit hours minimum)
Specialization Core Courses (12 credit hours)
- SED 396C Trends and Issues in Special Education Systems
- SED 380 International and Comparative Special Education
- SED 380 Addressing Critical Research Questions in Special Education Using National Datasets
- SED 380 Disability and Society
To gain breadth of knowledge, students must take at least one course outside their concentration area or in another department.
Professional Core Courses (18 credit hours)
- SED 695S A & B Professional Seminar (taken over the fall and spring semesters of Year 1)
- SED 398T College Teaching (Year 2)
- SED 380 Disability and Society
- SED 696 A and B Research Mentoring (taken over two semesters)
Research Core Courses (18-21 credit hours)
- EDP 380C Fundamental Statistics – prerequisite as needed
Additional coursework must include at least two of the following three courses:
- Qualitative Research Design and Data Analysis
- Quantitative Research Design and Data Analysis
- Single-Subject Research Design
Coursework must include:
- SED 395D Grant Writing in Education
Additional research courses selected in consultation with the academic advisor to ensure the concentration area’s research requirements are fulfilled.
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
Explores how migration, race and language impact special education services in U.S. schools and international contexts.
Focuses on adults with disabilities and their participation in higher education, study skills, instruction and interaction with the criminal justice system.
Examines how law and policy shape special education service delivery, how racialized minority and ethnic students are (mis)identified for special education placements, and how special education is provided in the juvenile justice system.
Additional Information
