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 Doctoral Program in Special Education
The doctoral program in Special Education engages students in a combination of coursework and mentored teaching and research. Students complete the following sets of courses:
- Two foundations courses taken during the first year. 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 form 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.
In addition to the coursework and residency requirements, students are required to pass preliminary and comprehensive examinations. Finally, all students engage in supervised research and mentored teaching that prepare them for leadership positions in higher education or other public or private institutions.
Currently, the doctoral program has federal support for two leadership specializations. These programs provide generous support, including tuition/fee waivers, fellowships, paid assistantships, free health insurance, and conference travel. The awards are made to entering doctoral students who demonstrate a strong preparation for and aspiration toward a career in special education leadership. Recipients must study full time during the period of the award and make good progress toward their degrees. Newly admitted doctoral students in special education are automatically considered for these awards.
The deadline for submitting applications for admission is December 1 of the year prior to which enrollment is sought. If space is available in the program, late applications will be accepted. For more information,
see http://ed web3.educ.msu.edu/CEPSE/sped/PhD/phd.html
Special Education Faculty
Master's Program in Learning Disabilities, Emotional Impairment, and Deaf Education
The master's degree program in Learning Disabilities, Emotional Impairment, and Deaf Education is designed for K-12 teachers who seek additional skills, knowledge, and dispositions to become professional leaders, expert practitioners, and effective collaborators. The master's degree program is designed for persons who plan to be involved in the education of students with disabilities, and to prepare them to offer leadership that advances the quality of educational programs and services available to students with disabilities in the K-12 setting.
The program has been designed to prepare highly qualified teachers with a range of experiences and coursework that bridge the research-to-practice gap. Students have access to research-validated methods and evidence-based practices in all courses but, equally important, they have opportunities to apply those methods in authentic contexts. Throughout the master's program, students receive internship experiences with opportunities to engage in inquiry and to reflect on teaching practice with the support, feedback, and collaboration of the teaching faculty. The program offers endorsements in learning disabilities, emotional impairments, or hearing impairments that can be added to a Michigan teaching certificate.
Applications should be submitted by March 1. For more information, see http://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/CEPSE/sped/Masters/masters.html.
Master's Program in Counseling
The master's degree program in Counseling prepares students to become counselors in a wide variety of settings, including schools and community agencies. Although students in the program take a common set of core courses, supplemental coursework varies with the specialization and students complete practicum and internship experiences in different sites depending on their specialization. Inherent in all training and curriculum is the infusion of issues related to diversity and development across the lifespan. The training and courses are designed to build a unique and integral bridge between theory and practice. Full time students complete the program in two years. After completing coursework, all students are required to take a counseling practicum course during the fall semester and are required to complete an internship on a fulltime basis during the spring semester. Students who wish to graduate with a program endorsement for both school counseling and community counseling must have supervised and documented experience in both sites during the practicum and/or internship experience. A minimum of 50 direct client contact hours will be required in addition to the 240 hours required for the primary area of emphasis before dual endorsement will be granted. This program does not prepare students to become licensed psychologists.
Students are admitted to the program once a year. Application materials must be received by February 15. For more information,
see http://ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/macounsel/default/htm
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