Special Education

Special Education Ph.D. Program

The focal point of the Special Education doctoral program is clinical and applied research that adds to the knowledge base in understanding learning, behavioral, and cognitive difficulties, particularly as they manifest in development of interventions for children with learning disabilities and autism. Students pursue a research agenda under the guidance of faculty. The School of Education also houses the SEARCH Autism Center, where students can learn about assessment of autism in both clinic and school and be introduced to EEG and neuroscience for education.

Faculty

Meet the Special Education Faculty

We encourage prospective students to reach out to faculty whose research interests align with their own.

Current Ph.D. Students

Meet Our Ph.D. Students

Specialization Overview

Overview

Start Term: Fall only
Program Length: Approximately 5 years
Units: 60 minimum
Format: In-person instruction on Riverside campus
Schedule: Each class meets once a week 4-7pm (Monday-Thursday)
94% of students receive multi-year fellowships

Steps to Degree Completion

Complete coursework
Written qualifying exam
Oral qualifying exam/pre-proposal
Proposal approved by dissertation committee
Dissertation and final defense

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program are often offered a multi-year fellowship which covers tuition and health insurance and provides a stipend and/or paycheck during the academic year. It is recommended that students complete the program full time to meet the fellowship requirements working as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Graduate Student Researcher (GSR). These duties require students to be available Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for 15-20 hours per week.

Quarterly costs may be viewed here

Curriculum Overview

Through your coursework and apprenticeship in any of our ongoing research projects and centers, you will learn how to conduct research using a variety of research methods, and design independent and collaborative studies in your area of specialization. A background in undergraduate or graduate-level special education studies and teacher certification are desirable, but not required. Candidates with background in special education and an ability to pursue the doctoral program full-time can reduce the time required to complete the degree, which is five years, on average.

Curriculum Overview

Career Opportunities

Recent graduates are:

Project officers at the Institute for Education Services
Researchers at Educational Testing Services
Coordinators for grants funded by the U.S. Department of Education
Targeted Student Advisors, LAUSD

Alumni are also faculty members at:

University of North Carolina
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Northridge
Seton Hall University