Ph.D.

The mission of the Special Education doctoral program is to contribute to the scientific knowledge base in special education and to train experienced professionals to assume leadership roles in their area(s) of expertise and interest. Faculty are committed to promoting practices that facilitate inclusion, empowerment, and self-determination of individuals with disabilities and other special needs in home, school, and community settings. Faculty members in Special Education serve on the editorial boards of and regularly publish research in journals such as the Journal of Learning Disability, Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Journal of Blindness and Visual Impairment, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, The Journal for the Education of the Gifted, High Ability Studies, and Roeper Review.

The Special Education doctoral program is flexible in orientation and is designed to accommodate student interests in areas in which ECPS faculty members have specific expertise. These areas include educational and other supports for children, adolescents, and/or adults with learning disabilities/dyslexia, developmental disabilities, autism, blindness or visual impairments, problem behaviours/behaviour disorders, high abilities (i.e., giftedness), and who are deaf or hard of hearing. Typically, doctoral students in Special Education enter with extensive practical experience as general or special education teachers, school administrators, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, or in related professions. Graduates are prepared to assume leadership roles in a wide variety of educational, academic, community, private practice, and research settings.

Doctoral training follows the scientist-practitioner model, with preparation in both research and professional skills. Doctoral students form an integral part of the Special Education area's research and teaching activities, and gain experience as part of their programs in university teaching; scholarly activities such as conducting research, preparing and submitting manuscripts for publication, and presenting at conferences; and providing service to community and/or professional organizations. Graduate student representatives may choose to serve on several department and program committees, and have opportunities to attend colloquia and research seminars regularly offered by faculty, international visiting professors, and community members. Students are continuously exposed to the scholarly exchange of ideas and information, as well as to opportunities to participate in international and interdisciplinary collaborative research and discussion. Attendance and presentation at educational and discipline-specific conferences is important to faculty members and is encouraged in students.

Program Prerequisites: Completion of M.A. or equivalent program in special education or a related field.

Program Requirements: The Ph.D. program of studies in special education is developed for each student to reflect program requirements as well as individual student professional and academic preparation and student career goals. For students who have completed a UBC M.A. in Special Education, the following program components would apply:

1. Doctoral Seminar
All SPED Doctoral students are required to participate in a department-wide Doctoral Seminar over two terms (EPSE 601A and B, Doctoral Seminar). EPSE 601A is intended to provide students with information on the development of a doctoral thesis (e.g., reviewing literature, selecting a committee, writing up and defending the thesis, etc.), while EPSE 601 B is designed as a forum in which students gain experience in presenting and receiving feedback on their developing thesis plans and become familiar with the work of other students and faculty within the department. It is recommended that EPSE 601A be taken in the first term of doctoral study. EPSE 601 B may be taken for credit after the student has identified a particular area of research (e.g., usually by the second term of the second year of doctoral study).

2. Research Methodology
SPED Doctoral students are required to take EPSE 592 (unless taken at the Masters level) plus at least one course from the following: EPSE 528, 593, 594, 595, 596, 597, 681, 682 (courses taken at the Masters level do not count toward this requirement)

3. Doctoral Thesis
All SPED Doctoral students are required to complete a Doctoral Thesis (EPSE 699). Details regarding requirements for the Doctoral Thesis are outlined in a subsequent section of this Procedural Guide.

4. Additional Area Course Requirements
Specific additional coursework requirements for the SPED doctoral program are determined on a case-by-case basis , as outlined in an individualized Program of Graduate Studies (PGS) developed by the student in consultation with his/her academic advisor and faculty advisory committee.

5. Comprehensive Examinations
Comprehensive Examinations are required of all SPED Ph.D. students. Click here for more information.