Dual Degree: Doctor of Philosophy - Special Education & Juris Doctor

Plan Description

The Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.) is designed with an emphasis in the development of skills in scientific inquiry and leadership. Students enrolled in this study program gain an understanding of philosophy and theory as they relate to the conduct of research and program evaluation. Graduates pursue careers in schools, institutions of higher education, research centers and agencies that require the competencies developed through a Ph.D. course of study.

Pursued individually, the J.D. degree requires the completion of 89 credit hours and the Ph.D. degree requires the completion of a minimum of 72 credit hours. The J.D./Ph.D. degree would require the completion of 80 law credit hours and a minimum of 63 education credit hours, as 9 hours of education courses are accepted toward the J.D. degree and 9 hours of law courses are accepted toward the Ph.D. degree.

Learning Outcomes 

www.unlv.edu/degree/dual-jd-phd-special-education

Plan Admission Requirements

Applicants to the J.D./Ph.D. program must submit formal applications for admission to both the William S. Boyd School of Law and to the Graduate College. Students must meet the requirements for admission to both programs. Admission requirements are the same as those stated under the regular J.D. and Special Education Ph.D. programs.

A dual program candidate must complete the Graduate College, Law School and Special Education Ph.D. admission processes in order to matriculate. Successful completion of the first year of law school is a precondition to commencement of work on the Ph.D. program. A law school student may be admitted to the dual program by gaining admission to the Special Education Ph.D. program after successful completion of the first year of law school with the consent of both programs.

Students interested in the dual program should alert Graduate College admission personnel when commencing the admission process. Students interested in the Dual Degree Program should alert the Special Education Ph.D. Admissions Coordinator so that consultation on the admissions process can be initiated.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Plan Requirements

Total Credits Required: 143

Course Requirements 

Total Credits Required for the Doctor of Philosophy – Special Education: 63

Required Courses – Credits: 21

ESP 782 - Professional Seminar in Special Education 

ESP 783 - Leadership Seminar in Special Education 

ESP 784 - Seminar in Advanced Special Education Technology 

ESP 785 - Issues, Trends and Futures in Special Education 

ESP 787 - Philosophical Perspectives in Special Education 

ESP 788 - Single Subject Methods in Special Education 

ESP 789 - Grant Writing for Human Services 

Research Courses – Credits: 6

EPY 721 - Descriptive and Inferential Statistics: An Introduction 

ESP 791 - Proposal Design and Analysis 

Statistics Course – Credits: 3

Complete one of the following courses, or another advisor-approved equivalent course.

EPY 722 - Inferential Statistics and Experimental Design 

KIN 751 - Selected Application of Statistical Techniques I 

Additional Research Courses – Credits: 6

Complete 6 credits from the following list of courses, or other advisor-approved courses.

EPY 716 - Evaluation Research Methods 

EPY 718 - Qualitative Research Methodologies 

EPY 733 - Multivariate Statistics 

EPY 790 - Research Seminar in EPY 

KIN 752 - Selected Application of Statistical Techniques II 

Internship Course – Credits: 6

ESP 794 A-C - Internship in Special Education 

ESP 794 A-C - Internship in Special Education 

Leadership & Exceptionality Courses – Credits: 6

Complete 6 credits of advisor-approved leadership and exceptionality courses from one or more of the following leadership concentrations: Parenting, Administration, Research, Diagnosis/Assessment, Transition, Early Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Higher Education, Technology, Consultation, or Curriculum.

Complete credits in specialty areas from the following list: Autism, Learning Disabilities, Emotional Disturbance, Mental Retardation, Gifted and Talented Education, Developmental Disabilities/Children at Risk.

Prospectus Course – Credits: 3

Complete the following course as an independent study supervised by the advisor.

ESP 796 - Dissertation Prospectus 

Dissertation – Credits: 12

ESP 799 - Dissertation 
 

Total Credits Required for the Juris Doctor: 80

Required Courses – Credits: 44

Directed Electives – Credits: 9

Free Electives – Credits: 27

Degree Requirements 

1. Students must be admitted to both the J.D. and Ph.D. programs with graduate standing. The candidates must successfully complete the 80 credit hours of Law course work and 63 credit hours of the Ph.D. required course work.
2. William S. Boyd School of Law cannot award credit for any class taken before matriculation. J.D./Ph.D. candidates are required to enroll at the Boyd School of Law and complete one year of study before taking any Ph.D. courses.
3. The Ph.D. program of study requires a minimum of 63 semester hours. Only credits that meet the following criteria may be included on the formal Program of Study:
   1. Those not previously used to fulfill requirements for another degree;
   2. Those taken while enrolled at an accredited graduate degree-granting institution in a degree-granting program;
   3. Those taken as a non-degree seeking student (not to exceed 15 total semester hours); and
   4. Those for which a grade of B or higher was earned.
4. Students in the J.D./Ph.D. program must remain in good standing in both J.D. and Ph.D. programs.
5. Doctoral students must earn a grade of B or higher in all core curriculum courses.
6. Doctoral Students must earn a grade of B or higher in EPY 721 and EPY 722/KIN 751.
7. Doctoral students are required to spend a minimum of two consecutive semesters (Fall-Spring, Spring-Summer or Summer-Fall) in full-time resident study in the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies. Full-time resident study is defined as being enrolled in at least nine semester hours of graduate level course work from an approved Program of Study (six semester hours if the student is a graduate assistant). In cases where residency includes a semester of course work prior to submission of the Program of Study, the advisor must approve residency. Work during residency is allowed. However, if the student is employed as a graduate assistant, any additional work beyond that performed as an assistant must conform to the rules of the University and Graduate College.
8. Two-thirds of the total semester hours included on the formal Program of Study (not including dissertation) must be taken at UNLV. Faculty members of the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies instructing specialist’s and/ or master’s classes initiate an interaction with doctoral students enrolled in these courses regarding the appropriateness of both the content and performance requirements for doctoral students. Students not admitted to the doctoral program in Educational and Clinical Studies (or to another doctoral program in the College of Education) may enroll in: ESP 782 - Professional Seminar in Special Education (formerly ESP 760) and two additional Core Curriculum Courses with consent of instructor prior to formal admission.
9. The Educational and Clinical Studies Doctoral Colloquium typically is held one Friday each semester. The Doctoral Coordinator coordinates these meetings with the assistance of the special education faculty and doctoral students.
10. The comprehensive examination is taken during the semester immediately preceding enrollment in ESP 799 Dissertation. The comprehensive examination consists of 16 hours of written examinations with eight hours structured by the student’s major advisor and eight hours structured by the other internal committee members. The examinations are scheduled on two successive Fridays. The student’s advisor determines the specific dates of the examination. The questions on the comprehensive examination address elements of the Core, Research, Leadership Studies, Exceptionality Specialties, and any course work taken for licensure or endorsements. The student’s Doctoral Studies Committee provides general parameters from which questions are selected. “Take-home” examinations, in whole or in part, are not allowed. Students may use college provided technology for word-processing. Grading consists of three categories: Pass, Fail, and Pass with Distinction. Pass with Distinction occurs contingent upon a unanimous vote of the committee excluding the Graduate College representative. Students who fail the comprehensive examination will be placed on probation and must wait 4 months from the date of the failed examination to re-write their exam. However, under no circumstances may the reexamination be later than the semester following the failed examination. Students not passing the comprehensive examination on the re-write will be “excused” from the program.
11. Upon successful completion of comprehensive examination, the student selects a dissertation committee (i.e., minimum of three faculty members from the Department of Educational and Clinical Studies, one law school faculty member, and an outside member appointed by the Graduate College) and submits a dissertation proposal to the committee. This proposal includes an introduction, review of the literature, and a discussion of study methods. The Dual Degree Program Coordinator will sit on all dissertation committees. Two weeks after this proposal is submitted to the dissertation committee, the committee meets with the student to accept or reject the proposal, as well as provide a critique of its relative strengths and weaknesses. Upon acceptance of the student’s dissertation proposal, a recommendation for advancement to candidacy is submitted to the Graduate College.
12. Upon completion of the full dissertation, a defense is scheduled. Students need to obtain The Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation from the Graduate College web site.

Plan Graudation Requirements

1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
2. The student must submit and successfully defend his/her dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
3. The student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted hard-copy dissertation to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.