Doctor of Philosophy - Special Education

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.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

Application Deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

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

Graduate College Admission Requirements

1. Completed application in the Application Portal and non-refundable application fee. 

2. Bachelor’s Degree – You must hold a four-year baccalaureate from a regionally accredited institution or an approved equivalent and a regionally accredited master’s degree.

3. Grade Point Average – You must have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.75 (4.00=A) for the bachelor’s degree or a minimum 3.00 (4.00=A) for the last two years (60 semester credits). 

4. All applicants are required to submit an unofficial transcript from each postsecondary institution attended, showing all degrees and coursework, the dates awarded, and grades received. Official transcripts required upon admission.

   1. Credentials not in English must be accompanied by an English translation certified as true by a university official, an official representative of a United States embassy or consulate, the United States Information Service, the United States Education Foundation, or an approved professional translating service. Notarized copies of originals or translations are not considered official.

Department Admission Requirements

Graduate level transcripts should indicate grade point averages (and receipt of a post baccalaureate degree in special education or a related field).

The following materials also should be submitted through the online application.

1. A statement of intent that clearly articulates professional and research goals that are related to the focus of the Ph.D. degree program in Special Education;

2. Three letters of recommendation – at least one from an individual familiar with the applicant’s academic performance and potential for doctoral degree completion and at least one from an individual knowledgeable of the applicant’s quality of work experience;

3. Representative samples of scholarly writing, preferably in APA style, and/or other media samples related to professional study;

4. A resume of professional preparation and experience (a minimum of two to three years of professional experience in special education, general education or other relevant field as a teacher, administrator or related service provider for children and adults with disabilities and/or giftedness is preferred);

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that their applicant file is complete. Incomplete files will not be considered. Application materials for U.S. residents requesting financial support are due March 1.

Note: The department admissions committee may request additional materials and/or conduct a personal interview after reviewing initial applicant files.

In general, applicants will be expected to have a 3.50 grade point average on all graduate-level work and an indication of potential to complete all requirements of doctoral study successfully (provided through submitted writings or creative products, and letters of recommendations) to be admitted as doctoral students in the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education.

After the Admission Committee review, the Doctoral Program Coordinator may recommend to the department faculty that the applicant be: 1) admitted fully to the Ph.D. program in special education, 2) admitted provisionally to the Ph.D. program or 3) denied admission to the Ph.D. program in special education. A recommendation for provisional admission may occur when an applicant has not met the criteria or prerequisites to do advanced graduate level work. Provisional admission requires the satisfactory completion (e.g., with a minimum 3.50 grade-point average) of nine or more credits in regularly scheduled graduate courses approved by the student’s advisor and departmental faculty. After completion of the provisional program, the Doctoral Coordinator and Department Chair recommend to the Graduate College that the student either be transferred to regular status or dropped from the program.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

Total Credits Required: 66

Plan Degree Requirements

The program of study requires a minimum of 66 credits. Only credits that meet the following criteria may be included on the formal Program of Study:

• Those not previously used to fulfill requirements for another degree;
• Those taken while enrolled at an accredited graduate degree-granting institution in a degree-granting program;
• Those taken as a non-degree seeking student (not to exceed 15 total credits); and
• Those for which a grade of B or higher was earned.

Doctoral students must earn a grade of B or higher in all core curriculum courses.

Doctoral Students must earn a grade of B or higher in EPY 721 and EPY 722/KIN 751.

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 Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education. Full-time resident study is defined as being enrolled in at least nine credits of graduate-level coursework from an approved Program of Study (six credits if the student is a graduate assistant). In cases where residency includes a semester of coursework 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.

Two-thirds of the total credits included on the formal Program of Study (not including dissertation) must be taken at UNLV. Faculty members of the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education 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 Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education (or to another doctoral program in the College of Education) may enroll in: ESP 782 - Professional Seminar in Special Education with the instructor’s permission.

Orientations and Colloquia:

The Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education Doctoral Program consists of two mandatory meetings throughout the academic year: New Doctoral Student Orientation and Colloquium. The New Doctoral Student Orientation is typically held during the week prior to the start of the semester. Colloquia are typically held one Friday each semester. The Doctoral Coordinator coordinates these meetings with the assistance of the special education faculty and doctoral students.

2nd-Year Project and Paper:

After taking ESP 763 (Diversity), ESP 782R, ESP 793 (6 credits), ESP 785, and ESP 794 (typically within the first two years of the program), students will complete a 2nd-year qualifying experience. ESP 793 (Internship in Research) will be taken in the 3rd and 4th semesters of the program. In this course, students will be required to:

1. Identify and expand on an area of scholarly interest,
2. Analyze the literature in the area of interest,
3. Propose a research idea for inquiry related to that scholarly area,
4. Complete a research project (i.e., submit IRB, collect and analyze data, report findings) under the direction of the ESP 793 course instruction and their dissertation chair,
5. Present their findings (as a poster presentation) to a committee of doctoral faculty in EMS; and
6.  Submit a preliminary paper to the committee for review.

During their second year, students will complete a research project in ESP 793. The project will be completed in coordination with the course instructor and the student’s dissertation chair. At the end of semester four, the student will present their project (as a poster presentation), as well as a preliminary paper, to a committee of doctoral faculty and their dissertation chair. The poster and paper will be scored using a rubric.  Satisfaction of this requirement will be determined by the committee. Students who do not pass the 2nd-year project (i.e., poster presentation and preliminary paper) requirement are not eligible to continue in the program and will be recommended to the graduate college for separation from the program.

Comprehensive Exam:

The comprehensive examination is taken during the semester immediately preceding enrollment in ESP 799 Dissertation - and once all courses have been completed.   

Dissertation:

All EMS PhD students complete a dissertation as the culminating experience for the degree. Students need to obtain The Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation from the Graduate College website.

Plan Graduation Requirements

The student must submit and successfully defend their dissertation by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.

After the dissertation defense, the student must electronically submit a properly formatted pdf copy of their dissertation to the Graduate College for format check. Once the dissertation format has been approved by the Graduate College, the student will submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest. Deadlines for dissertation defenses, format check submissions, and the final ProQuest submission can be found here.

Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.