Academic Program

Special Education

Doctoral Degree

The focus of special education is to enhance and better the lives of all individuals with disabilities through education, community awareness, and ecologically based service delivery.

The Special Education Program at the University of Cincinnati provides education at the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels. At the doctoral level the program is focused on providing leading scholars for service in academic careers. The doctoral program has foundational coursework, tailored coursework, and a built-in mentorship experience for research and preparation to work in higher education.

Application Information

Application Procedures

For admission information and application procedures, please see the Application Process for Doctoral Degree Programs in Teacher Education (pdf).

Program Requirements

Program Details

Doctorate in Special Education: The Doctoral Program in Special Education prepares students for leadership and faculty positions in higher education.

  • The program is focused on producing faculty, researchers, and leaders in the field of special education.
  • Nearly 100% our graduates choose to work as faculty in higher-education
  • Takes 3-4 years of fulltime study including courses and mentorship
  • Successful completion includes a Doctorate in Special Education

Some funding is available for graduate level degrees- contact program chair for more information.

Student Success Factors
  • Demonstrate a history of academic success
  • Demonstrate the ability to collaborate with others including those from diverse populations
  • Demonstrate leadership characteristics
  • Demonstrate responsible, caring, fair, honest, and ethical behavior
  • Demonstrate a commitment to social justice and a diverse society
  • Demonstrate a history of good critical thinking and problem-solving
  • Demonstrate enthusiasm for working with children and adults with disabilities
  • Demonstrate a commitment to equity and the betterment of individuals with disabilities
  • Demonstrate a desire to work in higher education, hold scholarly leadership, and/or research position
  • Demonstrate an interest in being viewed as a leader, mentor, and teacher
  • Demonstrate a history of being analytical, inquisitive, and interested in research
  • Demonstrate dynamic and self-motivated behavior
  • Demonstrate good time management.
  • Demonstrate a history of establishing and accomplishing individualized goals
Career Possibilities
  • Nearly all of our graduates work in leadership and faculty positions in higher education.
  • A few of our graduates work in leadership and/or research positions with associations, foundations, organizations, and/or governmental departments or agencies.

Opportunities

Formed as the Teachers College in 1905, the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services continually merits local, state and national recognition. Recent commendations include:

  • Special Education Program was recently ranked 10th in most productive research programs by the Chronicle of Higher Education
  • UC is one of 96 institutions across the United States ranked as a Level 1 Research Institution (Classification: RU/VH) by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
  • Accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the organization responsible for professional accreditation of teacher education;
  • The College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH) is recently ranked 78 in U.S. News & World Report
  • The Best Practice Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE); and
  • Consistently high scores by candidates on state-mandated licensure exams; our candidates have a 100% pass rate on the Praxis II Licensure Tests.