Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of Florida offers an online doctorate in special education (Ed.D.) designed for working educators. This part-time, fully online degree is tailored for individuals working in education and related fields, aiming to equip expert practitioners to improve the special education field. The program takes approximately four years to complete and follows the principles of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), focusing on rigor and developing applicable, practice-focused leadership skills.

Program Highlights

• The program includes a core curriculum, qualitative and quantitative research courses, the opportunity to choose a specialization, electives, and dedicated dissertation hours.
• Faculty in this program are committed to providing new and fresh perspectives on educational issues, with regularly updated courses presenting and contextualizing contemporary special education ideas.
• Student feedback is taken seriously and incorporated when refining courses.

Specialization Areas

The program offers five specialization areas, allowing students to develop career-focused depth in a particular area:

• Dyslexia
• Early Childhood Studies
• Early Childhood Policy
• Disability and Society
• Special Education Teacher Leadership

Ed.D. Program Curriculum

• The doctorate in special education (Ed.D.) requires a minimum of 90 graduate credits to complete the degree.
• Up to 30 credits can be transferred from a relevant master’s degree from an accredited institution.
• The remaining 60-70 credits are earned through the doctoral curriculum and dissertation credits.
• Required coursework includes:
  • 15 to 18 credit hours of core special education coursework
  • 12 to 15 credit hours in research and evaluation methodology
  • 12 to 15 credits in a specialization area

College of Education Ed.D. Research Requirements

• All doctoral students in the College of Education must complete at least 12 credit hours of research methodology coursework.
• Programs and supervisory committees have the discretion to require more than 12 hours of research methodology courses.

Areas of Specialization

• Dyslexia: Includes courses such as Foundations of Literacy Development & Dyslexia, Dyslexia: Language and the Brain, Dyslexia: Assessment for Intervention, Dyslexia: Intervention Methods, and Dyslexia: Practicum in Assessment and Intervention (optional).
• Early Childhood Practitioner: Includes courses such as Early Childhood Curriculum, Families in Early Childhood Education, Assessment & Evaluation in Early Childhood Educational Practice, and Policy & Transition in Early Childhood Educational Practice.
• Early Childhood Policy: Includes courses such as Examining Practices, Policies, and Key Issues in EC Policy, History, Child Development, and Equity in EC Policy, Theory and Analysis in EC Policy, and Early Childhood Policy and Advocacy.
• Disability and Society: Includes similar courses to Early Childhood Policy, focusing on disability and society aspects.
• Special Education Teacher Leadership: Includes courses such as Families & Teacher Perspectives, Literacy Leadership, Instructional Coaching for Enhanced Student Learning, and Professional Development for Special Educator.

Program Requirements

• A bachelor’s and master’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university in special education or a related field.
• A minimum grade point average of 3.0 undergraduate upper-division (last 60 credits) and graduate coursework.

Program Details

• Entry: Fall
• Typical Course Load: 6 credits per semester
• Full-Time/Part-Time: Part-time
• Format: Fully online, primarily synchronous
• Application Deadline: February 1
• Average Class Size: 12-18
• Program Completion: 4 years

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