Program Overview

Early Childhood Intervention Doctoral Program

The Early Childhood Intervention Ph.D. program is designed to prepare the next generation of scholars and future leaders to conduct high-quality research that advances the field. The program features coursework and intensive mentoring from scholars who conduct cutting-edge clinical and translational research to improve the lives of young children with disabilities and their families.

Program Overview

The doctoral program generally takes four years of full-time study to complete. Students develop their own individualized program of study in consultation with their academic advisor and the graduate advisor. The program of study includes work in core areas, including a specialization core that focuses on early childhood special education, autism, and developmental disabilities.

Coursework

• Specialization Core: 12 hours
  • SED 384 Overview of Early Childhood Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education
  • PSY 394S Fundamentals of Developmental Psychology
  • CSD 293D Developmental Language Disorders
  • CSD 350 Language and the Brain
  • CSD 318K Acquisition of Communication Abilities in Children
• Professional Core: 18 hours
  • SED 695S A & B Professional Seminar (taken over fall and spring semesters of Year 1)
  • SED 398T College Teaching (Year 2)
  • SED 380 Diversity and Disability: Continuing Perspectives; or SED 380 Diversity, Equity, and Disability
  • SED 696 A and B Research Mentoring (taken over two semesters)
• Research Core: 18-21 hours
  • EDP 380C Fundamental Statistics – prerequisite as needed
  • Additional coursework includes at least two courses out of the following three:
    • Qualitative Research Design and Data Analysis
    • Quantitative Research Design and Data Analysis
    • Single-Subject Research Design
  • SED 395D Grant Writing in Education
• Dissertation: 6 hours minimum
  • All doctoral students are required to complete a dissertation, conducting original research with direction from a dissertation supervisor.

Faculty

• Laura Estep, Assistant Professor of Practice
• Lauren H Hampton, Associate Professor
• James Lee, Assistant Professor

Program Details

• Program Starts: Fall
• Deadline to Apply: December 1, Priority, Rolling Admissions
• Credit Hours Required: 57
• Program Location: On Campus
• GRE Required?: No
• Area Co-coordinators: Lauren Hampton, Laura Estep
• Graduate Program Coordinator: Kelsey Samsel

Research Areas

The program focuses on early childhood special education, autism, and developmental disabilities, with faculty research interests including:

• Training and supervision of clinicians to support individuals with challenging behavior
• Optimizing early interventions for young children with challenging behavior and communication delays
• Autism, implementation science, cultural adaptation, early intervention, marginalized families, and global autism research

Additional Information

Students must take at least one course from outside of their concentration area or outside of the department to gain breadth of knowledge. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in research, academia, and leadership in the field of early childhood intervention.