DOCTORAL PROGRAM WITH A DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION/BEACH CENTER FOCUS
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
The Beach Center's four senior staff, who are Full Professors in the Department Special Education, are: Wayne Sailor, Ann Turnbull, Rud Turnbull, and Mike Wehmeyer. Research Associates at the Beach Center who frequently provide research mentorship to doctoral students include: Susan Palmer, Amy McCart, and Jean Ann Summers. The Beach Center team work together to provide doctoral emphases to students in the following areas:
- Family-Professional Partnerships across the lifespan with special emphases on the early childhood years and transition to inclusive adult lives.
- Low-Incidence Disabilities with special emphases on self-determination, access to the general curriculum, and response to intervention.
- Policy Analysis and Research with emphases on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Medicaid, and policies enabling adults with disabilities to live inclusive lives.
Students interested in the doctoral program should apply through the Department of Special Education. Information on the application process is located on the Department of Special Education website (http://soe.ku.edu/specialedu-application-process/).
Program Length and Funding
The length of the doctoral program ranges from three to four years, depending on the student's background, career goals, and intensity of participation. Currently, stipends from the U.S. Department of Education are available for students focusing on the topic of response to intervention. Funded students receive $24,000 (for a 12-month period) and substantial tuition support. One of the funding agency's requirements is that stipend recipients be U.S. citizens.
Additional funding opportunities include serving as a research assistant for state- and federally-funded projects at the Beach Center or other units of the university. Although these opportunities are not guaranteed, they are frequently available.
Program Requirements
A. School of Education Core (12 hours required, 3 hours from each area; courses can be exempted if students have taken equivalent courses during their Master's program)
1. Human learning and environment
2. Curriculum design
3. History and philosophy of education
4. Research
B. Research Core (18 hours required) Students who have 21 hours or more in research courses may count research as their minor area.
1. Statistics (6 hours)
2. Quantitative methods, qualitative methods, measurement/assessment, historical/ philosophical methods, or foreign language (9 hours)
C. Special Education Core (16 hours required)
1. Civic Professionalism (3 hours)
2. Issues and Trends in Special Education (6 hours)
3. Law and Special Education (3 hours)
4. Proposal Development (3 hours)
5. Leadership and Systems Change (3 hours)
D. Minor (12 hours required on a topic outside of one's major)
E. Special Education Specialization (typically a minimum of 12 hours required in courses related to areas of emphasis including Family-Professional Partnerships, Low-Incidence Disabilities, and Policy Analysis and Research)
F. College Teaching Experience (students work with a faculty member in teaching an undergraduate or masters course for a minimum of one semester)
G. Leadership Practica
Students who receive a U.S. Department of Education stipend typically participate in a leadership practicum each semester from the time they enter the program until the semester in which they are taking their comprehensive exams. The practica provide closely mentored experiences focusing on a minimum of two of the following leadership roles – research, personnel preparation, policy analysis, administration/supervision, and consumer advocacy. In each practicum, students engage in approximately 20 hours of collaborative and integrated experiential learning on a weekly basis. Faculty or Research Associates serve as practicum mentors and conduct regular mentoring meetings in which students have t opportunity to present their work, raise questions, and receive continual guidance.
H. Written and Oral Comprehensive Examinations
After course work is completed, students complete the comprehensive examination process by preparing 4-5 articles, chapters, and/or products of publishable quality and making an oral presentation on the articles, chapters, and/or products to their doctoral committee.
I. Dissertation (18 hours required)
Students complete a dissertation which provides in-depth research experience on a topic of national significance.
For more information about doctoral experiences at the Beach Center, contact:
Dr. Ann Turnbull
Beach Center on Disability
1200 Sunnyside Avenue
3111 Haworth Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045
turnbull@ku.edu
785-864-7608
For more information about the stipends for students interested in a focus on response to intervention, contact:
Dr. Wayne Sailor
Beach Center on Disability
1200 Sunnyside Avenue
3142 Haworth Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045
wsailor@ku.edu
785-864-4950