Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning - Special Education

Our Ph.D. program has a strong focus on diversity, equity, and interdisciplinarity, offering students the opportunity to pursue research in areas such as instructional interventions, including specialized instruction for students with disabilities, innovative use of technology, bi/multilingualism, multiliteracy, teacher preparation, family engagement, learning in community settings, and science, technology and mathematics (STEM) teaching and learning. Our faculty express their commitment to improving educational achievement and equity through research, professional development, and collaborations with community partners.

The focus of our Department's specialization in Special Education is on the intersectionality of disability, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other aspects of students socially determined identities as learners. Within this framework, our faculty engage in research relating to a wide range of issues, including interventions for students who struggle in reading or mathematics, disproportionality in the identification of students for special education services, secondary transition, teacher preparation, school-family collaborations, and children's language development in inclusive preschool classrooms.

Our aim is to prepare graduates to pursue educational careers that contribute to and/or are informed by empirical research. These careers include faculty positions in higher education, leadership positions in schools and districts, and designers of innovative educational interventions. We encourage students to develop skills in a range of research approaches and to collaborate with faculty in related disciplines and with practitioners and agencies in the community.

The following factors are considered when selecting doctoral students for admission:

At a minimum, completion of a bachelor's degree with an outstanding record from an accredited institution.
Acceptable and recent (within 5 years) Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores. The target minimum is a score of 1100 combined on verbal and quantitative (or 302 on new GRE scoring system) and at least a 4.0 on writing.
International applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Graduate Record Examination. TOEFL scores are valid for two years after test date.
Professional experience relevant to degree program.
Undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 (4.0 scale).
Graduate grade point average of at least 3.5 (4.0 scale).
Three letters of recommendation. At least two of the three letters of recommendation should include specific evaluation of the candidate's potential to engage in scholarly research required for this program.
The written statement of intent (in the UM online application) should describe how the candidate's specific interests and obtaining a Ph.D. in this area of study fits into his/her career goals.
Available student space in the program and someone willing to advise the student. Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty in the Special Education area to inquire about the match between the applicant's interests and the faculty's areas of scholarly research.

Paper Based TOEFL (PBT): 550, Internet Based TOEFL (IBT): 80, IELTS (Academic): 6.5.