Program Overview

The Disability Disciplines Doctoral program includes the following:

Coursework

A set of core courses that establish foundation and framework for a rigorous and scholarly understanding of issues related disabilities disciplines. In addition, each specialization provides unique coursework focused on issues that are more specific to that specialization.

• Special Education Coursework Details
• Applied Behavior Analysis Coursework Details
• Rehabilitation Counseling Coursework Details
• Disabilities Studies Coursework Details

Preliminary Exams

Early in his/her program – typically after one year of full-time study – students must pass a preliminary exam. This exam focuses on research methods and critical content related to the specialization. Details of the structure and content of the exam varies across specializations.

• Special Education Exam Details
• Applied Behavior Analysis Exam Details
• Rehabilitation Counseling Exam Details
• Disabilities Studies Exam Details

Products and Demonstrations of Competence

A set of seven required products and demonstrations of competence provide a context for collaboration and mentoring around the critical skill-sets necessary for successful university professors. These activities are focused on the particular content and issues that are important within the student’s specialization. These products and demonstrations of competence are described below.

Research

Students will collaborate with faculty in conducting empirical research on topics of importance to their specialization area. The topic and methods of this research must be approved in advanced by the student’s advisor. Completion of this product is approved by the student’s supervisory committee.

College Teaching

Students will demonstrate college teaching skills by successfully acting as the primary instructor for a college course related to their specialization area. This competence is generally demonstrated as the culmination of a series of mentored college teaching experiences with gradually increasing responsibility. The specific course to be taught and the student’s responsibilities must be approved in advance by the student’s advisor. Completion of this demonstration of competence is approved by the student’s supervisory committee.

Supervision

Students will demonstrate skills in supervision and coaching of preservice or inservice professionals. These skills are generally demonstrated by providing supervision in a personnel preparation program that is relevant to the student’s specialization area. The specific supervision roles and responsibilities must be approved in advance by the student’s advisor. Demonstration of this competence is approved by the student’s supervisory committee.

Conference Presentation

Students will make a successful presentation at a national professional conference. The student should be the primary author of this presentation. The presentation must be observed by at least one member of the student’s supervisory committee. Successful completion of this competence is approved by the student’s supervisory committee.

Publication

The student, in collaboration with a faculty member, will prepare a manuscript for publication, submit it for publication, and participate in the editorial process through final publication. The students need not be first author of the publication, but must have a substantial role in the preparation and publication process. This product may be based on the research or review of literature products. For example, if in fulfilling the research competency the student produces publishable results, the publication of a research report based on those results may fulfill the publication product. Successful completion of this product is approved by the student’s supervisory committee.

Review of Literature

The student conducts and reports a systematic review of literature on a topic of importance to his/her specialization. This product may be a result of a collaborative process, but the student must be the primary contributor to the product. The topic and methods of this review should be approved in advance by the student’s advisor. Successful completion of this product is determined by the student’s supervisory committee.

Grant Writing

The student, in collaboration with a faculty member, will have a substantial role in writing and submitting a grant to an extramural funding agency. The scope and magnitude of this grant writing activity should be comparable to collaborating on preparation of a federal personnel preparation or research grant. The student’s advisor should approve the grant competition and the scope of the student’s role in advance. Final approval of this competence comes from the student’s supervisory committee.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the culminating project of the doctoral program. It involves original research that advances the field by contributing new knowledge that is relevant to an important question. The dissertation is a creative and scholarly endeavor that builds upon the student’s coursework, products and demonstrations of competence, and extensive mentoring from the faculty.

The formal dissertation process begins after the student has demonstrated broad theoretical, applied, and methodological competence through satisfactory completion of required coursework and the products and demonstrations of competence.

The student prepares a dissertation proposal that is submitted to the their supervisory committee. The committee meets with the student to suggest improvements and consider its modification and/or approval. When the proposal has been approved (and permission has been obtained from the institutional review board), the student may implement the study and begin collecting data.

The student submits the completed dissertation to his/her supervisory committee, then meets with the committee for an oral defense. Based upon the written product and the student’s oral discussion of the research, the supervisory committee suggests changes to the dissertation and considers its approval.

(Note that there are important procedures related to completing the dissertation that are not described here. Please see the Specializations menu for an explanation of these procedures.)