Special Education and Literacy Studies

Special Education, Ed.D.

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Overview

Western’s Ed.D. in Special Education prepares scholars to lead in research, policy, and higher education. This rigorous, competency-based program emphasizes critical evaluation, research methodology, and addressing complex, real-world issues in the field. Students work closely with expert faculty mentors to design individualized study plans, engage in early and ongoing research, and participate in collaborative teaching and service experiences. Graduates are equipped to serve as innovative leaders, college faculty, and researchers shaping the future of special education.

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Why apply?

Achieve strong career outcomes: 100% of WMU special education graduate students were employed or pursuing further education within three months of graduation.
Collaborate with expert faculty: Work closely with accomplished professors who are active in research, teaching, and service.
Gain hands-on experience: Engage in meaningful opportunities across teaching, research, and service that prepare you for leadership roles.
Design your own path: Customize your program to align with your specific interests and career goals in special education.
Lead the future of the field: Prepare to become a professor, researcher, or policy leader making lasting impact in special education.

Program of Study

Credit requirements

The student must fulfill all the University graduation requirements. In the doctoral program, an individual will be expected to complete a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours of graduate credit (beyond the MA) with an overall grade point average of 3.25 in all graduate work. After admission, at least 30 credits (excluding the dissertation, thus a total of 42 credits) must be completed at WMU. Students have seven years from admission to complete their program. However, credits older than seven years and from outside institutions may be accepted, however an extension request form must be completed. The extension request form can be found here.

Non-credit earning requirements

In addition to coursework, the doctoral student should complete a variety of non-credit experiences meant to prepare them for roles in higher education, special education administration, special education leadership/advocacy, or instruction. Doctoral students should complete all the items from each category listed below (excluding Other Highly Recommended Experiences). Non-credit experiences may be completed as part credit-earning coursework described above or have been completed prior to beginning the program (e.g., prior work experiences).

Research Experience

Participate in a minimum of 1 collaborative research project under the direction of your doctoral advisor, or another faculty member at WMU.

Attend and present at a local research or professional conference.

Attend or present at a national research conference (For assistance with funding, please speak with your Program Advisor.).

Co-author or author an article of publishable quality for submission.

Submit a grant proposal or fellowship application (could be an internal submission and/or with a faculty member).

Submit a Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB) application.

Service Experience

Serve on a departmental, college, university, or professional organization committee

Post-Secondary Teaching Experience

Supervise graduate or undergraduate students during their clinical experiences or serve as a mentor teacher.

Complete a teaching internship with a faculty member as part of the curriculum requirements for enrollment in SPED 6750.

Teach one course as a part-time instructor.

Leadership Experience

Serve in a leadership role at the university (e.g., faculty senate, Student Council for Exceptional Children [SCEC]), professional organization, or in a school district, RESA/ISD for a minimum of one year.

Professional Experience

Develop a curriculum vitae.

Draft a teaching philosophy statement.

Other Highly Recommended Experiences (Not Required)

Collaborate with scholars outside of the University.

Attend a national training experience (e.g., Higher Education Consortium for Special Education [HECSE] short course).

Serve on a community or advisory board.

Lead a professional development session for a local school, district, or RESA/ISD.

Assist a faculty member with accreditation tasks.

Serve as a guest reviewer for a journal or conference.

Present a research-based and/or teaching-based job talk.

Draft a cover letter to express interest in an academic position or job.

Comprehensive examination

The student should select one of the two options for their comprehensive exam. Option 1 is to prepare a manuscript meeting a publishable threshold, Option 2 is a formal written exam. Students should speak with their Program Advisor to determine which option they would like to complete at least one year prior to when they plan to complete their comprehensive exam. This examination is generally taken during the last semester of coursework upon recommendation of the Program Advisor.

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Admissions

Application

Applicants for admission to the doctoral program in Special Education will be expected to meet the following requirements:

Satisfy all requirements University requirements for admission to doctoral program and be approved by the Graduate College.

Hold a master’s degree in special education or a related field.

Have completed a minimum of two (2) years of successful professional experience in education or an allied field, one of which must have been with persons with disabilities. Students seeking leadership positions in public school administration should have at least three (3) years of professional experience in a special education setting.

Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae or resume.

Letter of intent:
1. Personal information and background data: Applicants should include a detailed description of past professional experiences and responsibilities. Applicants may also include other background and personal information they wish to bring to the attention of the Special Education Program faculty.
2. Goals and objectives: Applicants should indicate their reasons for wishing to pursue doctoral studies and should identify professional aspirations (i.e., career goals and tentative research interests).
3. Tentative time schedule: Applicants should list approximate dates for entering and concluding the program.

Provide at least three professional recommendations from individuals in the field of Special Education or related area with which the applicant has had extensive professional/educational contact. This should include at least one individual working as a professor or instructor in a post-secondary institution.

Admission Interview

Applicants who have applied and successfully met the admissions criteria above will be contacted to arrange for a personal interview with the Graduate Faculty of the Special Education Program of the Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies. Such an interview will be scheduled at the mutual convenience of the applicant and the faculty. During the interview the applicant can be expected to present:

Evidence of personal commitment to doctoral study and to special education.

Evidence of personal professional goals and congruence of those with the goals of the Doctoral Program and current graduate faculty within the Department.

Evidence of acceptable professional behavior and demeanor.

Acceptance

Following the interview, the Graduate Faculty of the program will determine the final acceptance of the student for doctoral study. Acceptance will be based on the (a) admission information, (b) the interview, and (c) the capacity and alignment of expertise of a member of the Graduate Faculty of the program to serve as chair of a doctoral program committee. Students may be granted regular acceptance into the program, may be accepted with some specific conditions stipulated, or may be denied acceptance. Students who are not accepted may appeal to the Graduate Faculty for a second interview to review the reasons for their non-acceptance and/or to present further information regarding their admission request.

Advising

Program advisor

Following the interview with the applicant, at least one member of the Graduate Faculty of the program must express a willingness to serve as Doctoral Program Advisor for the student to be accepted into the program. The Doctoral Program Advisor may not be the same person as the dissertation advisor (discussed later).

Program committee

With the assistance of the Program Advisor, a Special Education Program Committee will be formed. The Program Committee will consist of a minimum of three graduate faculty members; two of whom must be special education faculty and the department chair. One additional member may be asked to serve on the committee if it is determined by the existing three-person committee that additional content expertise would be of benefit to the student. This fourth member does not have to be a member of the Special Education program. The Program Committee will assist the Program Advisor in developing and approving a program of study for the student.

Dissertation

All aspects of the dissertation should be completed in accordance with current WMU graduate college policy. Required forms can be found here. Candidates should be aware of important dates and deadlines related to the dissertation; these dates can be found here.

Dissertation Advisor and Committee

The student’s Program Advisor will serve as the Dissertation Advisor, unless the student and Program Advisor feel that another Graduate Faculty member may be a better fit. The Dissertation Advisor will guide the student in developing a prospectus (concept paper) regarding the Dissertation. Keeping in mind the nature of the topic, the student, in conjunction with the Dissertation Advisor, will nominate committee members and present these recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate College (i.e., complete the Committee Appointment Form and submit to @email). Graduate College will confirm that all committee members have active graduate faculty status. With the help of the Dissertation Committee, the student will formulate a proposal from the prospectus. The committee will then formally review and approve the proposal for the dissertation.

Candidacy

Prior to the term or semester when dissertation is defended, the student is required to demonstrate:

Completion of any special requirements established at the time of admission.

Approval of the student’s Permanent Program of Study as approved by the student’s doctoral committee.

An overall grade point average of 3.25 or better.

Completion of all basic course requirements.

Successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination.

Appointment of a Doctoral Dissertation Committee and approval by the committee of the student’s dissertation proposal.

Oral defense

The student will prepare an application for the oral defense and submit the application and an abstract of the dissertation to the Graduate College at least 10 working days prior to the oral defense. The candidate The oral defense must not be scheduled without completion of all program requirements except the dissertation. The Dissertation Advisor will conduct the oral examination together with the members of the student’s Dissertation Committee. Acceptance of the dissertation and the oral defense by all the committee members will be required before the dissertation will be judged as satisfactory for submission to the Graduate College (abstentions shall be considered negative votes). If the dissertation is not accepted, the committee may: (a) require a revision and resubmission of the dissertation without an additional oral defense, (b) require a revision and resubmission of the dissertation and require a second oral defense, or (c) reject the dissertation and require another research proposal to be submitted.

Graduation

The student will be allowed a period of seven years from the date of admission to complete all requirements for the doctoral degree. All courses, seminars, and other requirements must be completed with an overall grade point average of 3.25. The dissertation must be approved by the appropriate groups, the oral Examination must be satisfactorily completed, and the dissertation completed as required by the Graduate College. In addition, the student is responsible for providing a bound copy of the corrected dissertation to each member of the Dissertation Committee. The student must apply for graduation by October 1 of the academic year they plan to graduate (if planning to graduate during spring commencement) or by February 1 if planning to graduate in summer or winter commencement ceremony of that calendar year.

For more graduation information, visit the current graduate students page.

Cost & funding