Advanced degrees in the Special Education Program at the University of Georgia include the Educational Specialist Degree (EDS) and The Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) The EDS is intended for practitioners who want advanced preparation in special education. The PhD is intended for experienced professionals in special education and related fields who want to prepare for university positions in research and college teaching.
The Educational Specialist degree program provides advanced study for those preparing for advanced teaching, service, and leadership positions in special education and related fields. The minimum 30 hours of coursework includes required research application and courses individualized to the student’s career objectives. This allows students to specialize in advanced knowledge and skills in numerous special education topical areas and across the life-span, and to pursue multidisciplinary goals. Areas of emphasis in the Ed.S. programs of study are exemplified by study in autism spectrum disorders, behavioral disorders, early childhood, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and learning disabilities.
The doctoral program in Special Education is available to a limited number of students who show promise of becoming leaders in the field of special education. The Ph.D. degree program prepares candidates for leadership positions in college instruction, research, and school and/or clinical practice. Programs are planned to develop a mastery of the comprehensive field of special education and to encourage a breadth of understanding of related disciplines. Such doctoral study is necessarily rigorous and exacting.