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.
The planning of a student’s doctoral program in special education at The University of Georgia is the cooperative responsibility of the student and his/her advisory committee. The guiding philosophy for this policy rests in the fact that a single, common program of study does not meet the needs of all students. Students often bring different patterns of preparation, experience, interests, and needs. Because the advisory committee is not restricted by traditional course credit limitation, the committee may decide that one candidate may need certain coursework and experience not required of another candidate. Faculty members strongly believe that placing this flexibility and responsibility in the hands of the advisory committee results in a stronger doctoral program than otherwise would be the case. Such a policy is commensurate with the objectives of the program and enables the advisory committee to work closely with the candidate in building an effective program which meets his/her professional goals and objectives.