PhD Admissions

Ph.D. Admissions Process

Admissions Deadlines

  • Spring Semester: Third Friday in October
  • Fall semester: Completed applications must be received by January 15 to be considered for financial aid.  Otherwise, all materials must be submitted by the second Friday in March

Overview
The University of Georgia’s doctoral program in Special Education is designed to develop leaders in the field and must identify candidates who show considerable potential. Primary requisites for admission to candidacy are demonstrated competence in scholarly activity and a high degree of aptitude for advanced study. Our admission standards, therefore, are stringent and selective. To begin the application process click here.

Admission Requirements:

  1. Professional Preparation: Completion of a master’s degree; minimum of two years professional experience in special education or a closely related area
  2. GPA: Minimum average of 3.0 for undergraduate work and 3.5 for graduate work at accredited universities
  3. Letters of Recommendation: Submission of three letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be from faculty who have instructed them in their previous graduate program(s) of study
  4. Interview: Completion of interviews by telephone or personal contact by three members of the graduate faculty, including a representative from the applicant’s perspective areas of study (BD, LD, MR, ASD, etc.). It is the responsibility of the applicant to arrange these interviews.
  5. GRE: Submission of scores from the Graduate Record Examination (1000 is the minimum acceptable score). Foreign applicants will also need to score a minimum of 20 points each on the Speaking and Writing sections of the TOEFL with an overall minimum score of 80. Test scores must be within 5 years from the date of application.
  6. Technical Writing Sample: Submission of a masters degree thesis, literature review, published article, or similar document written during the past five years. In the absence of this the applicant may write a prospective paper outlining a current trend in special education that is guiding his/her decision to pursue doctoral study. The paper should be written in APA style and cite current research.

A student may be admitted as a prospective candidate for the Ph.D. degree upon certification by the Department of Special Education that he/she holds scholarly promise, that appropriate courses may be given, and that the student’s program can adequately be supported and directed. Such admission must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. The graduate faculty will transmit the recommendation. The final decision rests with the Graduate School.

Admission to Candidacy
The student may be admitted to candidacy when:

  1. All prerequisites set as a condition to admission have been satisfactorily completed
  2. Research skill requirements have been met
  3. The final program of study has been approved by the advisory committee, the Graduate Coordinator, and the Dean of the Graduate School
  4. A grade point average of 3.0 (B) has been maintained on all graduate courses taken and on all completed graduate courses on the program of study [no course with a grade below C may be placed on the final program of study
  5. Written and oral comprehensive examinations have been passed and reported to the Graduate School The advisory committee, including any necessary changes in the membership, is confirmed and all its members have been notified of their appointment
  6. All products have been successfully completed, including: Literature review, grant proposal, pre-dissertation/pilot study, conference presentation, article submitted for publication.
  7. A prospectus for the dissertation study has been read and approved by the advisory committee
  8. The residence requirement of two consecutive semesters of 6 hours each has been met.

After admission to candidacy a student must register for a minimum of 3 hours of dissertation (SPED 9300) for two of three semesters per year until graduation. A student must register for a minimum of 10 hours of dissertation after admission to candidacy and prior to graduation, up to a maximum of 24 hours of such credit as determined by the major professor in consultation with the student’s advisory committee.