Ph.D. in Special Education at KU
Program Overview
The Ph.D. in special education at the University of Kansas is built on a mission to prepare civically committed scholars who, through rigorous and relevant research and transformational interventions, address significant educational and social problems in ways that advance education, social policy, research, care giving and public service to enhance the quality of life of persons of all ages with disabilities and their families. Program students and graduates rely on interdisciplinary theoretical knowledge and the full range of methodological approaches to engage, influence, and transform educational and social institutions and their practices to promote learning, equitable opportunity, full participation, inclusiveness, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.
Career Outcomes in Special Education
Graduates of the special education Ph.D. program are scholars who steward the profession, working across disciplinary boundaries to address the educational and social challenges of the 21st century. Moreover, as civic professionals, they also engage in stewardship with their communities. Our graduates are scholars who recognize that resolving the great social and education challenges requires a sense of collective social purpose among the professions and inclusive of people with disabilities, and that the professions' greatest responsibility is to the people most affected.
Doctoral graduates are prepared to hold leadership positions in diverse sectors and organizations, including:
- Top-tier research universities
- Teacher preparation institutions
- Private and university affiliated research centers, foundations, research and development companies
- State and federal education agencies and legislative bodies.
Thus, the KU Doctoral program prepares graduates to take a variety of leadership positions. Doctoral graduates can hold faculty positions in comprehensive and research universities and leadership positions in state and national agencies. Accordingly, the doctoral program educates students to become a researcher and scholar who will then prepare prospective teachers and administrators to work in the profession. The career paths of recent graduates reflect the program's emphasis on reciprocal research to practice, civic professionalism, and stewardship of the field and discipline.
While the primary aim of the program is to prepare such scholars for tenure-line faculty positions in top tier research universities, program graduates’ knowledge and skill attainment prepare them for positions throughout the education enterprise and beyond. Graduates hold leadership positions around the country and the globe at top research universities, teacher preparation institutions, private and university affiliated research centers, foundations, research and development companies, and in various state and federal education agencies and legislative bodies.
Topics of Interest
Every year the Ph.D. in special education program admits a cohort of students from around the world. Each doctoral student chooses a topic of interest and potentially a secondary area of interest as a cognate or minor (e.g., research methodology). Program applicants are asked to identify the topic of interest and faculty of interest (i.e., potential academic advisor).
Currently, our program has the following topics of interest:
Topics of Interest
This topic area uses ecological systems, eco-behavioral systems, and family systems to enhance the study and practice of supporting young children with and without disabilities (birth-eight years old), their families, educators, and communities. We leverage qualitative, quantitative (single-case experimental design; group designs) and mixed methods to examine, develop, support, and provide naturalistic, evidence-based instruction and intervention supports for young children in natural settings (e.g., home, school, community). Further, we partner with families, caregivers, and individuals (including young children) with lived experience to enhance authentic partnership and meaningful outcomes driven and selected by individuals with the unique expertise of their own experiences. Working across developmental areas and domains (communication, social, behavioral, academic), scholars in this area consider holistic, neurodiversity, inclusive, and culturally affirming practice to improve children’s opportunities and outcomes in partnership with a broad range of service systems (e.g., early intervention birth-three, community-based non-profits, state implementation, school districts).
Families, Advocacy, and Disability recognizes families as central partners in the lives of individuals with disabilities and highlights advocacy as a mechanism for improving educational, community, and life outcomes. It encompasses research on family-school partnerships, caregiver empowerment, self-advocacy, disability policy, systems navigation, leadership development, community inclusion, and systems change.
Families, Advocacy, and Disability is an interdisciplinary area of doctoral study focused on understanding, strengthening, and advancing the roles of families, caregivers, self-advocates, and community partners in improving outcomes for individuals with disabilities across the lifespan. Grounded in family-centered and disability-informed perspectives, this area examines how families engage with educational, healthcare, employment, and community systems and how advocacy contributes to individual, family, and systemic change.
The topical area recognizes that families often serve as the primary advocates, decision-makers, supporters, and navigators of services for individuals with disabilities. Research within this area investigates: (1) how families develop advocacy knowledge, leadership skills, and decision-making capacity; (2) how family advocacy influences educational and life outcomes; and (3) how family-led efforts contribute to improved policies, practices, and systems of support. Particular attention is given to understanding barriers and factors that influence family engagement, access to services, and participation in decision-making processes.
This area encompasses research on family-school partnerships, parent and caregiver engagement, sibling experiences, self-advocacy, transition planning, disability policy, systems navigation, family quality of life, community inclusion, and culturally responsive family-centered practices. Scholars may examine interventions and programs designed to empower families, including advocacy training initiatives, parent leadership programs, community-based supports, and research-practice partnerships that position families as co-creators of knowledge and change.
A central focus of this topical area is the relationship between advocacy and systems transformation. Doctoral students will explore how families and self-advocates influence educational policy, disability services, access to resources, and broader societal attitudes toward disability. Research may examine local, state, and national policies, implementation challenges, and strategies for creating more equitable and responsive systems of support.
Drawing from Special Education, Disability Studies, Family Studies, Public Policy, Social Work, Psychology, Public Health, and related disciplines, this topical area prepares doctoral scholars to conduct research, develop innovative family-centered interventions, inform policy, and strengthen partnerships that improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities and their families. The ultimate goal is to generate knowledge that empowers families, advances disability rights, and promotes meaningful inclusion and participation across all aspects of life.
This topical area advances knowledge and practice in inclusive research focused on the areas of self-determination and secondary transition to enhance post-school outcomes of students, youth, and young adults with disabilities. The purpose of the topical area is advance inclusive approaches to research that seeks to establish high-quality, inclusive practices that can be scaled up in schools. A focus within the topical area allows scholars to explore inclusive research and the impacts and needs for achieving inclusive, equitable transition for all students, youth, and young adults with disabilities. Scholars will have opportunities to (a) participate in inclusive self-determination and transition focused coursework; (b) gain inclusive service opportunities; and (c) conduct inclusive research in these areas to inform policy, improve collaboration, and promote systems change to help ensure students and youth graduate high school ready for adult life.
This topic area focuses on evidenced-based practices (EBPs) and data-based decision-making (DBDM; e.g., using systematic screening and other data to inform instruction and intervention efforts) in integrated tiered systems of support – such as Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention – for students with intensive intervention needs across academic, behavior, and social and emotional well-being learning needs. This topic area is inclusive in its applicability to a range of students, including those with emotional and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and complex support needs as well as students without identified disabilities. This topic will develop the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to
- carry out an active and innovative research agenda
- engage in rigorous inquiry using a ranged of methodologies
- use systematic screening t and other data (e.g., school-wide data, assessments) to engage in data-based decision-making practices, including detecting and supporting students for whom Tier 1 practices are insufficient
- design, implement, and evaluate strategies and practices to prevent and respond to academic, behavior, and social and emotional well-being challenges with attention to fidelity and intervention adaptation across the tiers.
- facilitate collaborative partnerships between general and special educators and families
- serve as recognized leaders with expertise in school-based inquiry to improve academic, behavioral, and social outcomes for students with and at risk for learning, behavior, and/or social and emotional well-being support needs.
Doctoral students in this topic will glean experiences needed to teach in higher education and conduct research in areas such as systematic screening, test construction, and/or intervention studies (using group and single case design methodology) in academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being learning domains for students with and without disabilities.
This topic area uses multiple methodologies to improve outcomes for students with complex support needs. In particular, we are focused on preparing scholars to advance inclusive learning environments through rigorous research, policy analysis, and evidence-based practice across K-12 educational settings. Drawing upon our experience as special education teachers for students with complex support needs, we are committed to identifying and implementing practices that are beneficial for the students as well as feasible and useful for their teachers. We partner with all members of the team including the student, general education teachers, families, and related services providers to ensure plans are designed and implemented with high expectations and the least dangerous assumption in mind.
Human Connected Computing examines how technology, artificial intelligence, biometric and wearable sensing, mixed/virtual reality, and networked data systems can connect learners, educators, families, and related-service providers to expand access, participation, and outcomes for individuals with disabilities. Rather than treating technology as a stand-alone tool, this area centers on the human connections that emerging computing systems create across school, home, clinical, and community settings.
This area prepares scholars to design, implement, and evaluate connected technologies (e.g., AI-driven personalization, biometric and sensor-based supports, mixed reality simulation, telepractice/telehealth platforms) in ways that are accessible, evidence-based, and responsive to learner variability. It aligns with the PhD program's mission of preparing scholars who use rigorous, interdisciplinary research to advance equitable, inclusive outcomes for individuals with disabilities and their families.
BRAG POINTS
U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Graduate Schools,” 2026-27
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