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    Jan 28, 2025  
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Special Education, PhD


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Applicants must meet requirements for admission to the Toulouse Graduate School. The general requirements are described in the College of Education section.

Given the importance of appropriate educational experiences during the early years for both the individual and the society at large, graduate programs are needed that provide education for future leaders in the conceptualization and provision of special education programs, as well as expertise in conducting research that will extend understanding of the importance and means of providing special education experiences.

PhD admission process/requirements

The Department of Educational Psychology application includes a two-step process: the graduate school application and the departmental requirements.

Step 1: Toulouse Graduate School application

Apply through the Toulouse Graduate School at www.applytexas.org. Submit application fee and official transcripts from all schools attended to their office. If the minimum GPA requirements are met, the packet will be forwarded to the department for review. You must meet the admission requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School, including a minimum 3.4 GPA on a master’s degree work (if applying with a master’s degree), 2.8 on bachelor’s (if applying without a master’s degree), or (alternatively) GPA of 3.0 on the last 60 credit hours you took if applying with a bachelor’s degree.

Step 2: Departmental admissions process

  1. Submission of official GRE scores is required: verbal, quantitative and analytical writing. The department views high GRE scores as positive indicators of potential success in the programs; however, low GRE scores do not automatically exclude a candidate who shows positive indicators in other areas. GRE scores must be sent electronically from ETS, institutional code 6481. GRE scores must be less than 5 years old, with exceptions for those who have a completed master’s degree from UNT.
  2. Three (written) letters of recommendation from academic or professionally applicable sources.
  3. Professional resume that delineates the applicant’s previous work, educational experiences, membership and involvement in professional organizations or scholarly activities.
  4. A personal statement of career objectives including how this doctorate will advance those objectives.

Degree requirements


The doctoral program in special education requires a minimum of 63 hours of course work and research experience in one of the following three concentrations:

  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Emotional/behavioral disorders
  • Mild/moderate disabilities

A master’s degree with a major in special education or a closely related field is required for application to the PhD. Candidates with master’s degrees in other fields will be required to take up to five additional courses in special education, with advisor’s approval.

The following requirements are for students who enter the program with a related master’s degree.

Educational psychology PhD core, 6 hours


Educational Research core, 15 hours


One of the following concentrations, 18 hours


Mild/moderate disabilities


Supervised research/practice, 3 hours


Dissertation, 9 hours minimum


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