broaden your impact

{ Disability Disciplines Ph.D. }

 

Purpose

When you study in the Disability Disciplines Doctoral Program you broaden your ability to impact education and services for people with disabilities. You also set your career in fast forward. You learn to:

  • Prepare new teachers and clinicians to effectively implement research-based practices
  • Develop and evaluate new programs
  • Conduct meaningful research on important topics.

In our program you learn to prepare teachers and clinicians to have a wide impact on students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Upon graduation you will have the skills necessary to become a university professor and leader in disability-related fields.

Activities

Coursework

Coursework includes a set of core courses that establish foundation and framework for a rigorous and scholarly understanding of issues related to disability disciplines. In addition, each specialization provides unique coursework focused on issues that are more specific to that specialization.

Preliminary Exams

Early in his/her program - typically after one year of full-time study - students must pass a preliminary exam. This exam focuses on research methods and critical content related to the specialization. Details of the structure and content of the exam varies across specializations.

Products and Demonstrations of Competence

A set of seven required products and demonstrations of competence provide a context for collaboration and mentoring around the critical skill-sets necessary for successful university professors.  The products and demonstrations of competence include research, college teaching, supervision, conference presentation, publication, review of literature, and grant writing.  These activities are focused on the particular content and issues that are important within the student's specialization.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the culminating project of the doctoral program. It involves original research that advances the field by contributing new knowledge that is relevant to an important question. The dissertation is a creative and scholarly endeavor that builds upon the student's coursework, products and demonstrations of competence, and extensive mentoring from the faculty.

Specializations

See each specialization for details regarding Coursework, Preliminary Exams, Products and Demonstrations of Competence, and Dissertation

Financial Aid

Excellent financial assistance is available to qualified students in the Disability Disciplines program. Support includes a monthly living stipend, tuition waiver, participation in professional conferences, and computer technology. Please email disability.doc@usu.edu for current information.