PhD in Early Childhood Special Education in Columbia United States | University of Missouri

The Doctor of Philosophy program in ECSE provides advanced training in Early Childhood Special Education. Participants will create a customized plan to achieve their academic and research objectives in this specialized field. Applicants who satisfy the admission requirements will receive provisional acceptance into the program, be paired with an advisor, and need to register for specified foundational courses.

Following the completion of 9 credit hours - comprising 3 credits in quantitative methods and 6 credits in special education doctoral core classes - students must successfully pass a qualifying exam for full departmental admission. After passing this examination, candidates assemble a program committee and draft a study plan. This committee must include four or more graduate faculty members (with a minimum of three from within the department and at least one external member). The study plan outlines required coursework and competency-building activities to fulfill departmental expectations. When most coursework and competencies are finished (80-90% completion), students must pass a comprehensive examination to achieve candidacy status.