PhD Early Childhood Education / Early Childhood Special Education Specialization

Many of the most well-respected educators and policymakers in the world have advanced degrees in early childhood education.

What Will You Learn?

The specialization features coursework and applied internships that enable you to learn:

• Theory and research in early childhood and early childhood special education across the developmental spectrum
• Foundational knowledge about early childhood teaching and learning at all levels
• Research methodologies to address a variety of early childhood and early childhood special education topics
• Specialized knowledge in early childhood education related to your area of interest

How Will You Learn?

Your advisor will guide your doctoral experience by supplementing coursework with professional experiences, including:

• Attending and/or presenting at professional conferences
• Independent study
• Teaching and/or co-teaching
• Writing, editing, and reviewing for scholarly journals

Where Can This Specialization Take You?

Graduates of this specialization hold professional positions such as:

• Academic faculty at post-secondary institutions
• Consultants with private companies, education and research think tanks, and non-government organizations
• Curriculum leaders in major K-12 school districts

Each student prepares an individual program of study in consultation with their Program Advisory Committee. The following courses can be taken as part of a student’s primary or secondary specialization coursework:

• ECED 801: Current Research and Trends in Early Childhood Education (3 credits)
• ECED 803: Teacher Preparation and Professional Development (3 credits)
• ECED 804: Critical Perspectives on Families in Education Research and Practice (3 credits)
• ECED 812: Early Writing: Cognition, Language, and Literacy (3 credits)
• EDUC 897: Independent Study for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (1-6 credits)
• EDUC 994: Advanced Internship in Education (3 credits)

See additional coursework required as part of the PhD in Education degree.

El'Tanya Brown, PhD 2020

• Dissertation Title: Not the Woman I Once Was: How Turning Points Shape the Trajectories of Military Mothers Parenting Young Children with Disabilities
• Dissertation Chair: Dr. Colleen Vesely

William Harry Rodick III, PhD 2020

• Dissertation Title: Parallel Societies: A Community School in the Context of Gentrification
• Dissertation Chair: Dr. Colleen Vesely

Rabaah Alqassem, PhD 2019

• Dissertation Title: Early Writing in Saudi Arabian Kindergarten Classrooms: The Role of Teacher Preparation in Developing Young Writers
• Dissertation Chair: Dr. Julie Kidd

Rhode Fernandez, PhD 2019

• Dissertation Title: Observational Study of Head Start Teachers' Verbalizations and Their Relationship to the Mediated Learning Experience Rating Scare Scores
• Dissertation Chair: Dr. Susan Burns & Dr. Julie Kidd