The Exceptional Learning Ph.D. (ELPhD) program focuses on the characteristics, strengths, and educational needs of individuals and groups whose learning potential and opportunities for success are frequently unrealized. Exceptional populations include people for whom social, economic, and physical characteristics may serve as a barrier to development and learning.

The ELPhD program offers robust academic preparation of professionals who serve their communities, public school systems, institutions of higher education, and nontraditional educational environments. Our graduates are leaders who work across local, regional, national, and international platforms to effect positive change in diverse populations of exceptional learners and educational contexts, addressing barriers to learning, primarily through research and service activities.

The ELPhD curriculum is organized around three areas of knowledge development-core, concentration, and research. Core knowledge includes an orientation to the program, theory, foundations for understanding exceptional populations, program planning and evaluation, and technology. Concentration knowledge helps students to deepen and hone their specific interests. The innovative research sequence grounds students in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

Health Behaviors and Wellness Education (HBWE) offers cutting-edge, hands-on experiential courses along with related pedagogical methods and theory. HBWE research courses supply additional opportunities to research and address discipline-specific concerns. This comprehensive and novel design supplies students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to succeed professionally and lead change in health sciences and wellness disciplines. (Concentration Leader – Dr. Christy Killman)

En-route M.A. or Ed.S Degree in Curriculum and Instruction (C&I)

A student pursuing an Exceptional Learning Ph.D. may elect to earn an en-route degree as they progress through the ELPhD program. Those students entering the program with no prior graduate degree may earn an M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) with a Curriculum concentration, as the student successfully advances toward completion of the Ph.D. Those who enter the program with a graduate degree may elect to earn either the M.A. or an Ed.S. in Curriculum & Instruction with a Curriculum concentration.

If a student elects to forego the en-route degree, the full 79 credit hours of the program must be completed. The Ph.D. is not reduced to 46–49 hours, even if a student enters with one or more graduate degrees.

En-route M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction (with Curriculum concentration)

The en-route M.A. degree may be awarded when the student successfully completes 33 semester credit hours and must include successful completion of nine (9) credit hours of either quantitative (EDU 7420, EDU 7430, and EDU 7300) or qualitative (EDU 7010, EDU 7330, and EDU 7340) research. The M.A. will not be awarded without completion of these 9 research credit hours.

Enroute-MA in Curriculum and Instruction

Research Requirement: Quantitative Track: EDU7420, EDU 7430 and EDU 7300 OR Qualitative Track: EDU 7010, EDU 7330 and EDU 7340 . 9 hours

Advisor Guided Electives 24 hours

TOTAL Hours for Enroute MA 33 hours

Students who have already earned a graduate degree before entering the ELPhD program or who have taken graduate courses that are relevant to the program (and for which the grade is a B or better) may be eligible to transfer in up to 9 credits for the M.A. portion of the ELPhD program of study. Any courses taken or transferred in at the 5000-level must be applied to the en-route M.A. portion of the program, unless special exception has been secured. Courses applied to the en-route M.A. must be completed within six years of enrollment.

The en-route M.A. degree may be awarded at any point during the program, given that the student:

• meets both the C&I M.A. and Ph.D. research course requirements as listed above;

• has submitted an approved Program of Study with signatures from the student's advisory committee, the Chair of C&I, and the Director of Graduate Programs;

• has satisfied all College of Graduate Studies General Degree Requirements policies; and

• has applied for graduation in accordance with the requirements of the College of Graduate Studies.

Students must apply for graduation as required in order to earn their en-route degree—it is not automatically awarded.

Once the en-route M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction has been awarded, the remaining portion of the Program of Study must include a minimum of 45–46 semester credits of appropriate graduate-level coursework consisting of research, concentration, core, and elective credits at the 6000– and 7000–level, as approved by the student's advisory committee and the Director of Graduate Programs. A minimum of 15 semester credit hours of doctoral research and dissertation is required in no fewer than two (2) semesters.

En-route Ed.S. in Curriculum & Instruction (with Curriculum concentration)

The en-route Ed.S. degree may be awarded when the student successfully completes 30 semester credit hours and must include successful completion of nine (9) credit hours of either quantitative (EDU 7420, EDU 7430, and EDU 7300) or qualitative (EDU 7010, EDU 7330, and EDU 7340) research. The Ed.S. will not be awarded without completion of these 9 research credit hours.

Enroute-Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction Course Requirements Credit Hours:

Research Requirement: Quantitative Track: EDU7420, EDU 7430 and EDU 7300 OR Qualitative Track: EDU 7010, EDU 7330 and EDU 7340 9 hours

Advisor Guided Electives 21 hours

TOTAL Hours for Enroute 30 hours

Students who have already earned a graduate degree before entering the ELPhD program or who have taken graduate courses that are relevant to the program (and for which the grade is a B or better) may be eligible to transfer in up to 9 credits for the en-route Ed.S. portion of the ELPhD program of study. Any courses taken or transferred in at the 5000-level must be applied to the en-route Ed.S. portion of the program, unless special exception has been secured. Courses applied to the en-route Ed.S. must be completed within six years of enrollment.

The en-route Ed.S. degree may be awarded at any point during the program, given that the student:

• meets both the C&I Ed.S. and Ph.D. research course requirements as listed above;

• has submitted an approved Program of Study with signatures from the student's advisory committee, the Chair of C&I, and the Director of Graduate Programs;

• has satisfied all College of Graduate Studies General Degree Requirements policies; and

• has applied for graduation in accordance with the requirements of the College of Graduate Studies. Students must apply for graduation as required in order to earn their en-route degree—it is not automatically awarded.

Once the en-route Ed.S. in Curriculum & Instruction has been awarded, the remaining portion of the Program of Study must include a minimum of 48–49 semester credits of appropriate graduate-level coursework consisting of research, concentration, core, and elective credits at the 6000– and 7000–level, as approved by the student's advisory committee and the Director of Graduate Programs. A minimum of 15 semester credit hours of doctoral research and dissertation is required in no fewer than two (2) semesters.

Note: Only students admitted to the ELPhD program are permitted to enroll in these courses.

Curriculum

The Exceptional Learning Ph.D. requires 78-79 credit hours and is organized into three core areas: Core Knowledge, Research Knowledge, and Concentration Knowledge.

Credit hours are classified as follows:

• Core Coursework 13

• Core Concentration Coursework 23-24

• Advisor Guided Electives 6-7

• Research Coursework 21

• Dissertation 15+

• Total Degree Requirements 78-7