Doctoral Programs in Special Education: The Nation's Supplier

Abstract

After a systematic national search, we found that 86 special education doctoral programs were active in 1999. Our search found that five programs had closed in recent years, but six new programs were in the planning process. Additional programs were identified, but they are best described as emphasis areas (possibly minor areas of concentration) administered by other departments or programs typically housed in colleges of education (e.g., educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, early childhood). Administrators of identified doctoral programs were surveyed to determine enrollment, graduate rates, program content, and means of student recruitment. Possibly some of the most revealing findings from this component of the larger Faculty Study found that: (a) most special education doctoral programs are under-enrolled, (b) doctoral students' enrollment has declined 30% over the last 20 years, and (c) programs are not highly selective. Unless deliberate actions are taken, the supply from special education doctoral programs will not increase and the demand for leadership personnel, particularly for faculty who work in academe, will not be met.