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Online PhD in Special Education Leadership

A doctorate in the emerging field of Special Education Leadership will afford the candidate an opportunity to further the goals of Special Education at the graduate level. As a leader in their field, a graduate from this program will help to shape Special Education goals at both the graduate and post graduate level as well as within the ranks of school administrations. Graduates of this program will be able to advocate for students with special needs.

Online PhD in Special Education Leadership Requirements

The candidate should possess some basic skills in their field to pursue an online PhD in Special Education Leadership. Such skills include successful teaching experience, usually 3 years, strong academic writing and communication skills and a work ethic commensurate with pursing many more hours of education. The unique qualities of an individual pursuing a program in Special Education Leadership reflect the field itself. An individual needs extra compassion and patience when dealing with the special needs of students who fall within this category. The student seeking a doctorate from an accredited online doctoral program in Special Education Leadership must be driven to help define and implement any goals related to furthering the field as a whole. An emerging leader will be able to refine the skills they already possess to aid in this process. 

The prerequisites for the program in Special Education Leadership vary from university to university. A candidate usually needs to possess a Master’s degree, although some schools have programs that begin as a Masters degree and lead into a doctorate. The Master’s degree needs to be in some area of Education or Special Education. Some schools accept a Fifth Year Certification in lieu of a Master’s degree. Some accredited universities have a more rigorous screening process for their candidates involving letters of recommendation and an interview process. 

Some candidates may have prior work experience within the classroom ranging from Pre-K, K-12, or Pre-K and K-12 Special Needs. Typically the student will have been a classroom teacher as this is a prerequisite for any educational masters program.

Online PhD in Special Education Leadership Education

The best online PhD degrees in Special Education Leadership usually take 3-4 years to complete. Students will be required to complete 60-65 hours of coursework, submit academic documents, conduct research in the field of education and complete a dissertation. There may also be a component of field work involved.

Information on Special Education Leadership Courses

The concentration of Special Education Leadership can range from a 12-15 credit hour specialization. The courses that would be highlighted for the Special Education Leadership certificate include but are not limited to the following:

• The Inclusive Classroom
  Students will be introduced to inclusive strategies for students with disabilities within the general education classroom, such as adapting curriculum, evaluating students with disabilities and designing procedures.
• Leadership in Special Education Administration
  This course will illustrate leadership issues as they are applied to Special Education Administration while exploring the challenges faced by administering services to special education students through case study examination.
• Legal Issues and Special Populations
  The doctoral candidate will examine the impact of legislation and litigation on special populations by exploring IDEA and Section 504. Students will discuss trends in special education by studying landmark court cases about disability as well as examine policies and procedures as they relate to the needs of special education students.
• Managing Resources for Special Education Programs
  This course will examine development and delivery of special education programs for exceptional learners. Candidates will discuss implementing IEP’s via Universal Design, student outcome documentation, how to properly allocate both financial and human recourses as well as resource management, supervision and evaluation.
• Creating a Collaborative Culture
  This comprehensive leadership course will further develop leaders’ skills to organize and develop collaborative environments which support exceptional and general learners. Students will explore diversity in education while refining effective communication skills to help create teams within the school, family partnerships, school wide change initiatives, dispute resolution techniques while supporting a collaborative school environment.
• The Achievement Gap
  Students will examine the issues facing the exceptional learner as they relate to instructional outcomes and achievement, focusing on the gap between learners of different abilities. Gaining skills to help support the narrowing of that gap, students will continue to develop their role as leaders.

Specializations and Concentrations

An online doctorate in Special Education Leadership is typically offered as a minor in a comprehensive doctoral program in the field of Education. Course work would include research methodology specific to the Special Education as well as current issues that Special Education faces. A doctoral candidate could then concentrate on a minor in Special Education Leadership focusing on the aforementioned coursework and eventual doctoral dissertation. A student particularly interested in making changes or leading in the field of Special Education would be an appropriate candidate for an online Special Education Leadership Doctorate.

Careers in Special Education Leadership

Careers in Special Education Leadership can vary, but typically there is a finite list of occupations available. For general purposes, assume that the graduate will either teach or be an administrator. Within those two classifications there are a multitude of areas a special education leader graduate could find themselves and the wages and compensations vary dramatically based on level of experience and other factors such as funding.

• Professor
  Graduates with online doctorate degrees in Special Education Leadership can teach at the post-secondary level. These individuals teach courses pertaining to education, specifically special education and implementation of policy. This can include both teachers who primarily teach and those who do a combination of both teaching and research. Professors can expect to make between $30,840 to $99, 470 annually, with the median being $58, 300.
• Special Education Teacher, Elementary and Secondary Schools
  Graduates can return to the field of Special Education as a teacher either in the classroom in a traditional school or as an educational support services member with their online doctorate in Special Education Leadership. Other opportunities for Special Education Teachers are available at the local government level or at in-residence facilities for Mental Retardation, Mental Health or Substance Abuse. Job growth for special education teachers are expected be excellent in this field according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The salaries range from $35, 840-$83, 590 annually with the median being: $52, 900.
• Administrator, Preschool or Childcare
  A Special Education Leadership doctorate will enable a graduate to take on a role as administrator in the preschool or childcare setting. While the pay is not quite as high as in other areas of administration, the job prospects are good. A candidate could find themselves earning between $26,250 and $80530 with the median being $41, 060
• Administrator, Elementary or Secondary
  A candidate holding a PhD in Special Education Leadership could pursue school administration. Administrators provide instructional leadership and an individual holding this specialized degree may be able to define their own role at this level. According to the Department of Labor Statistics, job opportunities are growing due to a large number of expected retirements in the next few years. Salaries range from $56,690-$124, 820 with a median salary of $85,220.
• Administrator, Post Secondary
  A Special Education candidate may find themselves with a position at the post secondary level as services for exceptional learners become more necessary. The salaries for this position would range from $46,310 -$162, 170 with the median being $82,800.
• Administrator, Other
  There are other institutions where an online doctorate in special education leadership would be prized. The US Department of Education employees special education directors who oversee the day-to-day management, coordination and administration of OSEP programs and personnel, insuring compliance with laws and statues. Salaries range from $119,000-$179,000 annually.

Leaders in the field of education will find that completing top online doctorate programs in Special Education Leadership will play a more crucial role in the development and execution of changes within the field for Exceptional Learners. Their passion for Special Education can be cultivated to help facilitate a growth in the field. Their online special education leadership PhD will be the vehicle to achieve such growth.