Doctoral Training in Early Childhood Special Education
The Department of Special Education's program on early childhood special education at Vanderbilt University has received federal funds to prepare individuals at the doctoral level to conduct research and provide academic leadership relating to young children with disabilities and their families. The program is designed for individuals with an interest in academic careers relating to early childhood special education.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the program's goal is to train future researchers in an interdisciplinary environment emphasizing the study of young children with disabilities and their families. The program is for full-time students and requires between three and four years to complete.
Trainees in the ECSE Doctoral Leadership Training Program complete the doctorate program in special education at Vanderbilt University. The program draws on nationally recognized faculty in ECSE, the resources of the Department of Special Education, the John F. Kennedy Center for Research in Human Development, the VUMC Center for Child Development Research, and partnerships with key early childhood education and intervention sites in Nashville. Training is anchored in:
- A junior colleague training model that includes intensive mentoring by ECSE faculty
- Core content in ECSE
- Rigorous research methods training
- Research-to-practice internships
- Opportunities to learn skills needed as an academic leader including classroom teaching, teacher training and supervision, and research
- Research mentoring
- Infusion of linguistic and cultural perspectives in current research and training methods
- Grant writing
- Writing for publication
Trainees completing this program will be well prepared for roles as academic instructors in universities and colleges, for conducing innovative applied research, translating research into practice, and providing leadership in developing evidence-based programs and policies for young children with disabilities.
Program funding includes:
- Full-time study
- Full tuition for completing the doctorate degree
- A monthly stipend
- Top-off awards for minority students
Participating faculty include:
Terry Hancock, Robert Hodapp, Ann Kaiser, P.J. McWilliam, Mark Wolery, Ruth Wolery, and Paul Yoder.
For more information, contact:
Professor Ann P. Kaiser
Phone: 615-322-8160
