Early Childhood, Special Education, and Rehabilitation Counseling

The Doctor of Philosophy in Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education offers two unique options:  1) Counselor Education, Research and Policy and 2) Special Education.  The doctoral program is campus-based (not offered on-line). We have carefully designed our doctoral curriculum to meet the needs of students who are preparing for careers in rehabilitation and counselor education, research, and administration. Our students complete advanced doctoral seminars in rehabilitation counseling research, psychosocial aspects of chronic illnesses and disability, rehabilitation counseling theory, professional rehabilitation counseling issues, and rehabilitation administration and policy. In these courses, students explore a wide range of psychosocial, societal, and international perspectives on disability and rehabilitation counseling.

• Students seeking admission to the Graduate School must have obtained a baccalaureate degree, prior to the start of the term for which s/he is admitted, from a fully accredited U.S. institution of higher learning or from a recognized foreign institution. An accredited U.S. institution is one that is accredited by the appropriate regional agency (Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern or Western Association of Colleges and Schools). A recognized foreign institution is an institution that is recognized by that nation's Ministry of Education or similar authority as a postsecondary, academic degree-granting institution.
• An overall grade point average of 2.75 on undergraduate work and 3.00 on all graduate work is required by the Graduate School. Individual departments may require higher grade point averages.
• Submission of scores on the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing portions of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) unless their chosen program indicates otherwise. The Graduate School has no minimum GRE score requirement; individual programs may set specific score requirements and in some cases may require the advanced portion of the GRE.
• International applicants whose native language is not English must submit either a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score. The University of Kentucky requires a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based) or 79 (internet-based). For IELTS, a minimum mean band score of 6.5 is required. Students may also use the Duolingo English Test (only tests taken after July 15, 2019 will be accepted. The minimum score will be 115, and students recommended for admission may also be interviewed by a CESL evaluator. TOEFL essentials may also be used and the minimum overall score is 9.
• Domestic applicants (U.S. citizens or resident aliens) must pay a $65 application fee; international applicants must pay a $75 fee. The application fee is non-refundable.