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A teacher with a student: Pursue a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) – Special Education degree at regent University.

Ed.D. – Special Education

Become a Champion in Special Education

Are you ready to lead and make a lasting difference in the underserved area of special education? Regent’s Doctor of Education in Special Education provides career development for special education teachers seeking leadership positions in special education research, practice, and policy. Here’s your chance to drive the change you want to see to best serve children, youth, and adults with high-incidence disabilities.

Online
61+
August 21, 2023
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INCREASE YOUR INFLUENCE & SALARY

Advance in leadership roles and earn a higher salary.

WIDEN YOUR JOB PROSPECTS

Enjoy rewarding opportunities in schools and communities.

MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE

Create engaging special education environments that foster learning.

Presented from a Christian worldview, this specialty degree is supported by award-winning faculty in Virginia Beach.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

On completing the Ed.D. – Special Education degree, you can:

  • Interpret data so that you can draw sound conclusions and understand ramifications.
  • Develop empirical, research-based interventions and develop tools to deter empirically unsupported yet perennially popular interventions.
  • Explore the history of special education as well as current issues and best practices.

Career Opportunities

  • Education Research
  • Education Policy
  • Education Advocacy & Consulting
  • Central Office Executive Leadership
Ranked Among National Universities U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019 & 2020
Advanced study of empirically based interventions for children with mild disabilities for academic, emotional, and social deficits. Emphasis on current best practices and practices often used but empirically unsupported as well as legal and ethical issues surrounding intervention implementation.
An advanced historical survey of the origins of special education. Focus on historical figures in special education, their theories of and interventions with people with disabilities; on the evolution of the social construction of disability; on broad legal and ethical issues related to people with disabilities; and on some current issues facing the field.
Advanced study of special education high-incidence disability categories: Learning Disabilities, Emotional and Behavioral Disturbance, and Intellectual Disabilities. Focus on the historical development of identification, including distinguishing characteristics and definitions, as well as empirically based interventions that address characteristic issues of each group.
Advanced course in understanding and executing meta-analyses in special education or other social sciences. Study of the history of meta-analysis, its major functions and limitations, and the successful completion of a meta-analysis in a social science area. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor; prior completion of core courses in statistics and research design (e.g., EFND 702 & 722 or equivalent).
Advanced study of empirically unsupported yet perennially popular interventions for children with disabilities.
Advanced study of the entire publishing process from submission to publication for both authors and editors in special education or closely related areas. Examination of publication objectives for different audiences such as refereed vs. non-refereed journals and other publication formats. Study of duties related to guest reviewing, regular reviewing, editorial board duties, responsibilities of refereed journal editors and co-editors. Guest lectures by editors of journals in special education or related social science fields focusing on single/multiple author works and responsibilities, submitting or editing special journal issues highlighting current research and practice, and copy-editing for final printing. Writing and submitting an original article to a refereed journal. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor.
Advanced review of international special education; UN Charter, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to the Salamanca Statement and the Rights of Persons with Disability, and attention to special education in the developing world.
Advanced study of the modern origins of bioethics and its relation to persons with disabilities with particular attention to genetic fetal anomalies, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

2022-23 Semester Check-In Deadlines

All new students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

SessionSemester Check-InSession Start Date
Session AFriday, August 12Monday, August 22
Session MFriday, September 9Monday, September 19
Session BFriday, October 14Monday, October 24
Session CWednesday, January 4Monday, January 9
Session TFriday, January 27Monday, February 6
Session DFriday, March 3Monday, March 13
Session EFriday, April 28Monday, May 8
Session FFriday, June 9Monday, June 19

Admissions Requirements

Step 1: Apply to Regent University

Step 2: Submit Your Unofficial College Transcripts

  • Email your unofficial college transcripts to apply@regent.edu using the subject line: Unofficial Transcripts.
  • Upon conditional acceptance, Regent University will attempt to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institution.
  • International transcripts must be evaluated by an NACES-approved company.

Step 3: Submit Your Government-Issued ID

  • Email a photo of your government-issued ID to apply@regent.edu using the subject line: Government ID.
  • Please note that all items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

Part-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Career Switcher$2506$1,500
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5656$3,390
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8003$2,400
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8003$2,400

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Career Switcher$2509$2,250
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5659$5,085
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8009$7,200
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8006$4,800

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

PART-TIME STUDENTS

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Career Switcher$2506$1,500
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5656$3,390
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8003$2,400
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8003$2,400

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Career Switcher$2509$2,250
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5659$5,085
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8009$7,200
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8006$4,800

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$800 (Fall & Spring)
$650 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$650

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

Estimated Cost of Attendance: View the estimated cost of attendance to see an example of the total cost of tuition and fees.

Advanced Standing

Students possessing an Ed.S. or equivalent may be admitted to the Ed.D. program with advanced standing after a review of their post-master’s transcript(s). Offered in a cohort model. Students may begin the program in the spring, summer or fall semesters. Courses are delivered online with some required face-to-face components. School division cohorts are also offered in varying formats.

“The Career Switcher program gave me the skills that I needed to feel comfortable stepping into my classroom and allowed for my success. I am now a first-year teacher who is thriving in an environment that applauds creativity and innovation.”

Breanna Mead, M.Ed., 2018 Career Switcher

“I was eager to fulfill a lifelong dream and make a career change to education. Regent's Career Switcher program allowed me to complete most of the training while still on active duty. I was hired immediately upon my retirement from the Air Force.”

Joe Sexton, M.Ed., 2012 Career Switcher

“A Regent education will open up doors for you. It certainly has for me.”

Roxie Godfrey, Ed.D., 2005 Teacher Educator & Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University

“My career has evolved over a short period of time because of my faith and the teacher preparation programs at Regent. The academic, spiritual and leadership guidance shared during my time at Regent gave me the foundation needed to excel in my field.”

Chonita Walker, M.Ed., 2011 Reading Specialist

“Regent's Christian education program taught me best practices in education, and the faculty inspired and challenged me to reach my full potential.”

Randy Brunk, M.Ed., 1989 Head of Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy