Doctoral Program

About the Program

The Doctor of Philosophy program was created for outstanding educators who exhibit unusual ability and talent. Applications to the program are evaluated on the basis of their past performance in undergraduate and graduate education, experience, test scores, and career goals. The Doctor of Philosophy program is intended for persons who wish to become researchers, state department consultants, authors, university professors, and creative contributors in the field of education of the gifted and talented and enrichment education. Students accepted into this program are continually involved in research and service projects that focus on problem finding and creative problem solving. Each student's advisor assumes the role of mentor and facilitates the development of professional skills associated with creative productivity within the university community.

Doctoral students are required to complete a residency of approximately three years. The doctoral program cannot be completed through summer residency. Individual programs of study vary and are determined by personal interests, goals, and research ideas. Doctoral students ordinarily include in their plan of study a sequence of courses in research design. These courses help to provide the skills necessary for advanced level research and the preparation of a doctoral dissertation.

Doctoral students are expected to design and complete a dissertation that will be a significant contribution to the body of knowledge relating to this field of special education. Encouragement is given to explore possible dissertation topics early in the program and to integrate as much as possible the course work, internship and teaching experiences, and research responsibilities of the doctoral students.

Additional courses generally taken by doctoral students include:

EPSY 309:   Quantitative Methods in Research I
EPSY 313:   Quantitative Methods in Research II
EPSY 342:   Educational Tests and Measurements
EPSY 346:   Multivariate Analysis in Educational Research
EPSY 441:   Methods and Techniques of Educational Research
EPSY 460:   Doctoral Practicum
EPSY 499:   Dissertation Preparation
EDCI 365:   Qualitative Methods of Educational Research
EDCI 455:   Research in Curriculum
GRAD 499:   Dissertation Preparation

Doctoral students are also required to select a related area of specialization outside of our program to broaden their expertise and increase future employment opportunities. All related areas should be selected with individual backgrounds and interests in mind. This decision should be made with the student's advisory committee and related areas should be identified during the first year of the doctoral residency.

Academic advisors

Sally M. Reis E. Jean Gubbins Del Siegle M. Katherine Gavin Catherine Little

Financial Aid

Types of Financial Aid
Two general types of financial aid are available: (1) aid based on academic merit and "fit" with the goals of the academic program, and (2) aid based on demonstrated financial need. The student is advised to apply for both types of financial aid.

• Academic Merit
  Awards based on academic merit include: Graduate Assistantships (for teaching or research), University Predoctoral Fellowships, Dissertation Fellowships, and Summer Fellowships. Click here for graduate catalog www.grad.uconn.edu. Assistantships, fellowships, and other awards from University sources are used in combination with need-based aid to calculate final financial aid amounts offered either for a semester or an academic year. Application for merit aid should be made directly to the academic department. New applicants for admission to the Graduate School should apply as early as possible and not later than the deadline imposed by the appropriate academic department. Our department application deadline is February 1st. We review applications throughout the year.

• General Need-Based Financial Aid
  United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States may apply for need-based financial aid, which includes Federal Stafford Loans (FSL), Federal Work-Study (FWS), and University of Connecticut tuition remission grants. The required application materials are


1. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA. With Internet access, you can file a FAFSA on the Web (or Renewable FAFSA, if you still reside at your previous year's address) at: www.fafsa.ed.gov
2. A paper Financial Aid Transcript (FAT) for students who attended another college or university in the semester prior to enrolling at the University of Connecticut, whether or not financial aid was received.
Forms may be obtained by contacting the Office of Student Financial Aid Services, 233 Glenbrook Road, Unit 4116, Storrs, CT 06269-4116, or by calling 860-486-2819. For more information you can access the student financial aid web site at: www.financialaid.uconn.edu

Deadlines
Need-based financial aid deadlines are March 1 each year for continuing graduate students and May 1 for entering University of Connecticut graduate students.

Aid for International Students
Before their admission is complete and a student visa can be issued, non-immigrant international students must present documentation of their ability to meet all expenses for at least the first year of study, together with an acceptable plan for financing the remainder of their program. International applications are not eligible for need-based financial aid.

University Scholarships providing tuition and the general University fee, are available to a small number of international students who are sponsored by certain organizations (e.g., ATLAS and LASPAU) recognized by the Graduate School as being devoted to the promotion of advanced education programs and with which the University has a standing agreement.