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Jul 17, 2026
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2026-2027 Graduate & Professional Studies Catalog
Special Education, EdD
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Our EdD in Special Education major prepares leadership personnel to serve in public or private pre-K-12 schools or educational environments and services.
The EdD in Special Education major develops your knowledge and skills in leadership, collaboration, management, administration, supervision, pre-service and in-service education, program evaluation, community relations, and recruitment.
Students may focus their studies in applied behavioral analysis; autism; blindness, vision impairment, or orientation and mobility; early intervention; emotional and behavioral disorders; or learning disabilities.
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EdD Curriculum
The EdD program is a three-year 76-credit program. Students are required to transfer 24 credits of relevant graduate work into the EdD program. The EdD curriculum is delivered in several stages, through a variety methods:
- Orientation: The EdD cohort participates in a virtual orientation in the spring (typically April) before the summer start of the program. Incoming students meet program faculty, current students/alumni, receive an overview of EdD program, participate in cohort-building activities and get an introduction to the summer “on-ramp” courses.
- Intensive on-ramp: The EdD cohort will participate in the first-year summer “on-ramp” courses which consist of three in-person Saturdays and a full-week, on-campus experience. The on-ramp consists of two courses— Foundations 1 and Practitioner Inquiry 1 — to give new students an immersive introduction to doctoral study, cohort collaborations, and program content. The one-week in-person experience typically takes place in June.
- Hybrid seminars: After the first summer on-ramp, students experience a hybrid learning model of education. Each semester courses are largely conducted asynchronously online which is supported through a once a month flipped classroom experience that takes place in-person (typically on Saturdays) on the Pittsburgh campus. Attendance at in-person, on campus sessions is required.
SCHEDULE (all courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted)
Foundation Courses: 12 Credits
Practitioner Inquiry Courses: 12 credits
Supervised Practitioner Inquiry: 3 credits
Dissertation-in-Practice Overview: 3 credits
Guidance In Scholarly Practice: 10 credits
Special Education Academic Major Courses (12 credits)
Transfer credits (24 credits)
Total Credits: 76
79 credits needed for students pursuing Special Education Supervisor Certificate.
Optional internship for Supervisor of Special Education certification (3 credits for 79 credits total)
Students wishing to complete the Supervisor of Special Education Certificate must meet the admission requirements for the certificate, make sure the program is declared, and complete one of these following courses for 3 credits.
Graduation Requirements
- 3.0 cumulative Pitt graduate GPA
- Successful completion of required courses
- Completion of written dissertation in practice and defense
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