Why ESE at Barry?

Special Education is a continuously growing field, due to a variety of causes (e.g., inclusion and acceptance of persons with disabilities in general schools and society, advances and improvement of ESE areas), which have affected the increasing need for leaders in ESE, including but not limited to faculty professors and researchers. The ESE Ph.D. specialization at Barry prepares future leaders by balancing theory, research and practice throughout the curriculum. The program has the unique ability to give students the experience of acquiring these skills in a small, caring and compact university. Although the program follows a non-categorical approach in special education, students have the opportunity to develop expertise in one category of exceptionality (i.e, MH, SLD, EH, Gifted) by completing the seminar and the elective courses in their area of expertise, as well as the dissertation. The program also allows graduates to become certified in Educational Leadership while specializing in ESE.