About

The dual Doctor of Philosophy - Special Education and Juris Doctor (Ph.D. and J.D.) program prepares participants to navigate the complex legal and educational issues involved in assisting children with special needs. Prospective students must apply for and be accepted to each program individually. To graduate, students must earn between 134-143 credit hours and complete a doctoral dissertation.

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Accreditation

For information regarding accreditation at UNLV, please head over to Academic Program Accreditations.

Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete a program at BSL will be able to demonstrate:

Legal and Law-Related Knowledge
Knowledge of specific areas or aspects of substantive law, legal theory, or legal procedure
Example: Acquiring knowledge of domestic / comparative / international / transnational legal doctrine and processes, jurisprudence, knowledge of legal theory, and statutory / regulatory law and processes.
Analysis and Decision-Making
Understand and develop solutions to legal problems
Example: Analyzing, being creative or innovative, exercising practical judgment, problem solving, and reasoning.
Policy Evaluation
Draw connections between specific legal issues and policy contexts or values
Example: Understanding or evaluating specific situations in light of fundamental principles and values such as equality, fairness, liberty, justice, or analytical orientations such as economics, public safety, or public policy.
Professional Identity
Responsibilities of lawyers to their profession and society
Example: Demonstrating awareness of professional commitments to continued learning, community involvement and service, diligence, engagement, ethics, honesty, integrity, and dedication.
Writing
Written professional communication for a variety of professional purposes
Example: Creating written texts for different audiences and purposes, advocating, negotiating, analyzing, memorializing transactions, or disseminating knowledge.
Oral Communication
Using oral communication for a variety of professional purposes
Example: Advising, advocating, counseling clients, influencing, listening, presenting information, speaking for professional purposes.
Information Gathering and Processing
Obtaining and assessing information about facts, law, procedure, and people
Example: Fact finding, interviewing, researching, and sorting known information so as to identify what is important for particular purposes.
Interpersonal Perspectives
Emotionally intelligent engagement, team building, collaboration, cooperation, and leadership
Example: Seeing the world through the eyes of others, resolving conflicts, empathizing, evaluating, mentoring, organizing and managing others.
Client and Practice Management
Skills required to ethically and effectively manage ethical, professional and business aspects of the legal profession
Example: Building relationships with clients, members of the legal profession, and others, handling stress, identifying client or community needs, organizing one's own work, using technology and electronic media.

Ph.D. Program in Special Education

  • Design and implement educational research that forms the basis for evidence- based practices within the fields of special education and/or early childhood education.
  • Complete scholarly writing endeavors (e.g., publications, grants, conference proposals) with the potential to affect the quality of practice within the fields of special education and/or early childhood education.
  • Design and implement scholarly presentations designed to effect change within the fields of special education and/or early childhood education.
  • Provide high quality instruction in special education and/or early childhood education to post-secondary students.
  • Engage in scholarly dialogue related to current issues and trends within the fields of special education and/or early childhood education.

Career Possibilities

Graduates of the law school typically work as attorneys. A law degree is a prerequisite for admission to the bar in most states, and bar admission is required to engage in the practice of law. Law school graduates work in private law firms, business, government, non­profit, and academic settings.

Requirements

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Doctor of Philosophy - Special Education and Juris Doctor

Contacts

Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education

The Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education (EMS) is designed to prepare professionals for specialized services in schools, community agencies, and higher education settings. We promote and embrace the concept of cultural diversity, and we affirm our commitment to the ethical standards of our respective disciplines.

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College of Education

The College of Education creates an intellectual environment that promotes quality instruction, significant research, and professional service. With four unique departments, graduates receive the necessary tools and experiences to make an impact on local, national, and global scales.

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William S. Boyd School of Law

The William S. Boyd School of Law prepares students for the competent and ethical practice of law, offering three- and four-year programs for the Juris Doctor degree.

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