The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Education will offer a unique opportunity for doctoral study in special education.

Set to begin this fall, the STEP=UP Leadership Project (Special Teachers & Exceptional Pupils Equals Urban Promise) will provide full tuition and other supports towards a doctorate in special education.

Doctoral preparation will now be integrated into an ongoing project to support master's degree students as they prepare to become special educators.

"Our aim is to recruit a diverse population of highly qualified individuals interested in earning a Ph.D. and working in higher education, who also have a dedication to research and service to persons with disabilities," said Michelle Parker-Katz, clinical associate professor of special education, who co-directs the grant with Marie Tejero Hughes, associate professor of special education.

Completion of the doctoral program requires four years of part-time study (two classes a semester) and three full-time paid summer internships.

Students will choose one area of concentration: literacy and language, social and behavioral disabilities or early childhood special education. Students will work collaboratively with faculty experts in their chosen specialty.

Mentoring from scholars at UIC and other universities, monthly seminars and summer institutes, and support for travel and conference presentations round out the support provided to the doctoral students who are selected.

Eligibility requirements and answers to frequently asked questions are at
www.uic.edu/orgs/stepup. Application deadline is June 29.

The program is supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs and the UIC College of Education department of special education.

UIC ranks among the nation's top 50 universities in federal research funding and is Chicago's largest university with 25,000 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu