Ed. S. and Ed. D. in Teaching and Learning: Disability and Equity in Education: What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career

An Ed.S. or Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning with a major in Disability and Equity in Education is a doctoral-level degree that aims to influence, across various educational settings, communities, institutions, and policies, how disability is understood, represented, and designed for. In PK-12 schools, higher education, community settings, and public policy, Disability and Equity in Education is a major in the Ed.S. and Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning offered by National Louis University's National College of Education.

What Is an Ed. S. or Ed. D. in Disability and Equity in Education?

Teaching and Learning: Disability and Equity in Education. The Disability and Equity in Education major is designed for professionals who work with people with disabilities and their families to create the conditions for their meaningful engagement in education and society. The coursework focuses on Disability Studies as an academic field, examining disability as a dimension of human diversity and social identity. The major is not centered on remediating or providing accommodations for individuals with disabilities; rather, it focuses on how environments can be designed to support their participation.

The Disability and Equity in Education major is one of several within the shared doctoral degree structure of the Ed.S. and Ed.D. in Teaching and Learning at the National College of Education of National Louis University. Other majors in the Teaching and Learning program include: Curriculum, Advocacy and Policy, Reading, Language and Literacy, and Linguistic Diversity and Equity. There are several ways to proceed within this doctoral degree structure: you can complete a single major in Teaching and Learning, or you can complete two majors in Teaching and Learning, that is, a double major in two different majors.

Why Pursue This Degree?

This program is most suited to special education teachers, people working in disability services in higher education, and administrators, as well as people working in community-based organizations and in public policy who want to effect change in how disability is addressed in schools and organizations. The focus here is on creating schools and organizations that are more inclusive and on designing policies that include people with disabilities, rather than just implementing individual supports within the existing special education system.

In addition, professionals who work in higher education disability services, community-based organizations for people with disabilities, or public policy might want to pursue this degree in order to have the research skills associated with the doctoral degree, as well as the specific Disability-Rights orientation of this degree as opposed to the general Special Education degree or clinically focused Doctoral degree.

I went through similar experiences and am trying to use my experiences to effect change in how children and adults with disabilities are served and to seek change in how society views people with disabilities. This doctoral program seeks to challenge ways of thinking and views of people with disabilities, and to influence societal and practice-based views embedded in education and organizations.

Key Questions About This Degree

Is this the same as a special education licensure program?

This program does not lead to special education licensure. Those interested in becoming teachers of students with special needs will instead look to M.A.T. programs in special education. The degree described here is intended for people who are currently working in a setting and are already educated in that setting. They are seeking a higher level of education in the study of issues affecting people with disabilities to become advocates for them in that setting.

What does a "social model" of disability mean?

This is what the social model of disability means. Students in programs like NLU's program study how disability is created by how society organizes itself to meet the needs of people with disabilities. That means that instead of focusing on ways to change or remediate individuals with disabilities, students in these programs focus on creating environments and systems that are more inclusive of individuals with disabilities.

What settings can graduates work in?

The Education Doctorate program is for those who can work in a variety of environments and apply a Disability-Equity lens across contexts, including PK-12 schools, higher education, community-based organizations, and public policy.

Can I combine this major with another specialization?

Programs structured on a shared foundation across multiple majors offer students the opportunity to pursue a double major. For example, students can combine Disability and Equity in Education with Curriculum, Advocacy, and Policy. Students in such programs take the required courses for their two majors, as well as the shared foundation and research-based courses.

How long does the program take?

The duration of time it takes to complete a doctoral degree varies depending on a few factors. Students can complete the Ed.S. degree and then continue to the Ed.D., or complete a single major rather than a double major. The majority of students in the Teaching and Learning doctoral program are working professionals who attend class part-time. As a result, the typical time to completion for students in the doctoral program is between three and six years.

Career Outcomes

Possible Career Paths for Graduates of this Degree Program. Many students who earn a doctoral degree in disability studies go on to work as leaders in special education, in offices that serve students with disabilities at the postsecondary level, in non-profits and advocacy organizations, and in policy roles that seek to promote the rights of people with disabilities and to make environments and systems accessible and usable by everyone. Some go on to academic careers, teaching and conducting research about issues in disability studies and inclusive education.

As the BLS notes, special education directors and administrators, and postsecondary education administrators, are expected to experience employment growth or remain stable in employment growth and wages between 2020 and 2030. More specific data for both of these jobs are available in the BLS’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, in the section on Postsecondary Education Administrators.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, Postsecondary Education Administrators.

New roles in accessibility, inclusion, and compliance are emerging in a growing number of institutions and workplaces, and graduates of the program will be well prepared for these types of roles as well as for more traditional leadership roles in special education in K-12 settings, in higher education, in non-profits, and in policy roles.

Graduates will also have a career path in consulting and training, helping school districts, universities, and other organizations review their practices and develop policies to ensure full accessibility and inclusion for all individuals. The work of these disability rights experts in education will continue to grow as disability rights in education receive increasing legal and regulatory attention.

Disability and Equity in Education at National Louis University

National Louis University, through its National College of Education, is offering the Disability and Equity in Education major within the Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs in Teaching and Learning. This program is designed to effect change within institutions and on a social level by understanding, representing, and designing for people with disabilities. People with disabilities and their families will be studied and engaged in the collaborative process from a disability- rights perspective.