Leaders for Transition
Razorback-Sooner Scholars
Funding for Ph.D. in Special Education Transition Services
Leaders for Transition provides a unique, funded doctoral experience at the universities of Arkansas and Oklahoma seeking to be future assistant professors of Special Education or state/district Leaders focused on transition services for youth with disabilities and their families.
At their home university, Razorback-Sooner Scholars will:
- Complete an on campus doctoral degree in 4 years of full-time study
- Gain a graduate certificate in special education transition services
- Build understanding of the field of study through research, service, and leadership to state and nation
- File a service obligation agreement with the U.S. Department of Education acknowledging the requirement for scholars to work 2 years in the field of special education for every year of support (8 total)
Across universities, Razorback-Sooner Scholars will:
- Participate in annual summer retreats
- Attend, present, and collaborate at national conferences
- Receive support from leaders in the State, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions,and Indigenous communities
- Gain knowledge and skills in teaching, research, service, and leadership to the field
- Engage with nationally recognized faculty
- Build an individual research agenda and methodological expertise with support from faculty and scholars
Support for Razorback-Sooner Scholars
- Annual fellowship stipend for up to 4 years
- Full tuition and fees
- Annual travel support
- New laptop computer
- Mentoring and collaborative support from leaders in the field across University
- Research and publication opportunities
- Individualized living support stipend
- Additional financial support, including scholar relocation, for scholars from high-need areas
- Individualized resources for job-search
- Engagement with professional organizations, special interest groups, and mentors aligned with scholar interests
Application Process
- Choose your home university
- Apply to your home university by Feb. 1, 2024 for fall 2024 admission
- Additional fellowship opportunities may be available with earlier application deadlines. Contact University leads, below, for more information
- A competitive application will include:
- 2-3 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities
- Master’s degree with grade-point average of 3.3 or above for OU and 3.5 or above for U of A
- GRE exam with competitive scores
- Favorable letters of recommendation
- Writing sample
- We strongly encourage applications from persons with disabilities, and those from underrepresented groups in the field.
- U of A Graduate School Application
For More Information, Contact Project Leads
Suzanne Kucharczyk, Ed.D.
suzannek@uark.edu
University of Arkansas
Biography
Kendra Williams-Diehm, Ph.D.
klwd@ou.edu
University of Oklahoma
Biography
Funding
Sponsors are the University of Arkansas and the Zarrow Institute on Transition & Self-Determination at the University of Oklahoma.
Ideas That Work: A grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, #H325D230043, provides the funding for the Razorback-Sooner Leaders for Transition award. This content does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Sheedeh Hajghassemali