UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Special education faculty members are in high demand nationwide, and Penn State’s College of Education is providing the training and financial resources to qualified individuals to succeed in that field.
For the second year, Penn State is offering scholarships supporting doctoral-level study to become special education faculty members. The program in the College of Education, called Training in the Professoriate for Special Education (TIPS), includes a $20,000 scholarship and other financial support.
The goal of TIPS is to produce highly trained and prepared individuals with the necessary research knowledge and teaching skills to be successful professors in special education.
“TIPS provides strong students access to a nationally recognized doctoral program in special education,” said David Lee, professor of special education and program co-director. “These faculty members provide the infrastructure for research and teacher training in special education. This infrastructure is key in providing effective services for children with disabilities.”
Participants will earn their doctorate in special education. To be eligible, individuals must have at least two years of full-time service in special education or a closely related field, and plan to seek a faculty position in an institution of higher education after graduation.
TIPS is a federally funded program that provides financial and academic support to full-time doctoral students in special education at Penn State.
“Often times working professionals can't leave their jobs for financial reasons,” said Lee. “TIPS makes it possible for professionals with teaching experience to come back for advanced-level training.”
Lee and Paul Riccomini, the co-director of the program and associate professor of special education, are products of doctoral scholarship programs similar to TIPS.
Applications currently are being accepted for the upcoming program, which begins in fall 2015. For more information, contact Lee at davidlee@psu.edu or Riccomini at pjr146@psu.edu. For more information, visit the TIPS website.