Special Education
About the Department
With so many programs with such an enormous impact, it made sense for these programs to evolve into their own Department, a development that became official September 1, 2021. Now these experts in multiple facets of special education can collaborate and educate even more effectively.
The Department of Special Education prepares special education leaders who ensure individuals with disabilities and their families are provided equal access to services and education. The Department also houses two renowned research centers, The Burkhart Center for Autism Education & Research, and The Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities
Special Education is currently serving under the leadership of Department Chair Dr.
Joseph Claudet.
Contact Us
L.J. Gould, Ed.D.Admissions CoordinatorOffice of Graduate Admissions & Enrollmentspecialeducationinquiries.educ@ttu.edu806-834-4224
Claudet, Joseph, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Department ChairSpecial Educationjoe.claudet@ttu.edu 806-834-1076
Welcome Letter from the Department Chair
April 2, 2025
Dear Special Education Leaders,
Welcome to the TTU Special Education Department and thank you for inquiring about graduate study opportunities in Special Education at Texas Tech University. All of us in the Special Education (SPED) Department in the TTU College of Education are delighted that you are interested in learning more about our diverse catalog of master’s (MEd) program concentration areas and doctoral (PhD) program tracks and related professional certifications and graduate certificates.
Please be aware that our Special Education master’s program concentration areas and doctoral program tracks are highly specialized graduate degree programs, with each of these graduate program areas including a number of program-specific minimum eligibility criteria and other application requirements.
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the homepage of individual SPED program areas to download and review each program’s application handbook. Each SPED program application handbook provides a detailed description of the program along with the program's minimum eligibility requirements and a list of materials that must be included as part of a formal application for consideration for admission to the program.
Prospective applicants are also encouraged to contact directly the relevant Faculty Program Coordinators of individual Special Education Graduate Programs to obtain additional information about specific SPED master’s program concentration areas, doctoral program tracks, and graduate certificates and to have any questions you may have addressed by knowledgeable program faculty.
For your easy reference, below are the names and TTU email addresses of current Faculty Program Coordinators for each Special Education Graduate Program Area:
| Applied Behavior Analysis | Dr. Jennifer Hamrick | jennifer.hamrick@ttu.edu |
| Autism | Dr. Devender Banda | devender.banda@ttu.edu |
| Educational Diagnostician / Generic Special Education-Supervision | Dr. Janna Brendle | janna.brendle@ttu.edu |
| Dr. Robin Lock | robin.lock@ttu.edu | |
| Deaf Blind | Dr. Phoebe Okungu | phoebe.okungu@ttu.edu |
| Orientation and Mobility | Dr. Nora Griffin-Shirley | n.griffin-shirley@ttu.edu |
| Visual Impairment | Dr. Rona Pogrund | rona.pogrund@ttu.edu |
We certainly encourage interested individuals to review our many outstanding graduate program offerings through visiting our SPED program websites and contacting the relevant faculty program coordinators to learn more about these exciting programs.
Joseph G. Claudet, Ph.D.
Chair, Special Education Department - Texas Tech University
Master’s Degrees
- M.Ed. in Special Education with a Concentration in Educational Diagnostician
- M.Ed. in Special Education with a Concentration in Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- M.Ed. in Special Education with a Concentration in Autism
- M.Ed. in Special Education with a Concentration in Deafblindness
- M.Ed. in Special Education with a Concentration in Generic Special Education-Supervision
- M.Ed. in Special Education with a Concentration in Orientation and Mobility
- M.Ed. in Special Education with a Concentration in Visual Impairment
- M.Ed. in Special Education with a Concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis - Online
Doctoral Degrees
Certificates & Certifications
The College of Education offers two types of non-degree programs: professional certification, necessary to be licensed and/or practice at an advanced level in your chosen career and Graduate Certificates, which provide an additional credential in your field of study but do not necessarily lead to licensure. Graduate Certificates can also be used as an introduction into your chosen master's degree program.
Certification options in the Department of Special Education include:
- Autism
- Deafblindness
- Educational Diagnostician
- Sensory Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Orientation & Mobility
- Visual Impairments
Faculty
Departmental Highlights
Research
Dr. Nora Griffin-Shirley is working with colleagues to complete a manuscript for submittal titled: A Survey of Orientation and Mobility Specialist’s Practice of Remote Instruction During COVID-19.
Faculty and staff of Project TEDD are developing a paper about best practices in assessment and intervention for students with dual diagnosis. This project is an overview of what is currently available as well as future considerations for identification and treatment.
News
May 14, 2021
Seven agencies participated in a leadership program for provider organizations serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
January 19, 2021
The training was provided through the Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities.
College of Education
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Address
Texas Tech University, College of Education, 3002 18th Street Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
(806) 742-2377 -
Email
educ.webmaster@ttu.edu