Scholarship Opportunities

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Leaders for Transition Program

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.

About the Program

At their home universities, 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

Download the Program Flyer (.pdf)

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.

Application links are below:

University of Arkansas

Graduate School Application

University of Oklahoma

Graduate School Application

For more information, please contact the Project Leads:

Suzanne Kucharczyk, Ed.D.

suzannek@uark.edu

University of Arkansas

Kendra Williams-Diehm, Ph.D.

klwd@ou.edu

University of Oklahoma

TRAIN Scholars Program

The TRAIN Scholars Project, a collaborative partnership between the University of Oklahoma and Texas A&M University, aims to develop competencies necessary to engage in rigorous applied research to advance the field of special education transition. TRAIN Scholars will leave their doctoral programming ready to:

fill higher education programs with highly qualified PhDs with expertise in special education, transition, and inclusive education;
prepare educators (i.e., pre- and in-service teachers) to instruct and provide services to children with high-needs disabilities; and
improve post-school outcomes of individuals with high-needs disabilities.

TRAIN Scholars will receive the following funding:

$30,000/year stipend
All tuition and benefits paid
$2,000/year conference travel
Technology (laptop, software, computer accessories)

Application Process:

Applications are due February 1, 2022. Review of applications begins January 15, 2022.

Complete the online application: https://gograd.ou.edu/apply/

Additional Information:

Full-time on-campus doctoral studies begin Summer 2022. The program does not require the GRE.

Zarrow Transition Scholars

Admitted Scholars will obtain a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in secondary transition education -OR- a Master of Social Work degree with an emphasis in secondary transition and special education. The core sequence of coursework for both programs will allow Scholars to obtain graduate certification in Secondary Transition Education and Strategies for Diverse Adolescents.

A cohort of 10 transition and social work Scholars will be admitted in 2022 and an additional cohort of Scholars will be admitted in 2023. Financial support will be provided to assist with costs associated with both degree programs. Additional funds will also be provided to assist scholars in attending national transition conferences.

Application Process:

Applications are due February 1 with a fall admission date.

Complete the online application: https://gograd.ou.edu/apply/

Additional Information:

Neither program requires the GRE. A minimum 3.0 GPA on last conferred degree is required. Be prepared to provide the contact information for at least three letters of recommendation.

Special Education:

Dr. Kendra Williams-Diehm
zarrowinstitute@ou.edu
(405) 325-8951

Social Work:

Dr. Christina Miller
cmiller@ou.edu
(405) 325-8031