Program Mission Statement
The mission of the Munroe-Meyer Institute, the Nebraska University Center on Disabilities, is to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities and their families. The Institute trains individuals and practitioners in the field of developmental disabilities through interdisciplinary educational experiences conducted at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and through outreach training and on-site technical assistance. The Institute conducts basic research in the prevention and amelioration of disabilities and conducts applied research including program evaluation and the development of model systems to be utilized in communities to enhance inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the community.
Many Allied Health providers in the disability field receive excellent applied clinical training at the professional or Master’s degree levels. They are well-prepared to work in their respective fields of health care provision in community, private agency or hospital settings. For those individuals with aspirations for teaching or research careers and/or employment in Academic Health Science Centers, however, training in the professions is incomplete. Education and skills development of research capacity are requisites for success in academic health careers. Knowledge and experience in research design, data collection, data analysis, publication requirements, and grantsmanship are all skills that need to be acquired and inculcated by individuals wishing to teach and/or conduct research at the university level.
The mission of our doctoral program in the Munroe-Meyer Institute is to provide our students with motivation that promotes continual self-improvement and development and independent study, investigation, and research skills in applied behavior analysis that will prepare them for prominent leadership positions in academic, clinical, and research arenas.
Program Objectives
Upon completion of the requirements of this PhD program, students will be able to:
- Translate and explain the philosophy, history, and basic principles of behavior analysis in terms that are understood by lay persons;
- Integrate basic and applied principles of learning and behavior to develop innovative and effective behavioral interventions for children with behavior disorders;
- Conduct clinical and translational research on applied problems of social importance using both single-case and group-comparison designs;
- Integrate systematic, data-based methods into the delivery of clinical services in ways that continually improve clinical outcomes;
- Disseminate findings from the latest research in ways that facilitate the implementation of research-based practices in routine clinical and educational settings that serve children.