Master of Education in Special Education
The Graduate Studies Program in Special Education is designed to provide certified general educators with the necessary academic background to meet the educational, emotional, and social goals of the child/adolescent with special needs. Students take courses in the areas of assessment, curriculum, and behavior strategies.
Candidates who complete this program will satisfy the requirements for either elementary or secondary-level certification for children/adolescents with mild and moderate disabilities. The program can also give additional expertise to individuals who have already completed an undergraduate program and are presently special education teachers.
Program Requirements
All requirements for the master's degree must be completed within a period of five calendar years. To receive the degree, a student is required to maintain a "B" average in all work. A portfolio must also be completed to achieve certification status.
*Fulfillment of state certification requirements is the responsibility of the graduate student.
Special Education
Students who have completed an undergraduate program in special education will not follow this sequence of courses but will work out a program with their advisor, which will meet their needs and interests.
2013 Handbook
The Sequence
The courses required in the master’s program in special education leading to initial certification are listed below. All courses in each strand must be completed prior to proceeding to the next strand of courses; each strand serves as a prerequisite to the following strand.
Strand 1 EDU 823 Introduction & Characteristics of Students with Special Needs
EDU 571 Communication Disorders
EDU 608 Assessment of Individual Differences (Prerequisite EDU 823)
EDU Elective (3 credit hours)
Strand 2
EDU 606 Teaching Reading to Students with Special Needs
EDU 617 Behavior Strategies
EDU 649 Collaboration: Home/School/Community
EDU 811 Special Education for Children from Diverse Backgrounds
Strand 3
EDU 613 Vocational Programming (Secondary certification)
EDU 616 Advanced Assessment
EDU 636 Assessment/Curriculum for the Student with Mild/Moderate Disabilities in K-12 settings
Internship
EDU 630 Elementary Student Teaching Internship (Prerequisites: Strands 1,2,3)
EDU 631 Secondary Student Teaching Internship (Prerequisites: Strands 1,2,3)
Students who have completed a certification program in special education will follow this sequence of courses:
EDU 566 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: Responsibility and Liability for Schools
or
EDU 822 Introduction to Differentiated Instruction
EDU 606 Teaching Reading to Students with Special Needs
EDU 615 Medical Aspects of Children with Disabilities
EDU 616 Advanced Assessment
EDU 617 Behavior Strategies
EDU 599 Teaching Students with Autism
EDU 811 Special Education for Children from Diverse Backgrounds
EDU Elective Reading Course
EDU Electives (12 credit hours)