Special Education, M.Ed.

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Degree Requirements

The department offers a M.Ed. in Special Education in the area of General Curriculum.

Admission to the program requires an applicant to:

Complete requirements for a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
Present a cumulative 3.0 (4.0 scale) grade point average or higher on all undergraduate work.
Present a current renewable certificate in Special Education.

The M.Ed. in Special Education - General Curriculum is a 30 hour program with 24 hours in the special education core and 6 hours of electives. For those students who do not have a degree in special education but do have a clear, renewable, professional teaching certificate in special education, the program consists of 30 credit hours in Special Education and 6 hours of prerequisite courses. Courses meet the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards - Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood and the Council for Exceptional Children standards.

For candidates who have a Bachelor’s in Special Education:

Special Education Core (24 credit hours)

EDRS 6301 - Introduction to Research in the Human Sciences 3 Credit Hours
SPED 6721 - Professional Seminar 3 Credit Hours
CURR 6575 - Curriculum Trends and Issues 3 Credit Hours
SPED 7721 - Assessment in Special Education 3 Credit Hours
SPED 7705 - Urban and Multicultural Issues in Special Education 3 Credit Hours
SPED 7724 - Collaboration and Inclusion 3 Credit Hours
SPED 7765 - Advanced Differentiated Instruction 3 Credit Hours
* SPED 7767 - Strategies for Challenging Behaviors 3 Credit Hours
SPED 6795 - Comprehensive Exam for the Master of Education: Special Education 0 Credit Hours

Electives (6 credit hours total)

* SPED 7716 - Autism: Theories and Characteristics 3 Credit Hours
* SPED 7726 - Autism: Collaboration and Instruction 3 Credit Hours
Other 6000/7000 level classes with permission of advisor

*Three classes make up the autism endorsement (ASD)

Candidates who do NOT have a Bachelor’s in Special Education will need to take the following two classes as electives in their FIRST semester:

Prerequisites:

SPED 6709 - Regulations and Requirements in Special Education 3 Credit Hours
SPED 6715 - Educational Characteristics of Learners: Mild Disabilities 3 Credit Hours