Special Education M.S.: Specialization for Special Education Teachers
Program Rationale:
This program is designed for students who already hold a certification in special education. In this specialization students take course work designed to broaden and/or deepen their knowledge of the field. The curriculum for this program is aligned with the standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
Program Learning Outcomes:
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of foundational issues in special education and their impact on the field.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the development and characteristics of learners, individual learning differences, and appropriate instructional strategies.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze multiple forms of standardized and curriculum-based assessments and use that information for a variety of educational decisions.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to use their knowledge of general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for students with exceptional learning needs.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to select, adopt, and use instructional strategies to promote learning and to modify learning environments for students with exceptional learning needs.
- Students will promote professional, ethical, and collaborative practices in the field of special education.
Requirements
Professional Education
SPED 532 | Contemporary Issues in Special Education | 1 TO 3 |
SPED 566 | Legal and Administrative Issues in Special Education | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: | 6 |
Electives
Students take 15 credits of advanced-level course work in special education. Up to 6 credits of related course work from other departments may be included at the advisor's discretion.
Research and Capstone Requirements
SPED 598 | Research in Special Education | 3 |
SPED 596 | Designing Action Research in Special Education (Plan E) | 3 |
SPED 597 | Implementing and Documenting Action Research in Special Education | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: | 9 |
SPED 596 and SPED 597: Plan E
Total Credit Hours: 30