2026-2027 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

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Special Education M.S.: Specialization in Inclusion and Transition

Program Rationale:

The Master of Science in Special Education: Specialization in Inclusion and Transition is designed to prepare general education teachers or candidates with an earned bachelors degree in a related area of study (eg., Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Human Services, Disability, and related disciplines) to gain the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions to develop effective teaching and learning environments for individuals with disabilities in K-12 educational settings and/or transition planning. Completion of this program does not lead to a cross endorsements in special education. The curriculum for this program is aligned with the standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).

Program Learning Outcomes:

  1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of foundational issues in special education and their impact on the field.
  2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the development and characteristics of learners, individual learning differences, and appropriate instructional strategies.
  3. 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.
  4. Students will demonstrate the ability to use their knowledge of general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for students with exceptional learning needs.
  5. 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.
  6. Students will promote professional, ethical, and collaborative practices in the field of special education.


Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements:

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Applicants must also have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.70 on a 4.00 point scale (where A is 4.00) or its equivalent, and good standing (3.00 GPA) in all post-baccalaureate course work.

The admissions application, application fee, and official transcripts from each college and university attended (except Central Connecticut State University) must be submitted to the Graduate Recruitment and Admissions Office.

Contact: 860-832-2400

Requirements

Admitted students are required to have taken SPED 315 Introduction of Educating Learners with Exceptionalities, SPED 501 Education of Exceptional Learner (3 credits), or an equivalent course before beginning the program.

*Course Requirements for eligibility for Official Certificate Program in Transition Planning (16-18 credits) include SPED 503, SPED 527, SPED 541, SPED 566, CNSL 522, and CNSL 560.

Professional Requirements

SPED 532Contemporary Issues in Special Education

3
SPED 566Legal and Administrative Issues in Special Education

3

Specialization Required Courses

SPED 503Evidence-Based Practices for Diverse Learners

3

Specialization Electives - Choice Block I (Choose 9 credits)

SPED 514/SPED 414Behavioral Assessment

3
SPED 515/SPED 415Assessment in Special Education

3
SPED 516/SPED 416Instructional Programming for Students with Exceptionalities

3
SPED 537Executive Function, ADHD, and Learning

3
SPED 541Person-Centered Planning and Transition

3

Specialization Electives - Choice Block II (Choose 6 credits)

SPED 517/SPED 417Special Education Methods in Teaching Reading (K-12)

3
SPED 518Special Education Methods in Teaching Writing (K-12)

3
SPED 519/SPED 419Special Education Methods in Content Area Instruction (K-12)

3
SPED 536Autism Spectrum Disorder

3
SPED 581Assistive Technology in Special Education

3
CNSL 522Appraisal Procedures in Counseling

3
CNSL 560Introduction to Rehabilitation Counseling

3

Transition Specialist Official Certificate Program requires : SPED 527, SPED 541, SPED 566, CNSL 522, and CNSL 560.

SPED 514, SPED 515, SPED 516, SPED 517, SPED 518, SPED 519 also can count toward state requirements for teacher certification in Special Education.

Program Prerequisites

SPED 315Introduction to Educating Learners with Exceptionalities

3
or
SPED 501Education of the Exceptional Learner

3

Research and Capstone Requirements

SPED 597Culminating Project I

3
SPED 598Culminating Project II

3

SPED 596 and SPED 597: Plan E

Total Credit Hours: 30