Special Education M.Ed.

Master of Education in Special Education with Educational Diagnostician Certification--Total Semester Credit Hours = 36*

The School of Education offers the Master of Education degree in special education. The Master of Education degree program is designed to fulfill academic requirements for certification as an educational diagnostician. The School of Education also offers an educational diagnostician certification program.

Emphasis in educational diagnosis provides the student with the opportunity to assess the competencies of individuals in language, sociological, physical, and behavioral/emotional areas, intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior, and educational performance using informal and formal measures, and prescribe individualized education plans based on test results. The educational diagnostician certificate requires two years of classroom teaching experience, an earned master’s degree, and successful completion of the TExES examination for certification

Admission Requirements

  1. To be admitted to the graduate program in special education, the individual must:
  2. Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
  3. Complete The Graduate Study Admissions Application form and submit it to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
  4. Submit official transcripts from the undergraduate institutions attended.
  5. If required, send official scores (obtained within the past five years) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
  6. Admission is determined based on:
    1. undergraduate GPA and, if necessary, satisfactory scores on the GRE in combination with the undergraduate GPA, and
    2. one or more of the following: 
      1. the applicant’s demonstrated commitment to his or her chosen field of study, 
      2. socioeconomic background,
      3. first generation college graduate,
      4. multilingual proficiency,
      5. geographic region of residence, and
      6. level of responsibility in other matters including extracurricular activities, employment, community service, and family responsibilities

Certification

Required Courses

EDSP 5350Overview of Special Education (Birth -21)

EDSP 5352Infants and Young Children

EDSP 5357Practicum in Special Education

EDSP 5362Adolescents and Adults with Disabilities

EDSP 5363Behavioral Disorders

EDSP 5364Seminar: Assessment in Special Education

EDSP 5365Developmental Testing

EDSP 5366Seminar: Full Individual Evaluation

EDSP 5368Seminar: Educational Strategies for Special Education

EDSP 5370Learning Theory as Applied to Individuals with Disabilities

EDSP 5378Administrative and Legal Issues in Special Education

PSYC 5366Assessment of Individual Mental Ability I

Substitutions require advisor approval.

EDUC 5356: Education that is Multicultural. This course is required for certification unless the student has completed its equivalent at the undergraduate level.