Special Education (Grades P-12) M.Ed. (Online)
Degree Requirements: 36 Credit Hours
Concentrations
Candidates must select one area of concentration from the areas in which they are currently certified: Adaptive Curriculum or General Curriculum.
Certificate Upgrade Information: An educator who holds a level four Georgia certificate in Special Education Adaptive Curriculum or General Curriculum will qualify for a level five certificate upgrade upon successful completion of all program requirements. (See catalog section on Certification.)
Admission Requirements
Regular Admission
- Complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Possess or be eligible for a Georgia level four certificate or equivalent. Certification must be in Special Education: Adaptive Curriculum or Special Education: General Curriculum.
- Present a cumulative 2.50 (4.0 scale) grade point average or higher on all undergraduate and graduate work combined.
- Submit a personal statement of purpose, not to exceed 200 words, that identifies the applicant’s reasons for pursuing graduate study and how admission into the program relates to the applicant’s professional aspirations.
- Submit a completed “Disclosure and Affirmation Form” that addresses misconduct disclosure, the Code of Ethics for Educators, and tort liability insurance.
Provisional Admission
Applicants may be approved for provisional admission based on the quality of the admission material presented. Provisional students must earn grades of “B” or higher in their first nine (9) credits of course work after admission and meet any other stipulations outlined by the department to be converted to regular status.
Program of Study for Certification Areas
| Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements Completed by Candidates in Both Concentrations | 15 | |
| Learning Theories and Applications | ||
| Educational Research | ||
| Special Education Leadership | ||
| Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities | ||
| Seminar in Special Education | ||
| Concentration Area Courses | 21 | |
| Select one of the following Curriculum Areas in which one is currently certified: 1 | ||
Moderate-Severe Disabilities-Adaptive Curriculum | ||
| Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Students with Multiple/Severe Disabilities | ||
| Characteristics and Assessment of Low Incidence Populations | ||
| Methods for Low Incidence Populations | ||
| Career Development and Transition Planning | ||
Autism Endorsement 2 | ||
Mild Disabilities - General Curriculum | ||
| Linking Literacy Assessment with Instruction | ||
| Nature and Needs of Students with Autism | ||
| Collaboration Across the Life Span | ||
| Advanced Behavior Management | ||
| Instructional Approaches in Special Education | ||
Autism Endorsement 3 | ||
or Reading Endorsement 4 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
| 1 | Concentration must be in a curriculum area in which one is currently certified: Adaptive Curriculum or General Curriculum. |
| 2 | Nature and Needs of Students with Autism (SPED 8531), Implementing Evidence Based Practices in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (SPED 8532), and Assessment and Procedures for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (SPED 8533) |
| 3 | Implementing Evidence Based Practices in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (SPED 8532) and Assessment and Procedures for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (SPED 8533). |
| 4 | Approaches to Literacy Instruction (READ 7131) and Literacy in the Content Areas (READ 7330) |
Other Program Requirements
- All new master’s level candidates must schedule and meet with their assigned Special Education Advisor for a brief advisement orientation meeting prior to their first semester of course work in order to meet the registration requirements of the program.
- Candidates must take courses in sequenced order to meet Special Education Program Key Assessment criteria.
- Successfully complete assessments identified at each program transition point.
- Maintain an active account with the COE electronic data management system.
- Claim Georgia Southern University as your program provider in your MyPSC Account during your first term of enrollment (see information under MyPSC Account in Graduate Catalog, College of Education).
Advisement
Graduate students are advised by their program. Graduate students should reach out to their graduate program director for information regarding the structures in place to facilitate advisement. For more information visit the Graduate Academic Advisement catalog page.
Graduate students can also contact the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies for more information about their program director.
Phone: 912-478-COGS (2647)
Email: gradschool@georgiasouthern.edu