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
- Complete requirements for a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Possess or be eligible for a Georgia level four certificate or equivalent or possess or be eligible for a Certificate of Eligibility for an Induction certificate. Certification must be in Special Education: Adaptive Curriculum or Special Education: General Curriculum. Candidates who have completed all requirements for the Certificate of Eligibility for an Induction certificate have until the end of the first semester to obtain the certificate.
- 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, criminal background check, the Code of Ethics for Educators, and tort liability insurance.
Provisional
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.
Prerequisites
Applicants without a degree in Special Education must complete the following prerequisite courses or their equivalents:
| Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| SPED 6130 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 6230 | Assessment and Procedures in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 6231 | Special Education Laws and Procedures | 3 |
| SPED 6330 | Classroom Management | 3 |
Program of Study for Certification Areas
| Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements Completed by Candidates in Both Concentrations | 15 | |
| Learning Theories and Applications | ||
| Educational Research | ||
| Language Development | ||
| Seminar in Special Education | ||
| Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities | ||
| Concentration Area Courses | 21 | |
| Select one of the following Curriculum Areas in which one is currently certified: 1 | ||
| Moderate-Severe Disabilities-Adaptive Curriculum | ||
| Characteristics and Assessment of Low Incidence Populations | ||
| Methods for Low Incidence Populations | ||
| Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Students with Multiple/Severe Disabilities | ||
| Career Development and Transition Planning | ||
or SPED 8413 | Community Based Instruction | |
Transition Specialist Endorsement 2 | ||
or Autism Endorsement 3 | ||
| Mild Disabilities - General Curriculum | ||
| Perspectives on Mild Disabilities | ||
| Methods for Mild Disabilities | ||
| Linking Literacy Assessment with Instruction | ||
| Collaboration Across the Life Span | ||
| Nature and Needs of Students with Autism | ||
Autism Endorsement 4 | ||
or Reading Endorsement 5 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
| 1 | Concentration must be in a curriculum area in which one is currently certified: Adaptive Curriculum or General Curriculum. |
| 2 | Vocational Assessment of Special Education Students (SPED 8411), Interagency Planning and Service for Transition to Adulthood (SPED 8412), and Community Based Instruction (SPED 8413) |
| 3 | 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) |
| 4 | 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) |
| 5 | 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 Academic Services Center (GASC)
P.O. Box 8083
Statesboro, GA 30460
(912) 478-1447
Fax: (912) 478-5093
gasc@georgiasouthern.edu