Special Education (Grades P-12), M.Ed. (Online)

Location(s): Fully Online

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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.)

Regular Admission

Complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by an appropriate institutional accreditor.
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

Core Requirements Completed by Candidates in Both Concentrations Credit Hours: 15

Concentration Area Courses Credit Hours: 21

Select one of the following Curriculum Areas in which one is currently certified: ¹

Moderate-Severe Disabilities-Adaptive Curriculum

Mild Disabilities - General Curriculum

Total Credit Hours: 36

¹Concentration must be in a curriculum area in which one is currently certified: Adaptive Curriculum or General Curriculum.

²SPED 8531 Nature and Needs of Students with Autism , SPED 8532 Implementing Evidence Based Practices in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder , SPED 8533 Assessment and Procedures for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

³SPED 8532 Implementing Evidence Based Practices in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder  and SPED 8533 Assessment and Procedures for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

⁴READ 7131 Approaches to Literacy Instruction  and READ 7330 Literacy in the Content Areas

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.
Candidates must complete clinical assignments requiring access to K-12 students with disabilities, families of K-12 students with disabilities, stakeholders, and/or other special education professionals.
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.

Advisement

Undergraduate advisors will work closely with ABM students until all undergraduate degree requirements are complete. 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.