Courses
Master’s in Special Education
Choose from Six Concentrations
Earn your master’s degree and match a concentration below to your current teaching status and career goals. Click to see Program Roadmap.
MSEd in Special Education — Non-Licensure (Master’s Only)
Earn your master’s in special education. No practicum is required; an additional elective course is taken in its place.
31 credit hours
MSEd in Special Education — Initial Mild Only Licensure
Earn your master’s degree as well as an initial special education teaching license in mild intervention. This concentration requires a practicum and student teaching field experiences.
36 credit hours
MSEd in Special Education — Initial Mild & Intense Licensure
Earn your master’s degree as well as an initial special education teaching license in mild and intense interventions. This concentration requires a practicum and student teaching field experiences.
45 credit hours
MSEd in Special Education — Additional Mild Only Licensure
Intended for those who already have an initial (teaching) license and want a master’s degree and additional licensure in mild intervention. This concentration requires practicum experiences.
32 credit hours
MSEd in Special Education — Additional Intense Only Licensure
Intended for those who already have initial special education teaching licensure in mild intervention and want additional licensure in intense intervention. This concentration requires practicum experiences.
38 credit hours
MSEd in Special Education — Additional Mild & Intense Licensure
Intended for those who already have initial (teaching) licensure and want additional licensure in mild and intense intervention. This concentration requires practicum experiences.
44 credit hours
Curriculum Fast Facts
- Total Courses:
- Total Credit Hours:
- Typical Completion Time:
MS in Education in Special Education Core Courses
Take all core courses listed below.
EDPS 52400 – Effective Instruction for Students with Significant Reading Difficulties
EDPS 52400 will explore significant reading difficulties, such as dyslexia, and essential components of effective reading instruction. This course will investigate scientifically-based reading research (SBRR), evidence-based and developmentally appropriate reading instruction and interventions to support students with exceptionalities.
Total Credits: 3
*Candidates completing this course will obtain a Orton Gillingham Certificate of Completion. This certificate may result in candidates ability to secure an additional Reading Credential within his/her state. Please check your state’s Department of Education to see if your state provides this option. Seminar will take place in Week 1 of this course.
EDPS 52700 – Literacy Curricula for Learners with Exceptionalities
EDPS 52700 will explore research-supported general and specialized literacy curricula to prepare candidates to design and/or adapt instructional lessons and materials to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 53300 – Introduction to Educational Research
This course presents a sequence of journal articles and exercises that help introduce the foundational concepts of the course, including: research design, reliability and validity, various methodologies commonly used in educational research, and basic quantitative and qualitative data analyses. In addition, contrasting research conclusions are shown in the articles to help students learn why careful analysis of articles and their theoretical framing is critical to evaluating their conclusions. Typically offered Fall Spring Summer.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 51500 – Applied Behavior Analysis in School Settings
EDPS 51500 will introduce candidates to types, characteristics, strengths, limitations, theoretical approaches and research-based models of behavior intervention, motivation, and reinforcement techniques used with students with exceptional behavioral needs in school settings. Candidates will apply this knowledge to develop and implement a functional behavioral assessment and a behavior support plan.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 56300 – Data-Based Decision-Making for Learners with Exceptionalities
EDPS 56300 will introduce candidates to multiple methods of assessment and data sources to support data-based decision making for student with mild and intense intervention needs. Candidates will explore validity, reliability, formal and informal assessment types, as well as culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments to (a) guide eligibility, program, and placement decisions; (b) inform instruction of students with mild and intense intervention needs; and (c) minimizes bias in educational decision making.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 56500 – Math Curricula for Learners with Exceptionalities
EDPS 56500 will explore research-supported general and specialized math curricula to prepare candidates to design and/or adapt math lessons and instructional materials to meet the math needs of students with exceptionalities.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 56800 – Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues Across the Lifespan
EDPS 56800 will introduce candidates to the historical perspectives and foundations of education policy, current issues, and research while exploring ethical guidelines, as well as the rights, roles, and responsibilities of stakeholders and organizations concerning individuals with exceptionalities. Candidates will analyze these social, legal and ethical issues from a comprehensive, life-long, cultural, and diverse perspective as it relates to their professional practice addressing the needs of learners with exceptionalities.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 57701 – Development of Learners with Mild Intervention Needs
EDPS 57701 will explore the 4 areas of child development and the milestones associated with Cognitive, Social/Emotional, Language and Communication, and Movement and Physical development. This foundation in typical development will allow candidates to better understand atypical development in relation to characteristics and etiologies of mild disabilities. Candidates will investigate the multiple impacts systems have on individuals with mild disabilities and their families.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 55800 – Transition Education and Services
EDPS 55800 will explore a variety of resources, strategies, and techniques for promoting successful life transitions for students with mild and intense intervention needs before and throughout the school years and into postsecondary and adult settings.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 59000* – Foundations of Online Learning
Explore what online learning entails and reflect on how you can best set yourself up to succeed in your studies. You will also learn about various learning strategies and online resources that you can utilize in your courses.
Total Credit: 1
*Official course number will be assigned upon approval from the Graduate School.
Licensure Concentrations – Required Coursework
See which courses you need for your chosen licensure concentration.
EDPS 50002 – Foundations of Clinical Practice and Licensure
This course is designed to assist you with the completion of required documents that will help determine the appropriate clinical placement structure for your unique situation. This course includes two different process that are required in order to arrange clinical practice placements. The two processes include:
Clinical Practice Pre-Application Process
AND
Clinical Practice Application Process
Total Credit: 1
EDPS 56010M – Clinical Practice Experience I (Practicum): Mild
EDPS 56010 is a supervised clinical practice experience across two (2) special education settings, one at the elementary level (K-6) and a second experience at the secondary level (5-12) serving students with Mild and/or Intense Intervention Needs. Candidates assess, design and deliver lessons, manage student needs and behaviors, develop IEPs, integrate technology to enhance learning outcomes and communication, collaborate with families and colleagues, and analyze the experience of facilitating a classroom and caseload of students. (Prerequisites: EDPS 57600 and/or EDPS 52400; EDPS 52700; EDPS 56500).
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 56010I – Clinical Practice Experience I (Practicum): Intense
EDPS 56010 is a supervised clinical practice experience across two (2) special education settings, one at the elementary level (K-6) and a second experience at the secondary level (5-12) serving students with Mild and/or Intense Intervention Needs. Candidates assess, design and deliver lessons, manage student needs and behaviors, develop IEPs, integrate technology to enhance learning outcomes and communication, collaborate with families and colleagues, and analyze the experience of facilitating a classroom and caseload of students. (Prerequisites: EDPS 57600 and/or EDPS 52400; EDPS 52700; EDPS 56500)
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 57600 – Curricula for Learners with Intense Intervention Needs
EDPS 57600 will explore research-supported general and specialized content-area (Reading, Math, Writing, Science, Social Studies) curricula as well as functional and independent skill curricula to prepare candidates to design and/or adapt instructional lessons and materials to meet the needs of students with intense intervention needs. (Prerequisites: EDPS 52000 & 57300)
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 56601 – Clinical Practice Experience II (Student Teaching)
EDPS 56601 is a supervis ed 16- week teaching experience in special education. Candidates assess, design and deliver lessons, manage student needs and behaviors, develop IEPs, integrate technology to enhance learning outcomes and communication, collaborate with families and colleagues, and analyze the experience of facilitating a classroom and caseload of students. (Prerequisite: EDPS 56010)
Total Credits: 4
Elective Courses
For Master’s Only or any Intense Intervention concentration, take both electives, otherwise, choose one.
EDPS 52000 – Development of Learners with Intense Intervention Needs
EDPS 52000 will explore the spectrum of typical and atypical human development as a foundation to study the characteristics and etiologies of individuals with intense intervention needs. Candidates will study the impact of ecosystems and their components (e.g., culture, language, communication, technology (e.g., AAC systems); socioeconomic, medical, physical, and health factors) on the educational outcomes of learners with intense intervention needs.
Total Credits: 3
EDPS 57300 – Medical and Physical Management of Learners with Disability or Chronic Illness
EDPS 57300 will explore instructional programs, interventions, services, and implications specific to independent living, career, education, and medical self-management procedures that support students with intense medical, physical, or chronic health care needs.
Total Credits: 3