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UMSL's Master's Degree in Special Education provides its graduates comprehensive understanding, experience, and application of current, evidence-based best practices in K-12 Special Education. The implementation of strategies and interventions, about which students learn and apply, allows for program graduates to address the nearly 90% of children with special needs who attend public school-based, general education (inclusive) learning environments throughout the academic school year.
No other master's degree-level, Special Education program - among higher education opportunities in the Greater St. Louis Area - comes close to harnessing and presenting the expertise and practical applications that bring success to practicing "special" educators.
Susan Johnson
The M. Ed. Program in Special Education explores important core knowledge in Special Education. The program's primary goal is to empower professionals as thoughtful educators who use best practices when assisting and empowering students with disabilities. Research and data-based decision-making are emphasized throughout the program. Graduate students will apply learned and evaluated research into practice in their courses, and learn to analyze multiple types of assessment data. The M.Ed. Program in Special Education consists of an initial required core of courses, a concentration area corresponding to the chosen emphasis area, and a capstone or exit course block.
When graduate students are accepted into the program, their transcripts may be reviewed, as necessary, to identify compliance with state education certification guidelines. Students who wish to be certified in the education of children with cross-categorical disabilities will be required to fulfill general certification requirements, as well as graduate coursework. Upon completion of this advanced degree, professionals will have developed an in-depth knowledge-base related to
| 1) Required Foundation Courses (9 hours) | ||
| Students are required to complete the following courses within the first 15 hours of study. | ||
| TCH ED 6010 | Examining History, Community and Social Justice in Education | 3 |
| TCH ED 6020 | Teacher Action, Advocacy and Leadership | 3 |
| ED PSY 6030 | Instruction, Learning and Assessment | 3 |
| 2) Required Research Courses (6 hours) | ||
| These two research courses should be taken in sequence (not together) at the end of your program since the first course prepares you with the knowledge and skills to successfully complete an Action Research project in the capstone exit course. You will design and execute a piece of original practitioner research and present your findings in a public forum. | ||
| TCH ED 6909 | Teacher Action Research I | 3 |
| TCH ED 6910 | Teacher Action Research Capstone 1 | 3 |
| 3) 9-hour Concentration Choices | ||
A. Special Education Concentration I: 9 hours | ||
| ED PSY 6545 | Consultation in Schools and Related Settings | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6325 | Advanced Studies in Classroom & Behavior Management 2 | 3 |
| or SPEC ED 6437 | Applied Behavior Analysis: Functional Assessment and Interventions | |
| SPEC ED 6415 | The Law and Special Education | 3 |
B. Special Education Concentration II Electives 9 hours | ||
| Students have the option of enrolling in a 3 credit hour course from either the Early Childhood Special Education or Autism Studies concentrations, or enrolling in an additional course in the Cross-Categorical concentration in order to meet the 9 credit hour course requirement for Concentration II. | ||
i. Cross Categorical Disabilities Concentration II: 6 +3 hours from i, ii, or iii. | ||
CHOOSE 2 + 1 from this or another designated Concentration II area | ||
| SPEC ED 6315 | Understnding/Implmnting Speech & Lang Interventions that Assist Chldrn w/ Sp Needs | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6345 | Characteristics and Education of Students with High-Incidence Disabilities | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6342 | Transition Education for Adult Life | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6346 | Reading Instruction and Intervention in Special Education | 3 |
| ED PSY 6542 | Social-Emotional and Behavior Interventions | 3 |
ii. Autism and Developmental Disabilities Concentration II (9 hours) | ||
| SPEC ED 6430 | Characteristics and Education of Individuals with Low-Incidence Disabilities | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6610 | Foundations of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Research to Practice | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6620 | Assessment and Interventions for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder | 3 |
iii. Early Childhood Special Education Concentration II (9 hours) | ||
| SPEC ED 6372 | Screening and Diagnosis of Developmental Delays: Birth to 5 Years | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6462 | Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| SPEC ED 6463 | Curriculum, Methods, and Materials for Early Childhood Special Ed | 3 |
| 1 | This course is not offered in summer sessions. |
| 2 | SPEC ED 6437 is required for the Autism concentration and certificate and the Applied Behavior Analysis certificate. |
Total hours: minimum 33 credit hours
