M.S.Ed. Special Education
The mission of the M.S.Ed. Special Education program is to prepare skilled educators who will maximize the potential for achieving meaningful quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Our graduates serve as advocates recognizing that disability is a natural part of the human experience and that individuals with disabilities have a right to support, allowing for full participation in the social, economic and educational mainstream of life.
The graduate curriculum in Special Education is designed to facilitate students' development of state-of-the-art competencies. Coursework is built on the three fundamental themes of the School of Education's Leading Teacher Program- leadership, technology and diversity. In addition, the curriculum helps students build the knowledge and skills in the five domains (Learning Theorist, Curriculum Designer, Expert in School Context, Instructional Leader, Master Practitioner) that provide the theoretical framework of professional development in the School of Education. The knowledge base, skills and dispositions of the program of study reflect Content Standards, Common Core Knowledge requirements, and the Individualized General Curriculum and Individualized Independence Curriculum standards of CEC and NCATE. Graduates of this program are prepared as specialists in the areas of assessment, curriculum, instruction, learning and behavior support, professional advocate and collaborative partnerships.