Special Education (Online), MA
Administrative Unit
This degree is administered by the Office of Graduate Studies through the faculty of Special Education, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education.
Objectives
The Master of Arts in Special Education prepares proficient and skilled professionals for careers as special educators in the school setting and other related disability fields. Students seeking initial certification in special education may be required to take additional courses as required by the state of Texas.
Admission Requirements
Regular Admission
- Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.
- GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 credit hours
- Essay submitted and reviewed: "What skills and characteristics do you have that will make you successful in graduate school and the special education field?"
Conditional Admission
- Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.
- GPA below 3.0 - 2.5 in the last 60 credit hours
- Essay submitted and reviewed: "What skills and characteristics do you have that will make you successful in graduate school and the special education field?"
- OTHER EVIDENCE: At least one of the following:
- Minimum GRE score of 282 (verbal and quantitative combined); or
- Statement related to the circumstances surrounding your lower GPA and why you believe you are ready for graduate studies (at least one page in length) AND two professional letters of recommendation, both should be from school administrators who have supervised your work in the classroom. If you can only secure one from such a person, the second must be a professional letter from someone who can speak to your capacity to be a special education teacher. May also consider cultural components including, but not limited to, English as a second language, weak academic preparation that can be remediated, student motivation and desire to succeed, evidence of success in career field (e.g., teaching or service awards), and/or candidate's diverse experiences and perspectives.
Program Requirements
Core Requirements
| EDUC 6302 | Cultural Diversity in Education and the Social Sciences | 3 |
| EDUC 6304 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDUC 6305 | Research Design in Education and the Social Sciences | 3 |
Special Education Core Requirements
(Students seeking initial teaching certification will need to contact their advisor for specific course substitutions.)
| EDSP 6339 | Foundations of Special Education | 3 |
| EDSP 6341 | Behavior Management and Social Skills | 3 |
| EDSP 6343 | Programs and Practices for Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDSP 6344 | Methods for Teaching Exceptional Learner | 3 |
| EDSP 6345 | Transition Programming for Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDSP 6346 | Foundation and Legal Aspects of Special Education | 3 |
| EDSP 6347 | Characteristics of ASD and Developmental Disorders | 3 |
| EDSP 6352 | Technology and School Change | 3 |
Culminating Experiences
Total Credit Hours: 36
Autism and Developmental Disabilities (Online)
The Master of Arts in Special Education option in Autism and Developmental Disabilities prepares proficient and skilled professionals for careers which focus on autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities in early childhood. Students seeking initial certification in special education will be required to take additional courses as required by the State of Texas.
Program Requirements
Core Requirements
Special Education Core Requirements
| EDSP 6339 | Foundations of Special Education | 3 |
| EDSP 6341 | Behavior Management and Social Skills | 3 |
| EDSP 6343 | Programs and Practices for Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDSP 6344 | Methods for Teaching Exceptional Learner | 3 |
| EDSP 6346 | Foundation and Legal Aspects of Special Education | 3 |
| EDSP 6352 | Technology and School Change | 3 |
Autism Specification
Total Credit Hours: 36
Educational Diagnostician
The Master of Arts in Special Education prepares proficient and skilled professionals for careers in special education school setting and other related disability fields. Additionally, the Professional Educational Diagnostician licensure is available to students with prior teaching experience in either general or special education; however, all candidates must be certified in special education prior to exit from the program. Please note candidates must complete 9 hours of assessment coursework on campus during the second semester of study.
Program Requirements
College of Education Core Requirements
| EDUC 6304 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDUC 6305 | Research Design in Education and the Social Sciences | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 6 |
Special Education Core Requirements
| EDSP 6339 | Foundations of Special Education | 3 |
| EDSP 6344 | Methods for Teaching Exceptional Learner | 3 |
| EDSP 6345 | Transition Programming for Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDSP 6346 | Foundation and Legal Aspects of Special Education | 3 |
| EDSP 6348 | Curriculum and Instruction for Autism Spectrum Disorder | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Additional Coursework for Professional Educational Diagnostician licensure
Total Credit Hours: 36
Extended Reality for Special Populations
The Extended reality for special populations track/University certificate in the Special Education MA program is designed to provide educators with the skills and access to extended reality resources in a focused way that will make learning accessible for students with varying abilities. To complete this track/certificate, the student must take the following courses in our Special Education program.