Special Education, Mildly/Moderately Disabled Students Concentration, M.Ed.

Zaf Khan, Program Director
(615) 904-8429
Zaf.Khan@mtsu.edu

The Department of Elementary and Special Education offers the Master of Education degree with a major in Special Education and concentrations in Mildly/Moderately Disabled Students and Severely/Profoundly Disabled Students. The Mildly/Moderately Disabled Students program could lead to an add-on endorsement in either K-8 or 6-12 Interventionist licensure.

Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to the Master of Education program must have an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher or a minimum of twelve hours in special education at the graduate level with a GPA of 3.00 or higher.

Applicants must take the Miller Analogies Test (and obtain a minimum score of 385) or the Graduate Record Exam (obtaining scores on the Verbal and Quantitative measures which normally exceed 146 and 140 respectively with a total combined score that normally exceeds 286.

Applicants must have a teaching license in special education for admission to the program in Special Education with a concentration in Mildly/Moderately Disabled Students and one of the academic Interventionist pathways. Candidates without the appropriate license may be admitted to the graduate program as non-degree-seeking students. Once licensure requirements are met, candidate may reapply for admission to the program in special education. A candidate not licensed in special education must apply for a waiver to the license requirement by signing a waiver form stating that he/she wishes to receive a master’s degree in special education without a license to teach.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

submit an application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
submit official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT);
submit official transcripts of all previous college work.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Education in Special Education with a concentration in Mildly/Moderately Disabled Students with an Interventionist pathway requires completion of a minimum of 33 semester hours.

Candidates must successfully complete a capstone project (e-portfolio) to be taken in the last semester of coursework.

Curriculum: Special Education, Mildly/Moderately Disabled Students (K-8 Interventionist Licensure)

The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.

Required Core (9-15 hours)

SPED 6020 - Overview of Special Education 3 credit hours
SPED 6780 - School Law and Policy: Special Education Issues 3 credit hours
SPED 6350 - Residency: Directed Clinical Teaching 3 to 9 credit hours OR
SPED 6710 - Action Research in Special Education 3 credit hours *

Concentration Courses (18 hours)

SPED 5380 - Co-teaching in Inclusive Classrooms 3 credit hours
SPED 6100 - Differentiation and Literacy: Teaching Corrective Reading and Writing 3 credit hours
SPED 6310 - Issues in Assessment of High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 6330 - Theory and Instructional Practice for Students with High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 6600 - Advanced Math Strategies for High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 6650 - Data, Analytics, and Adaptive Learning 3 credit hours

Restricted/Specialized Electives (6 hours)

SPED 5300 - Advanced Applied Behavioral Interventions and Supports 3 credit hours
Digital Tools and Methods in Flexible Learning Environments 3 credit hours

NOTE:

*SPED 6710 only required of candidates seeking non-licensure.

Curriculum: Special Education, Mildly/Moderately Disabled Students (6-12 Interventionist Licensure)

The following illustrates the minimum coursework requirements.

Required Core (9-15 hours)

SPED 6020 - Overview of Special Education 3 credit hours
SPED 6780 - School Law and Policy: Special Education Issues 3 credit hours
SPED 6350 - Residency: Directed Clinical Teaching 3 to 9 credit hours OR
SPED 6710 - Action Research in Special Education 3 credit hours *

Concentration Courses (18 hours)

SPED 5380 - Co-teaching in Inclusive Classrooms 3 credit hours
SPED 6100 - Differentiation and Literacy: Teaching Corrective Reading and Writing 3 credit hours
SPED 6310 - Issues in Assessment of High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 6330 - Theory and Instructional Practice for Students with High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 6600 - Advanced Math Strategies for High Incidence Disabilities 3 credit hours
SPED 6650 - Data, Analytics, and Adaptive Learning 3 credit hours

Restricted/Specialized Electives (6 hours)

Choose the following if seeking licensure; otherwise, courses should be selected with consent of advisor.

SPED 5240 - Methods and Techniques of Behavior Management 3 credit hours
SPED 5370 - Transition Education and Services for Exceptional Learners 3 credit hours

NOTE:

*SPED 6710 only required of candidates seeking non-licensure.

Program Notes

Any course requiring admission to Teacher Education may require observations, case studies, or other time in K-6 classes.

Candidate must

file a degree plan in the College of Graduate Studies prior to completion of 21 semester hours credit;
file a notice to register for the capstone (e-portfolio) project within the first two months in the last semester of coursework;
file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the term in which the student intends to graduate.

Master’s in Special Education-Non-Licensed

Persons who do not hold a license in special education but wish to work toward a master’s degree in Special Education with a concentration in Mildly/Moderately Disabled Students may ask for an exception to the license prerequisite. This would allow the individual to complete a master’s degree, but the degree would not lead to licensure. Persons who complete this degree will not be licensed to teach special education upon completion of the degree.