Master of Education in Special Education

Program Requirements

The certification pathway contains particular admissions requirements, including a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA. Please contact the Program Director for additional information about these admissions requirements. 

All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed within a period of five calendar years from the time of admission.  

To receive the degree, a student is required to:

• Maintain a “B” average (3.0 GPA in all coursework)
• Complete a portfolio demonstrating proficiency in the CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) standards
• Pass the Praxis Special Education: Core Knowledge and Mild to Moderate Applications assessment prior to student teaching.

For detailed information regarding the program and its requirements, including the Student Teaching Handbook​​ and Graduate Special Education Handbook, please visit http://www.providence.edu/professional-studies/graduate-degrees/Pages/master-education-special-education.aspx.

Certification Pathway (33 credits)

The courses required in the master’s program in special education leading to initial certification are listed below. Since the program has been designed to follow a developmental sequence, all courses in strand 1 must be completed prior to strand 2. Similarly, all coursework in strands 1 and 2 must be completed prior to enrolling in internship.

• Strand 1

• EDU 571 - Introduction to Communication Disorders
• EDU 608 - Assessment of Individual Differences
• EDU 823 - Introduction and Characteristics of Students with Special Needs
• EDU 649 - Collaboration: Home, School, and Community

• Strand 2

• EDU 599 - Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (elementary only)
• EDU 606 - Teaching Reading to Students with Special Needs
• EDU 613 - Vocational Programming (secondary only)
• EDU 617 - Behavior Strategies
• EDU 636 - Assessment/Curriculum for the Student with Mild/Moderate Disabilities in K-12 Settings
• EDU 811 - Special Education for Children from Diverse Backgrounds

• Internship

• EDU 630 - Student Teaching

• OR

• EDU 631 - Student Teaching

• All courses require field experience hours.
  (For a total of 33 credit hours)

Non-Certification Pathway (36 credits)

The program also offers a course sequence that provides additional expertise to individuals who have already completed an undergraduate special education program and are presently special education teachers.

• EDU 599 - Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• EDU 606 - Teaching Reading to Students with Special Needs
• EDU 610 - Applying Research to the Teaching of Mathematics
• EDU 613 - Vocational Programming
• EDU 615 - Medical Aspects of Children with Disabilities
• EDU 616 - Advanced Assessment
• EDU 617 - Behavior Strategies
• EDU 811 - Special Education for Children from Diverse Backgrounds

• EDU Elective Reading Course

• EDU Electives (9 credit hours)

  (For a total of 36 credit hours)