Master of Science in Special Education
Admission Standards
The Master of Science in Special Education is an advanced degree intended for those who are already licensed teachers in special and/or general education. Candidates seeking admission to the Master of Science in Special Education program must complete the admission requirements of the Graduate School and have:
- an overall GPA of 2.75 or 3.0 in the last 60 hours of coursework
- a completed bachelor’s degree in special education or general education. Depending on the student's background, some corequisites may apply.
Admission applications are recommended to the Graduate School by the Special Education program coordinator in consultation with program core faculty. Application due dates are posted on the Graduate School webpage.
Retention Policy
Students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to remain in any Special Education program.
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty, including professional dispositions and ethics, is at the core of any professional program. Any behavior deemed as academically dishonest, including the use of artificial intelligence tools without citation, or not reflective of professional dispositions and ethical behavior will result in disciplinary action including, but not limited to, a failing grade for the assignment and/or course, and/or dismissal from the program. Violations include, but are not limited to, the following types of behaviors:
- Misrepresenting another individual’s work as one’s own, e.g., plagiarism.
- Copying from another student during an exam.
- Altering one’s exam after grading for the purpose of enhancing one’s grade.
- Submitting the same paper to more than one class.
- Use of any material not approved by the instructor during an exam.
- Turning in reports intended to be based on field collected data but, in fact, are not.
- Failure to respect the confidentiality of students/persons served or studied.
- Failure to uphold the professional standards for ethical conduct as set forth by the MSU Teacher Education Unit and the Council for Exceptional Children.
Special Education Degree Core Requirements
| MS in Special Education Core: | ||
| SPED 501 | Intro to Graduate Studies | 3 |
| SPED 503 | Research Design and Methodology | 3 |
| SPED 505 | Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 510 | Law and Policy in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 515 | Practicum | 2 |
| SPED 531 | Psychoeducational Aspects of Exceptional Children | 3 |
| SPED 533 | Clinical Practice in Assessment | 1 |
| SPED 599 | Thesis | 2 |
| or SPED 595 | Capstone Seminar | |
| Total Hours | 20 | |
Exit Requirements
Exit requirements for all candidates seeking the Master of Science in Special Education include a capstone Thesis or Research project and the Praxis II content exam for their program concentration area.
Behavior Specialist Concentration
This concentration within the MS in Special Education degree will offer candidates advanced skills in methods, assessment and ethical practices for addressing challenging behaviors of students with disabilities in school settings. Processes for effective team collaboration and leadership for positive behavior supports are emphasized. This program aligns with the ND ESPB endorsement in Special Education Behavior Specialist.
| SPED 561 | Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support | 3 |
| SPED 566 | Methods for Behavior Support & Programming | 3 |
| SPED 567 | Behavior Assessment & Measurement | 3 |
| SPED 568 | Behavior Ethics, Supervision, & Consultation | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Special Education Strategist (SES)
The Special Education Strategist (SES) emphasis area is designed to prepare teachers as special education generalists. The SES program focuses on supports for students who have mild-moderate learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities and autism, and emotional/behavioral disabilities.
| Special Education Core Requirements | 19-21 | |
| SPED 517 | Methods for Mild Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 529 | Assistive Technology | 2 |
| SPED 561 | Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support | 3 |
| SPED 532 | Communication Development and Interventions | 3 |
| SPED 555 | Explicit Academic Instruction | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33-35 | |
Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Education
The Deaf/Hard of Hearing Education emphasis area prepares educators to effectively teach students who are deaf or hard of hearing in a variety of educational settings. The emphasis is on appropriately meeting the individual needs of children and youth, rather than promoting a specific communication philosophy. Depending on their backgrounds, candidates may need to meet certain pre-requisite coursework such as sign language and/or introduction to deaf education.
| Special Education Core Requirements | 19-21 | |
| SPED 513 | Deaf Studies | 3 |
| SPED 565 | Early Intervention: Deaf/HH | 3 |
| SPED 583 | Strategies to Support Listening and Spoken Language | 3 |
| SPED 584 | Teaching Language to Deaf/HH | 3 |
| SPED 585 | Advanced Audiology for Educators of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing | 3 |
| SPED 586 | Teaching Reading/Academics to DHH | 4 |
| Pre-Requisite of an Introductory Course (SPED 512) may apply. | ||
| Total Hours | 38-40 | |
Special Education Leadership Concentration
| MS in Special Education Required Core: | 19-21 | |
| ED 520 | Supervision and Mentoring of Preservice and New Teachers | 3 |
| SPED 581 | Financial Administration in Special Education | 3 |
| LEAD 510 | Leadership Communication | 3 |
| LEAD 537 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| LEAD 540 | Organizational Leadership | 3 |
| Total Hours | 34-36 | |
Faculty
Professors
Dr. Evan Borisinkoff
Professor
Dr. Lori Garnes
Dr. Holly Pedersen
Special Education Graduate Program Coordinator
Associate Professors
Dr. Wenjing Zheng
Assistant Professor
Ms. Hilory Liccini