Master of Science in Disability Human Services

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Admission Standards

Candidates seeking admission to the Master of Science in Disability Human Services program must complete the admission requirements of the Graduate School and have:

  • A completed bachelor’s degree, preferably in a human-services related field. Depending on the student's educational and vocational background, some co-requisites may apply.
  • An overall GPA of 2.75 or 3.0 in the last 60 hours of coursework.

Admission applications are recommended to the Graduate School by the Special Education program director 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 graduate program.

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty, including professional dispositions and ethics, is at the core of any professional program. Any behavior deemed as academically dishonest or not reflective of professional dispositions and ethical behavior by the Department of Special Education 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:

  1. Misrepresenting another individual’s work as one’s own, e.g., plagiarism.
  2. Copying from another student during an exam.
  3. Altering one’s exam after grading for the purpose of enhancing one’s grade.
  4. Submitting the same paper to more than one class.
  5. Use of any material not approved by the instructor during an exam.
  6. Turning in reports intended to be based on field collected data but, in fact, are not.
  7. Failure to respect the confidentiality of students/persons served or studied.
  8. Failure to uphold the professional standards for ethical conduct as set forth by the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP).

This graduate degree program is designed to prepare leaders to serve in disability human services organizations. Candidates receive advanced preparation in Research and Experiential learning; Human Resource and Fiscal Management; Disabilities Knowledge; Law, Policy and Regulation; Assessment and Evaluation; Instruction & Training; and Program Development and Implementation.

SPED 501Intro to Graduate Studies3
SPED 503Research Design and Methodology3
SPED 508Law, Regulation, and Policy in Disability Services3
SPED 525Intro to Severe Disabilities3
SPED 538Final Practicum in Disability Human Services4
SPED 539Clinical Practice in Human Services Program Assessment3
BADM 540Organizational Leadership3
BADM 535Management Principles and Practices3
Choose from the following3-6
Human Resource Management
Strategic Management
and Financial Management and Accounting
SPED 599Thesis3
or SPED 598 Research Project
Total Hours31-34

Faculty

Faculty

Dr. Evan Borisinkoff
Associate Professor, DHS Graduate Program Director

Dr. Holly Pedersen
Professor, Special Education Department Chair

Dr. Andy Bertsch
Professor, Business Administration Department Chair and MSM Program Director

Dr. Ruth Soderstrom
Adjunct Faculty