Procedures and Requirements. Special Education. Revised: 12/2/14 MASTER S DEGREE

Transcription

1 1 MASTER S DEGREE Procedures and Requirements Special Education Revised: 12/2/14

2 2 PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION MASTERS PROGRAM Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders University of Nebraska-Lincoln TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME DEPARTMENT CONTACTS 3 ADMISSION STATUS 3 FUNDING Graduate Assistantships 4 Grant-funded Tuition Waivers 4 PROGRAM ADVISOR Assignment and Role of Advisor 4 Change in Advisors 4 MASTERS OF ARTS AND MASTERS OF EDUCATION 4 DEGREE COMPLETION OPTIONS 5 Option 1: M.A. Thesis Option 2: M. A. with Minor or M.Ed. 5 Option 3: M.A. Advanced Study SPECIAL EDUCATION AREAS OF STUDY MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS 5 Special Education Foundation Courses 5 Research Requirement 6 Specialty Courses 6 Fieldwork/Practicum 6 Exit Examination and Final Exam Report 6 CHANGE IN PLAN OF STUDIES 6 PROGRAM INTERRUPTIONS 7 GRADUATE PROGRAM TERMINATION CONDITIONS 7 Academic Termination 7 Professional Ethics Termination 7 TERMINATION APPEALS PROCEDURES 7

3 3 PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION MASTER S DEGREE PROGRAM WELCOME Welcome to the Masters Program in Special Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We are pleased you have chosen to join our graduate community of learners dedicated to optimizing the social, educational, and vocational outcomes of persons with disabilities and their families. Collectively, the faculty members in Special Education have knowledge and experience that reflects a full range of ages (Birth to 21 years) and disabilities. Furthermore, the faculty members include researchers who are nationally recognized for their work in critical issues impacting quality education for students with disabilities and instructors who have received recognition for their outstanding teaching qualities. Our aim is to help you tap that knowledge and expertise in this graduate program and have you take leadership roles in your community, modeling and advocating for quality education and community opportunities for all students with disabilities and their families. A listing of the faculty and associated areas of expertise and contact information is available on the Department website This Procedures and Requirements for the Masters Program in Special Education Manual is intended as a quick resource for graduate students in the Special Education Masters Degree program. The manual does not replace the information available to students in the UNL Graduate Bulletin or the Department website DEPARTMENT CONTACTS Jones, Sherri sherri.jones@unl.edu / Professor, Chairperson of Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders and Director of Barkley Memorial Center Hux, Karen khux1@unl.edu / Professor, Graduate Faculty Chairperson England, Jill jill.england@unl.edu / Graduate Secretary ADMISSION STATUS The Division of Special Education s Graduate Admission Committee reviews all applications once each year with an application deadline date of 15th. The Committee determines the admission status of applicants. Applicants are accepted as a Degree Candidate with Full Graduate Standing or granted Provisional Admission pending satisfactory completion of nine graduate credits from UNL Special Education courses or other requirements with a 3.0 GPA or better (excluding SPED 800). Once these specified requirements have been met, the candidate s academic status is changed to Full Graduate Standing in the degree program. The academic status level is specified in the notification letter.

4 4 FUNDING Graduate Assistantship Graduate Students in Full Standing who are pursuing a Masters Degree in Special Education on a full-time basis (minimum 9 graduate credits each term) are eligible to apply for a Graduate Assistantship (GA) in the department. These competitive awards provide tuition waivers for up to 12 credits in Fall and Spring terms, up to 6 credits in the Summer term, and a monthly stipend for 16 hours of work in the department as an assistant to assigned faculty member(s). Duties may include, but are not limited to, assisting with preparation of teaching materials, grading assignments or tutoring or focus on tasks associated with research projects, such as data collection, data coding or entry, and literature reviews. Students are not permitted to hold outside employment while employed as a GA as the intent is to support successful graduate school completion with less challenging work schedules and work assignments. Students may be awarded the GA for two consecutive years, pending reapplication with positive evaluation letters from prior year s supervising faculty member. Applications are reviewed annually in the spring for the following academic school year. Applications are due January 15 th. Application: Grant funded Tuition Waivers Periodically the Department secures grant funds from state and federal sources to support graduate education and teacher preparation in Special Education. When available, students may apply and be considered for participation if they are admitted as a Graduate in Full Standing. Department Fellowships Prospective, newly admitted, or currently enrolled graduate students in the Department of Special Education & Communication Disorders are encouraged to apply for Departmental Fellowships. The Fellowships are one-time awards, varying in dollar amount. Deadline for application submission is April 20 th. The online application can be found at PROGRAM ADVISOR Assignment and Role of Advisors Each student is assigned an academic advisor upon admission to the graduate program in Special Education. The advisor will be a full-time faculty member in the department s Division of Special Education and be familiar with the specialty area in which the student is interested. The Advisor acts as academic guide, professional mentor and advocate while students move through their program of studies. The academic advisor signs off on the Memorandum of Courses (MOC) to be filed with the Graduate College. Change in Advisor Students may request a change in advisor by contacting the Special Education Graduate rationale for the change. MASTERS OF ARTS AND MASTERS OF EDUCATION DEGREE COMPLETION OPTIONS Students may pursue a Masters of Arts (M.A.) or Masters of Education (M.Ed.) degree through

5 5 one of three options for degree completion in Special Education. Students must declare the degree option when they submit their Memorandum of Courses. This Memorandum is developed with the advisor and should be completed The Memorandum of Courses is reviewed and approved by the Graduate College. This approval must be obtained prior to completing 18 hours of coursework. Full details outlining the option requirements can be found in the UNL Graduate Bulletin. The three options for degree completion in Special Education include: Option I: M.A. Thesis. A student must earn a minimum of 30 graduate credits which includes a research thesis equivalent to 6-10 hours. At least one-half (15 credit hours) of the required work, including the thesis, must be taken in Special Education courses and an additional 8 credits, besides thesis credits, must be earned in courses open exclusively to graduate students (900-level or 800-level without 400 or lower counterparts). Option II: M.A. with Minor or M.Ed. A student must earn a minimum of 36 graduate credit hours in courses representing a major (of at least 18 credits) and either one or two minors. For the Masters of Education (M.Ed.) degree, at least 6 semester hours must be selected from education courses outside of Special Education to constitute the minor requirement. For the Masters of Arts (M.A.) program of study, the declared minor must include at least 9 hours from one department outside Special Education. A thesis is not required. Option III: M.A. Advanced Study. A student must earn a minimum of 36 graduate credit hours, at least 18 of which must be in courses in Special Education and open exclusively to graduate students (900- or 800-level without 400 or lower counterparts). No thesis is required. SPECIAL EDUCATION AREAS OF STUDY The Department of Special Education aster s program offer courses in many areas of study. This enables students to obtain expertise in particular special populations or practices. The areas of study include: Autism Spectrum Disorders Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education Early Childhood Special Education Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Severe Disabilities Special Education Transition Visual Impairments MASTERS DEGEE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Special Education Foundation Courses All students enrolled in the Master s Degree program in Special Education are expected to complete a minimum of 12 credits of Special Education Foundation Courses: SPED 400 Characteristics of Exceptional Persons SPED 412 Assessment Techniques for Diverse Learners

6 6 SPED 303 Behavior Management SPED 407 Teaching Students with Disabilities in Secondary School OR SPED 414 Instructional Methods for Students with Diverse Needs These credits may be completed as deficiencies at the undergraduate level, transferred from other institutions, or taken as graduate credits from UNL. Research Requirement All students enrolled in the Special Education Masters Degree program are expected to complete one 3 credit course in research design/analysis. Specialty Courses Students admitted into the Masters Program in Special Education program must complete a minimum of 18 credits of graduate courses to form a major focus or area of study. Fieldwork/Practicum Students in the Masters DegreeProgram in Special Education are required to demonstrate competence in working with persons with disabilities. Fieldwork as part of courses and/or supervised practicum or student teaching experiences are guided by accreditation standards outlined by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Core Standards (2012). Special areas of study may require additional fieldwork with specific populations and settings and activities outlined by additional standards. Students are not to arrange their own field experiences unless directed to do so by an instructor for a class. Students will apply for practicum/student teaching placements using forms and procedures outlined by the college and the academic advisor. Exit Examination and Final Examination Report Students are to complete Part 1 and Part 2 of the UNL Graduate College Final Examination Report Form and submit it to the Department Graduate Secretary no later than the first week of the term of intended graduation. Final Examination Report: All students pursuing the Master's Degree in Special Education will be required to complete the Praxis II Exam #0354 (paper) or #5354 (computer): Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications sponsored by the National Testing Service within ten (10) months prior to the planned graduation date. The content of this exam will reflect general knowledge of special education. A score of 155 is considered passing. Students completing their degree with a specialization in Early Childhood will also be required to complete the Praxis II Exam #5021 (or #5024 after September 1, 2015). All students should indicate that the scores are to be submitted to UNL using the UNL test score recipient code of Register online at CHANGE IN PLAN OF STUDIES Students may alter their plan of study with approval from their academic advisor. Students may request substitutions for courses listed on the Memorandum of Courses due to lack of course availability or minor change in focus to support a student s progress toward graduation. The advisor will contact the Office of Graduate Studies and request a change of program for the student. Students cannot request the substitution of a completed course not previously approved by the advisor.

7 7 PROGRAM INTERUPTIONS If an admitted graduate student does not register for courses for any three consecutive terms (i.e., Spring-Summer-Fall) they are considered Inactive. They must reactivate their program status by completing the Office of Graduate Studies online application. GRADUATE PROGRAM TERMINATION CONDITIONS Academic Termination If a student, during the course of his/her graduate program, receives more than two (2) grades below B- in the courses (Special Education) or has a cumulative GPA fall below 3.0, the graduate program may be terminated. This provision includes Sped 896 and Sped 897 practicum and student teaching credits. A grade of C or better is required in specialty courses, and a grade of C+ or better is needed to advance to student teaching. Professional Ethics Termination Graduate Students in Special Education are expected to abide by both the UNL Student Code of Conduct that outlines behaviors of misconduct and the CEC Professional Ethics Principles Principles-and-Practice-Standards outlining how to show respect for diverse characteristics and needs of person with exceptionalities and their families. Students will be dismissed from the Special Education program should they demonstrate unethical behaviors while enrolled at UNL. If a student demonstrates professionally inappropriate or unstable personal-social behavior in the classroom or fieldwork, the student may be asked to confer with the Graduate Governance Committee, Department Chairperson and/or a counselor to determine the degree to which the student can be expected to continue their enrollment in the graduate program. Repeated incidences without change may be cause for termination from the program. TERMINATION APPEALS PROCEDURES Students may petition the Special Education Graduate Governance Committee during their graduate program to retake a course in which they received a grade less than C+. Petition letters outlining the reasons for poor performance and plan for improvement may be directed c/o Department Graduate Secretary. General appeal procedures for any academic termination matters, as well as any appeals associated with fellowships and assistantships, are available in the most recent edition of the UNL Graduate Studies Bulletin. Reports for department violations of the accreditation standards outlined by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) can be submitted to CEC Standards Office by mail, 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 1000, Arlington, VA

8 8 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Non-Discrimination Policy It is the policy of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln not to discriminate on the basis of sex, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin or sexual orientation in its educational programs, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid, or other schooladministered programs. This policy is enforced by federal law under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of Inquiries regarding compliance with these statutes may be directed to Equity, Access and Diversity Programs, 128 Canfield Administration Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, P.O. Box , Lincoln, NE , (402)