Master of Science in Education - Special Education
The Graduate Special Education Program offers four major areas of study which may lead to WI DPI teacher licensure, and/or a Master of Science in Education degree with a concentration special education. The four major areas of study are:
1) Cross-Categorical Special Education (CCSE) (DPI license #2801, grades K-12). The CCSE add-on teacher licensure program requires approx. 15 credits, a practicum and portfolio.
2) Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) (DPI license #1809, birth-age 8). The ECSE add-on teacher licensure program requires approx. 24 credits, a practicum and portfolio.
3) Visual Impairment (VI) (DPI license #1825, grades PK-12). The visual impairment add-on teacher licensure program requires approx. 39 credits, a summer residency, a practicum, and portfolio.
4) Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) (DPI license #1805, grades preK-12). The deaf or hard of hearing add-on teacher licensure program requires approx. 39 credits, a summer residency, a practicum, and portfolio.
The Master of Science in Education degree requires a minimum of 30 credits including 6 research credits: a 3-credit research course, and a 3-credit capstone project or thesis course. All credits in the licensure programs, and research courses count toward the 30-credit minimum.
All of the Graduate Special Education Programs are accelerated fully online programs with asynchronous courses offered every 8-weeks. For licensure programs applicants must have a current Tier II or above teaching license and bachelor’s degree.
Council for Exceptional Children National Initial Teacher Preparation Standards
Standard 1: Learner Development and Individual Learning Differences
Beginning special education professionals understand how exceptionalities may interact with development and learning and use this knowledge to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities.
Standard 2: Learning Environments
Beginning special education professionals create safe, inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments so that individuals with exceptionalities become active and effective learners and develop emotional well-being, positive social interactions, and self-determination.
Standard 3: Curricular Content Knowledge
Beginning special education professionals use knowledge of general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for individuals with exceptionalities.
Standard 4: Assessment
Beginning special education professionals use multiple methods of assessment and data sources in making educational decisions.
Standard 5: Instructional Planning and Strategies
Beginning special education professionals select, adapt, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance learning of individuals with exceptionalities.
Standard 6: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice
Beginning special education professional use foundational knowledge of the field and their professional ethical principles and practice standards to inform special education practice, to engage in lifelong learning, and to advance the profession.
Standard 7: Collaboration
Beginning special education professionals collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, individuals with exceptionalities, across a range of learning experiences.
CUW Outcome - Servant Leadership
Model Christian servant leadership through consistent, moral, and ethical behaviors and, by example, inspire others to do likewise in their personal, professional, and community life.
CROSS-CATEGORICAL SPECIAL EDUCATION - WI DPI add-on license #2801, Grades K-12
This program enables teachers to work with students with the following disabilities:
· Intellectual Disabilities (ID)
·Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
· Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (EBD)
This program prepares you through specialized curricula, and also requires a practicum and professional portfolio.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Licensure courses | 16 | |
Master's courses | 6 | |
Elective courses | 8 | |
Total Hours | 30 |
Required for licensure:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDG 5000 | Assessment for Special Education | 3 |
EDG 5005 | Principles of Behavior Management | 3 |
EDG 5010 | Legal Issues in Special Education | 3 |
EDG 5015 | Literacy for Diverse Students | 3 |
EDG 5030 | Teaching Methods for Exceptional Students | 3 |
EDG 7001 | Special Education Portfolio I | 0 |
EDG 7002 | Special Education Portfolio II | 0 |
EDG 7003 | Special Education Portfolio III | 0 |
EDG 7010 | Cross Categorical Special Education Practicum and Seminar | 1 |
Total Hours | 16 |
Electives. The master's degree requires a minimum of 30 hours. Add elective courses (3 hours each) below to the required hours to reach a minimum of 30 hours for the master's degree, with 6 hours for the research and capstone courses. Courses from the visual impairment program, deaf and hard of hearing program, and the alternative education program are also available as electives.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Assistive Technology for Special Education | ||
Language and Communication Disorders | ||
Low Incidence Sensory Disabilities | ||
Teaching Methods for Students with Autism | ||
Teaching Methods for Young Children with Disabilities | ||
Assessment for Young Children with Disabilities | ||
Language and Literacy Development in Young Children with Disabilities | ||
Lifespan Development and Disabilities | ||
Teaching Methods for Students with Significant Disabilities |
Required for the master's degree:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDG 5100 | Educational Research Methods | 3 |
EDG 7040 | Special Education Capstone Project Seminar | 3 |
or EDG 7600 | Graduate Education Thesis Seminar | |
Total Hours | 6 |
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION-WI DPI add-on license #1809, Ages Birth-8
This program enables teachers to work with children:
· from birth through age 8 in home, daycare, center, and school settings.
· learning in their most developmental years.
This program prepares you through specialized curricula, and also requires a practicum and professional portfolio.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Licensure courses | 25 | |
Master's courses | 6 | |
Total Hours | 31 |
Required for licensure:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDG 6000 | Teaching Methods for Young Children with Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6005 | Assessment for Young Children with Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6010 | Language and Literacy Development in Young Children with Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6015 | Lifespan Development and Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 5005 | Principles of Behavior Management | 3 |
EDG 5010 | Legal Issues in Special Education | 3 |
EDG 5015 | Literacy for Diverse Students | 3 |
EDG 5030 | Teaching Methods for Exceptional Students | 3 |
EDG 7001 | Special Education Portfolio I | 0 |
EDG 7002 | Special Education Portfolio II | 0 |
EDG 7003 | Special Education Portfolio III | 0 |
EDG 7015 | Early Childhood Special Education Practicum and Seminar | 1 |
Total Hours | 25 |
Required for the master's degree:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDG 5100 | Educational Research Methods | 3 |
EDG 7040 | Special Education Capstone Project Seminar | 3 |
or EDG 7600 | Graduate Education Thesis Seminar | |
Total Hours | 6 |
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT - WI DPI add-on license #1825, Grades PreK-12
**This is Wisconsin’s Only Visual Impairment Licensure Program
This program enables teachers to work with students who have visual impairments such as:
-Blindness
-Low vision
-Cortical vision impairment (CVI).
Graduate students in this program learn about teaching students with vision impairments, and become familiar with braille, orientation and mobility skills, assistive technology, the vision system, the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC), and other topics. This program prepares you through specialized curricula, and also requires a Summer Residency, practicum, and professional portfolio.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Licensure courses | 40 | |
Master's courses | 6 | |
Total Hours | 46 |
Required for licensure:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDG 5045 | Low Incidence Sensory Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6025 | Assessment for Vision Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6030 | Assistive Technology for Vision Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6034 | Braille for Teachers I | 3 |
EDG 6036 | Braille for Teachers II | 3 |
EDG 6038 | Braille for Teachers III | 3 |
EDG 6045 | Fundamentals of the Vision System and Vision Loss | 3 |
EDG 6050 | Orientation and Mobility for Vision Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6055 | Teaching Methods for Students with Vision Loss | 3 |
EDG 5005 | Principles of Behavior Management | 3 |
EDG 5010 | Legal Issues in Special Education | 3 |
EDG 5015 | Literacy for Diverse Students | 3 |
EDG 5030 | Teaching Methods for Exceptional Students | 3 |
EDG 6058 | Special Education Summer Residency | 0 |
EDG 7001 | Special Education Portfolio I | 0 |
EDG 7002 | Special Education Portfolio II | 0 |
EDG 7003 | Special Education Portfolio III | 0 |
EDG 7020 | VI Special Education Practicum and Seminar | 1 |
Total Hours | 40 |
Required for the master's degree:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDG 5100 | Educational Research Methods | 3 |
EDG 7040 | Special Education Capstone Project Seminar | 3 |
or EDG 7600 | Graduate Education Thesis Seminar | |
Total Hours | 6 |
DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING - WI DPI add-on license #1805, Grades PreK-12
**This is Wisconsin’s Only Deaf or Hard of Hearing Licensure Program
This program enables teachers to work with students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Graduate students in this program learn about teaching students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and become familiar with visual language, the hearing system, the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC), assistive technology, language and literacy development, audiology, aural rehabilitation, and other topics. This program prepares you through specialized curricula, and also requires a Summer Residency, practicum, and professional portfolio.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Licensure courses | 40 | |
Master's courses | 6 | |
Total Hours | 46 |
Required for licensure:
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDG 5045 | Low Incidence Sensory Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6060 | ASL and Communication I | 3 |
EDG 6065 | ASL and Communication II | 3 |
EDG 6070 | Assessment for Hearing Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6075 | Assistive Technology for Hearing Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6080 | Aural Rehabilitation and Speechreading | 3 |
EDG 6085 | Fundamentals of the Auditory System and Hearing Loss | 3 |
EDG 6090 | Teaching Methods for Students with Hearing Loss | 3 |
EDG 6095 | Language and Literacy for Hearing Disabilities | 3 |
EDG 6058 | Special Education Summer Residency | 0 |
EDG 5005 | Principles of Behavior Management | 3 |
EDG 5010 | Legal Issues in Special Education | 3 |
EDG 5015 | Literacy for Diverse Students | 3 |
EDG 5030 | Teaching Methods for Exceptional Students | 3 |
EDG 7001 | Special Education Portfolio I | 0 |
EDG 7002 | Special Education Portfolio II | 0 |
EDG 7003 | Special Education Portfolio III | 0 |
EDG 7025 | DHH Special Education Practicum and Seminar | 1 |
Total Hours | 40 |
Required for the master's degree: EDG5100 and either EDG7040 OR EDG7600
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
EDG 5100 | Educational Research Methods | 3 |
EDG 7040 | Special Education Capstone Project Seminar | 3 |
or EDG 7600 | Graduate Education Thesis Seminar | |
Total Hours | 6 |