Curriculum

Program Rationale:

The Master of Science in Special Education: Specialization in Inclusion and Transition is designed to prepare general education teachers or candidates with an earned bachelors degree in a related area of study (eg., Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Human Services, Disability, and related disciplines) to gain the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions to develop effective teaching and learning environments for individuals with disabilities in K-12 educational settings and/or transition planning. Completion of this program does not lead to a cross endorsements in special education. The curriculum for this program is aligned with the standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).

Program Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of foundational issues in special education and their impact on the field.
2. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the development and characteristics of learners, individual learning differences, and appropriate instructional strategies.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze multiple forms of standardized and curriculum-based assessments and use that information for a variety of educational decisions.
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to use their knowledge of general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for students with exceptional learning needs.
5. Students will demonstrate the ability to select, adopt, and use instructional strategies to promote learning and to modify learning environments for students with exceptional learning needs.
6. Students will promote professional, ethical, and collaborative practices in the field of special education.