Special Education (M.Ed.)
https://cola.unh.edu/education/program/med/special-education
The special education program prepares highly qualified educators who possess the knowledge, disposition, and skills necessary to take the lead in establishing effective teaching and learning environments for a diverse population of learners, who are capable of collaborating with classroom teachers as team leaders or consultants, and who utilize these skills within their school communities, and within the profession itself. The program meets current certification requirements in the state of New Hampshire in General Special Education, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Special Education Administration.
Admission Criteria
In determining admission of students to teacher education graduate programs, several criteria are used:
- The undergraduate record. The undergraduate overall minimum grade point average for admission is 3.0. The undergraduate grade point average of students admitted to the graduate programs in teacher education is approximately 3.52 (based on 2016 admissions).
- Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) exam scores are required. Applicants must obtain, at a minimum, a qualifying score (as set by the state of New Hampshire at the time of testing) on all three (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) Core exams in order to be considered for admission. Current NH qualifying scores may be found at the ETS Praxis Website under the “Tests required for all licensure areas” page.
- Additional required application materials can be found at http://www.gradschool.unh.edu/php/pos.php under programs.
Degree Requirements
Prerequisites for General Special Education Certification
- All candidates are required to complete a course in mathematics teaching methods and a course in reading teaching methods. At UNH, courses that meet the requirements are EDUC 806 Introduction to Reading in the Elementary School and EDUC 907 Foundations of Literacy Instruction. Courses that meet the mathematics requirement are MATH 601 Exploring Mathematics for Teachers I and EDUC 741 Exploring Mathematics with Young Children. Equivalent courses taken at another college or university may be substituted.
- All students are required to complete EDUC 850 Introduction to Exceptionality, and EDUC 851A Educating Exceptional Learners: Elementary,or EDUC 851B Educating Exceptional Learners: Secondary. Equivalent courses taken at another college or university may be substituted.
- Credits for prerequisite courses will not count toward those needed for the M.Ed. degree.
Required Courses for All Students
The M.Ed. degree requires a minimum of 36 hours of graduate-level credits. The exact number of credit hours will depend on the student's background, competencies, and professional goals, and will be determined by the adviser.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses (12 credits) | ||
| EDUC 856 | Supporting Families of Individuals with Exceptionalities 1 | 4 |
| EDUC 882 | Introduction to Research Methods (or equivalent) | 4 |
| EDUC 938 | Advanced Seminar in Special Education | 4 |
| or EDUC 959 | Issues in Education | |
| Elective Courses (24 credits) | ||
Students will elect a minimum of 24 graduate credits in consultation with their academic advisor. 2 | ||
| Concluding Experience 3 | ||
All students will have the option of one of two concluding experiences: | ||
| Research project with a defense, or | ||
| EDUC 899 | Master's Thesis | 6-10 |
| Additional requirements for students seeking certification | ||
| EDUC 900C | Internship and Seminar in Special Education | 3 or 6 |
| EDUC 901C | Internship and Seminar in Special Education | 3 or 6 |
| EDUC 939 | Assessment and Teaching of Children with Learning Difficulties | 4 |
| EDUC 940 | Assessment and Teaching of Children with Learning Difficulties | 4 |
| 1 | Students need to take EDUC 856 Supporting Families of Individuals with Exceptionalities only if they didn't take EDUC 756 Supporting Families of Individuals with Exceptionalities during undergraduate. |
| 2 | Students will select elective courses in consultation with their advisor. At most, 4 credit hours of EDUC 899 Master's Thesis, may count as elective work. Other courses may be included on recommendation from the advisor. |
| 3 | The research thesis meet the requirements of the Graduate School and the Education department. Requirements for the thesis are explained in the Graduate School publication entitled Thesis and Dissertation Manual. Which can be found at www.gradschool.unh.edu. Requirements for the project may be obtained from the adviser or on the program website. |
Concluding Experience
All students will have the option of one of two concluding experiences:
1. Research project with a defense, or
2. A research thesis (EDUC 899) that meets the requirements of the Graduate School and the Education Department (6-10 credits).
Requirements for the thesis are explained in the Graduate School publication entitled Thesis and Dissertation Manual. Requirements for the project may be obtained from the advisor.
Optional Certifications
Optional additional certifications are available in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Certification, and Special Education Administration Certification.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities certification
In addition to the coursework necessary for the M.Ed. and certification in General Special Education, those wishing to obtain additional certification in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities should take the following courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| EDUC #854 | Contemporary Issues of Developmental Disabilities | 4 |
| EDUC #855 | Facilitating Social Understanding and Relationships for Students with Disabilities | 2 |
| EDUC 876 | Reading for Learners with Special Needs | 4 |
| EDUC #952 | Inclusive Assessment, Curriculum, Instruction, and Communication Supports | 4 |
| EDUC 954 | ||
| EDUC 956 | Learning to Listen: Developing Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Challenging Behaviors | 4 |
| EDUC 914 | Seminar in Reading Research | 4 |
Special Education Administration Certification
In addition to the coursework necessary for the M.Ed. and certification in General Special Education, those wishing to obtain additional certification in Special Education Administration should take the following courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| EDUC 951 | Laws and Regulations Affecting the Education of Students with Disabilities | 4 |
| EDUC 956 | Learning to Listen: Developing Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Challenging Behaviors | 4 |
| EDUC #961 | Public School Administration | 4 |
| EDUC 962 | Educational Finance and Business Management | 4 |
| EDUC 964 | Human Resources in Education | 4 |
| EDUC 974 | Educational Administrative Internship | 4 |
Grades
Graduate credit is normally granted only for coursework completed with a grade of B- or higher. Any grade below B- will not count for graduate credit and will count toward the accumulation of nine (9) failing credits which may require the student to withdraw from the program.