Special Education: The Master Teacher, M.A.
Minimum Totals for Graduation: 30-33 hours
The Master of Arts in Special Education is designed for students who seek advanced study in special education. This graduate program is designed to provide training experiences leading to the development of those competencies specifically related to working with persons with disabilities in a variety of public education and community settings as a teacher or teacher consultant.
The Master Teacher
The Master of Arts Degree in Special Education: The Master Teacher focuses on preparing master teachers in the discipline of special education. The M.A. in Special Education is intended to increase and hone your skills as a special educator within your own professional practice.
Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards
Admission Requirement Snapshot
GPA: 2.7
Entrance Exam: N/A
Application Deadline: July 31
Admission
Beyond the standards of Graduate Studies admission, Special Education requires that:
- Applicants hold a bachelor’s degree and have demonstrated experience working with individuals with disabilities. If you do not hold a valid Michigan Elementary or Secondary Standard, Permanent, or Life certificate or special education endorsement, you may be required to take additional coursework to meet the Michigan Department of Education initial teacher certification requirements in addition to completing the degree requirements on the MA in Special Education. This would be determined in consultation with a faculty advisor after you have been admitted to the program. Please note that this program is intended only for those graduates who plan to work in Michigan.
- Applicants must have an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or higher, or the last 60 hours of undergraduate GPA (approximately half of undergraduate courses) is 3.00 or higher, or an earned master's degree or equivalent from an institution that is regionally accredited (or equivalent) with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher. Applicants below the required grade point average may appeal through the chairperson for exception.
- Additionally, applicants are required to submit a current statement of purpose for pursuing the degree, and two letters of recommendation regarding the applicant's performance with Special Education populations
To be eligible for certification or endorsements in special education, students must be able to complete an 8-week clinical experience (initial endorsement) or 180-hour clinical experience (additional endorsements) in the state of Michigan. To participate in a clinical experience, an iChat is required. In addition, each student will be responsible to disclose any subsequent infractions which appear on their background checks during the duration of the graduate program to the program director and to the Associate Director of Professional Education. Failure to complete and pass a background check, or to disclose an infraction which subsequently appears on a background check could be grounds for dismissal from the Special Education: The Master Teacher Program.
Please note that certain criminal convictions may preclude clinical experiences, which may impact the student's ability to complete the Special Education: The Master Teacher program. Be aware that some clinical experience settings may require a different form of background check than the one CMU requires and it will be the student's responsibility to complete such requirement before beginning an assignment with that site. All background check expenses are the responsibility of the student.
Important Message for Prospective Students: It is highly recommended that students contact the appropriate licensing agency in their state of residence if they are considering an academic program that leads to a professional license. CMU offers state-by-state information at https://www.cmich.edu/admissions-aid/global-campus/professional-certification-licensure-disclosures with web links to the appropriate licensing agencies. It is the responsibility of students to contact the appropriate licensing agency and to understand the requirements in their state of residence as applied to their specific situation.
The M.A. in Special Education begins with Emphasis Area I (15 credit hours) where students choose between one of two tracks: Group A is for students seeking an initial special education endorsement and Group B is for students seeking an additional special education endorsement. In the second half of the program, students will select an Emphasis Area II (12-15 credit hours) that will allow them to specialize and obtain an endorsement in one of three areas: autism spectrum disorder, cognitive impairment, or specific learning disability.
Students must successfully complete required coursework and pass the MTTC of the endorsement area they are seeking to add a special education endorsement to their teaching certification with the Michigan Department of Education.
Program Requirements
Emphasis Area I (15 hours)
Select one of the following groups. Group A is for students seeking an initial special education endorsement and Group B is for students seeking an additional special education endorsement.
Group A - Initial Endorsement
| SPE 660 | Understanding Students with Disabilities | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 661 | Individualized Education Program Development and Implementation | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 662 | Culturally Responsive Instruction and Collaboration | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 655 | Consultation and Collaboration in Special Education | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 686 | Assessment and Data-Based Decision Making in Special Education | 3(3-0) |
Group B - Additional Endorsement
| SPE 600 | Ethics, Law, and Current Issues in Special Education | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 695 | Research for Special Education | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 655 | Consultation and Collaboration in Special Education | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 686 | Assessment and Data-Based Decision Making in Special Education | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 790 | Program and Personnel Evaluation in Special Education | 3(3-0) |
Endorsement Area II (12-15 hours)
Select one of the following options based on interest:
Option A: Autism Spectrum Disorder Endorsement (15 hours)
| CSD 550 | Communication Assessment and Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 530/PSY 575 | Autism Spectrum Disorder: Characteristics and Etiology | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 531 | Autism Spectrum Disorder: Educational Implications | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 532 | Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 671 | Transition for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | 3(3-0) |
Option B: Specific Learning Disability Endorsement (12 hours)
| SPE 577 | Introduction to Specific Learning Disability | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 650 | Promoting Self-Determination and Self-Regulation in Students with SLD | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 675 | Literacy Instruction for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 690 | Mathematics Instruction for Students with Specific Learning Disabilities | 3(3-0) |
Option C: Cognitive Impairment Endorsement (12 hours)
| SPE 620 | Evidence-based Approaches for Teaching Students with Mild Cognitive Impairment | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 624 | Behavioral Assessment and Intervention for Students with Cognitive Impairment | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 641 | Evidence-based Approaches for Teaching Students with Moderate/Profound Cognitive Impairment | 3(3-0) |
| SPE 671 | Transition for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | 3(3-0) |
Plan B Requirement (3 hours)
| SPE 689 | Clinical Experience in Special Education | 3(Spec) |
Total: 30-33 semester hours
Accelerated Admissions to the Master of Arts in Special Education: The Master Teacher
Undergraduate students majoring in the Bachelor of Science with an Option in Community Development may pursue a Master of Arts degree in Special Education: The Master Teacher while fulfilling the final requirement of their bachelor's degree. Accelerated admission to the Master of Arts degree in Special Education: The Master Teacher allows students to reduce the total number of credits to complete their undergraduate degree and graduate degree by applying up to 15 credits toward graduation requirements on both degree programs.
Admission Criteria:
To be eligible for accelerated admission to the Master of Arts degree in Special Education: The Master Teacher program, the student must have:
- An overall cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0;
- Minimum of 86 credits hours toward a bachelor's degree with no less than 15 remaining credit hours to complete the undergraduate degree;
- Must be admitted to CMU Online (not eligible for main campus students);
- Must be admitted in the Bachelor of Science with an Option in Community Development;
- Must submit a current statement of purpose for pursuing the degree;
- Must submit two letters of recommendation regarding the applicant's performance with Special Education populations.
During the final academic year, students will complete up to 15 credits of MA in Special Education coursework that will be the final courses taken and counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students will apply during their junior year for accelerated admission into the MA in Special Education degree program to begin the first semester of their senior year.
To seek approval to enroll in this program, students will need to:
- submit an online admission application to be an Accelerated Graduate student; and
- complete and submit the Accelerated Graduate Degree Program (AGDP) Acknowledgement and Approval Form found on the Office of Graduate Studies website.
The student must meet with an MA in Special Education advisor to identify courses for the accelerated option. Course requirements are approved by the MA in Special Education advisor. If approved for admission, students must average a "B" or higher in the credits that apply to the graduate degree. AGDP student grades will be monitored by Graduate Studies and any student who does not average a "B" or higher in the credits that apply to the graduate degree will be removed from the AGDP, unless the student obtains an exception from Graduate Studies. To request an exception, the student must have the support of their MA in Special Education advisor and present a viable plan to obtain the minimum "B" average in the credits that apply to the graduate degree prior to the completion of the baccalaureate degree. Students removed from the AGDP must apply for readmission into the master's program. If removed from the AGDP, the completed courses may still be used at the undergraduate level but cannot subsequently be used at a graduate level.