Master of Science in Special Education

Admission Requirements

1. Completed School of Education application, including the application fee.
2. Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. A candidate with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be allowed to take up to four courses on a conditional basis and must earn a grade of B or better in each course in order to continue registration. Upon completion of four courses with grades of B or better in each the candidate will be reviewed for full acceptance into the School of Education.
3. Two letters of recommendation. Letters from family members or current School of Education students are not acceptable.
4. Evidence of effective written communication skills and suitability for the teaching profession as demonstrated by the submission of candidate’s personal statement.
5. Passing scores on all sections of the Illinois Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) OR acceptance of ACT/SAT scores in lieu of TAP by the Illinois State Board of Education. The School of Education may allow a candidate for whom the test score on the TAP Test is pending to register for an initial class if the candidate’s file is otherwise complete and acceptable.
6. One official transcript from every college or university attended. Transcripts must be received by the School of Education in a sealed envelope from the college or university.

Required Courses

Candidates who do not hold a current valid teaching license complete the following 45 credit hours, including 39 hours in classroom/theory coursework and 6 creidt hours in internship/clinical practice:

• SPED 500 - Childhood Growth And Development: Infancy - Adolescence
• SPED 503 - Child, Family, And Community Relations
• SPED 526 - Psycho-educational Diagnosis (Ages 3–21)
• SPED 643 - History, Philosophy, and Legal Foundations of Special Education
• SPED 646 - Special Education Internship
• SPED 649 - Psychology and Characteristics of Students with Disabilities
• SPED 654 - Academic Methods for Early Childhood and Elementary-level Students with Disabilities
• SPED 655 - Academic Methods for Middle and Secondary-level Students with Disabilities
• SPED 656 - Collaboration and Adaption in General Education Settings
• SPED 658 - Fostering Development of Prosocial Behavior
• SPED 659 - Managing Challenging Behavior
• SPED 663 - Planning and Assessment in Special Education
• SPED 664 - Curriculum and Methods for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities
• SPED 702 - Clinical Practice Seminar in Special Education
• SPED 703 - Clinical Practice in Special Education
• EDU 533 - Reading and Writing Instruction and Improvement
• EDU 560 - Integrating Technology into the Curriculum

Additional Requirements

General Education Competencies for Non-Certified Candidates

Persons seeking the State of Illinois Learning Behavior Specialist I (Type 10) Special Education licensure as their initial teaching license must meet required general education competencies as outlined by the School of Education in addition to completing the core curriculum successfully.

Illinois Licensure Testing System Requirements

Persons seeking a State of Illinois Professional Educator License with Learning Behavior Specialist I (P-21) Endorsement must pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System’s required content area tests for Learning Behavior Specialist I.

1. The candidate must take and pass the LBSI (#155) test prior to placement for clinical practice (student teaching) or clinical internship as specified by the School of Education.
2. The candidate must pass the Special Education General Curriculum Test (#163) prior to applying for clinical practice or clinical internship as specified by the School of Education.
3. As of September 1, 2015 any candidate seeking initial licensure must pass the edTPA.

Additional Information

Endorsement requirements for candidates who already holw a current valid teaching license are adjusted as follows:

• SPED 500 - Childhood Growth And Development: Infancy - Adolescence  is not required.
• SPED 646 - Special Education Internship  is not required
• In place of SPED 702 - Clinical Practice Seminar in Special Education  and SPED 703 - Clinical Practice in Special Education , students are required to complete SPED 705 - Clinical Internship In Special Education .

Candidates who hold an elementrary teaching endorsed license or those who have taken a reading methodology course are not required to complete EDU 533 - Reading and Writing Instruction and Improvement .