Special Education Minor and M.S.

Program type:

Major

Minor

Format:

On Campus

Online

Est. time to complete:

5 years

Credit Hours:

Add to your education by learning more about working with children and young adults with disabilities as you pursue a master’s in Special Education.

Because of its compatibility with other human service fields, special education provides an appropriate minor for students majoring in such areas as rehabilitation, speech and hearing science, behavior analysis, psychology, criminal justice, social work, recreation, kinesiology, and human development and family science. A competitive Accelerated Master's path is available through this minor, allowing undergraduate students to potentially finish both their bachelor's degree and M.S. in Special Education in five years.

Requirements How to apply

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Why Earn a Special Education Minor and Master's?

A minor in Special Education consists of 18 hours, and is suggested for students in other undergraduate degree programs interested in working with children and young adults with disabilities, including those in Human Development and Family Science, Kinesiology, Applied Behavior Analysis, Speech and Language Pathology/Audiology, or Disability and Addiction Rehabilitation.

Many of our faculty members are nationally known in their field. They remain current on practices through research experiences, high levels of academic preparation and the service projects they coordinate. They have expertise in programs and procedures; establishing partnerships to facilitate services for exceptional individuals; systems for behavioral management of special populations; and parent and professional communication and collaboration.

Marketable Skills

Collect, analyze, and interpret data
Advocate on behalf of underrepresented populations
Collaborate to improve educational outcomes
Oral and written communication
Creative problem-solving

Special Education Master's Highlights

Master's courses are offered on a rotation schedule via two 8-week terms during the fall and spring semesters and 3-week, 5-week and 10-week terms during the summer.

The College of Education is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, which means we meet or exceed strict academic standards for excellence in education.

The College of Education is one of Texas' top producers of teachers, administrators, counselors and other school professionals.

The Department of Educational Psychology, which oversees this degree program, is affiliated with various research and intervention centers that provide research and development opportunities for faculty and students.

In addition to specialized courses, we provide many opportunities for you to participate in interdepartmental studies, become involved in community-based programming and network with other special education professionals.

Master of Education in Special Education candidates can choose from concentrations in Autism Intervention, Educational Diagnostics or High-Incidence Disabilities.

What Can You do With a Special Education Minor and Master's?

Top 3 Careers (Autism Intervention)

Behavior Intervention Specialist
Special Education Teacher
Early Intervention Specialist

Top 3 Careers (Educational Diagnostics)

Educational Diagnostician
ARD Facilitator
Special Education Teacher

Top 3 Careers (High-Incidence Disabilities)

Special Education Teaching
Paraprofessional
Intervention Specialist

Special Education Master's Courses You Could Take

Study of collaboration models and strategies used to work with families of students with exceptionalities. Focus on changing definition of family, community resources, advocacy, public policies and other factors that may impact students and their families. Attention also given to working effectively with paraprofessionals.

Provides students with a background in the characteristics, causes, prevalence and identification of individuals with developmental disabilities and autism. Maximum consideration is given to classification categories as defined by the federal regulations, integration of assessment and educational planning, and specific interventions for facilitating the education and training for this target population.

An examination is made of the typical characteristics associated with severe behavior problems and procedures for identification. Emphasis is on the development of appropriate intervention programs.

Communication and collaboration models and strategies in working with parents, caregivers and professionals concerned about exceptional learners. Emphasis on the changing definition of families and changing demographics and the implications these changes have for effectively involving others in the decision-making for exceptional learners.

Introduces students to the principles and practice of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in school settings involving students with special needs. Focuses on the fusion of scientific or evidence-based practices with ethical principles in the design of a function-based behavior intervention plan (BIP) for a person with a disability who displays behavior problems.

Overview of the unique physical, cognitive and behavioral needs of exceptional learners. The teacher’s role in identification and referral procedures and implementation of effective educational practices as required by federal and state law are examined.