SPECIAL EDUCATION AND DISABILITY POLICY

Programs

M.Ed. in Special Education

Master in Education - Early Childhood Special Education

The Master of Education in Early Childhood Special Education Program is a sequentially planned series of courses and clinical experiences designed to prepare individuals to work with young children, ages birth through five, with developmental disabilities and their families. Successful completion of the degree program qualifies students for teacher licensure with endorsement in early childhood special education by the Virginia Department of Education. Students are prepared to intervene with infants and young children representing a wide range of abilities, including those considered to be at risk to children with severe disabilities. As a result of training, students will be prepared to fill a variety of early intervention roles. 

The program can be completed in five semesters of full-time study or six semesters of part-time study.

Required Courses and Field Work

Foundations (6-9 Hours)  

-EDUS 630 Child Growth and Development or equivalent (per advisor) (3)
-EDUS 660 Research Methods in Education (3)
(one of the following)

-EDUS 601 Philosophy of Education
-EDUS 608 History of Western Education
-EDUS 610 Social Foundations of Education
-EDUS 612 Education and the World’s Future
-EDUS 614 Contemporary Educational Thought
-EDUS 673 Seminar on Educational Issues, Ethics and Policy Research (3)

Special Education Core (11 hours) 

-MNRT 500 Language/Communication Intervention (3)
-TEDU 542 Family Professional Partnerships (2)
-TEDU 630 Legal Issues & Trends in Special Education (3)
-TEDU 631 Behavior Management of Students with Disabilities (3)

Early Childhood Track (21 hours) 

-ECSE 601 Assessment of Infants & Young Children with Disabilities (3)
-ECSE 602 Instructional Programming: Infants & Young Children with Disabilities (3)
-ECSE 603/5 Integrated Early Childhood Programs (2/1)
-ECSE 604 Early Literacy and Augmentative Communication (3)
-ECSE 641 Interdisciplinary methods in Early Intervention (3)
-ECSE 672 Internship in Early Development & Intervention – Infant (1)
-ECSE 672 Internship in Early Development & Intervention – Preschool (1)
-ECSE 700 Externship: ECSE (Preschool) (2)
-ECSE 700 Externship: ECSE (Infant) (2)

Electives (3 Credits)

-TEDU 524 Cross Cultural Perspectives of Child-Rearing & Education (3)
-TEDU 541 Infants & Young Children with Disabilities (3)
-TEDU 622 Creative & Cognitive Development (3)
-OTHER COURSES (with advisor approval)

Program (non-thesis) TOTAL (41-44)

 

Thesis Option (6 Credits)

-TEDU 798 Thesis (6)

Program (thesis) TOTAL (47-50)