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Nov 27, 2024
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2016-2017 Graduate Catalog [NOTE!!!! THIS IS AN ARCHIVED CATALOG. FOR THE CURRENT CATALOG, GO TO CATALOG.NIU.EDU]
Master of Science in Education in Special Education
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 Return to: College of Education
Specialization in Advanced Special Education Practices
Specialization in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy
Specialization in Early Childhood Special Education
Specialization in Learning Behavior Specialist I
Specialization in Orientation and Mobility
Specialization in Visual Impairments
The Specializations in Advanced Special Education Practices and Early Childhood Special Education are designed to serve the needs of individuals who have a professional educator license (PEL) with special education endorsement and are seeking to gain additional competencies and/or endorsements. See the individual program descriptions for information about requirements for these programs.
The Specializations in Learning Behavior Specialist I and Visual Impairments are designed to serve the needs of individuals with baccalaureate degrees who wish to obtain an initial Illinois professional educator license (PEL) with K-12 endorsement in special education or with an endorsement in LBS I or Teacher of Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. In some cases additional semester hours will be necessary to meet the requirements for both licensure and the master’s degree.
Candidates seeking licensure must successfully complete the Illinois Licensure Testing System Test of Academic Proficiency prior to admission to the Teacher Education Program in special education and the tests required by their licensure field prior to student teaching. This program prepares candidates for Illinois educator licensure with endorsement as a Learning Behavior Specialist I. See also “Educator Licensure Information.”
The Specializations in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy and Orientation and Mobility are designed to serve individuals who have previously earned baccalaureate degrees and wish to obtain national certification as a vision rehabilitation therapist or orientation and mobility specialist from the Academy for Certification of Vision, Rehabilitation, and Education Professionals (ACVREP).
Check departmental information for any additional requirements.
The student learning outcomes for this degree are located at http://www.niu.edu/assessment/clearinghouse/outcomes/index.shtml.
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Admission
From among the applicants satisfying the requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the faculty select those most qualified, ordinarily requiring a GPA of 3.00 or higher for the last two years of undergraduate work.
Each prospective candidate must have three letters of recommendation from employers, supervisors, or professors and a personal statement describing his or her reasons for applying to the program and his or her goals related to special education.
Final decisions regarding admissions are made by the admissions committee of the department on the basis of a total profile of an individual’s qualifications. Applicants who fail to meet these admission criteria may request special consideration from the admissions committee. If the candidate then fails to achieve admission, an appeal may be made to the department’s program coordinator or the department chair.
Retention
To be retained in the M.S.Ed. program, a candidate must demonstrate acquisition and application of specific competencies, through practical experiences, that are requisite in the candidate’s specialization.
Candidates must earn a B or better in the course work listed in the Graduate Catalog required for the specialization in order to take the comprehensive evaluation and/or enroll in the graduate practicum. Candidates receiving lower than a B in any of these professional courses must retake the course. In concert with the university policy, candidates may retake a course only once. If this required grade is not achieved on the second attempt, the candidate may be dropped from the program.
Candidates in the LBS I and Visual Impairments specializations must pass the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) content area test and General Education Curriculum test before enrolling in student teaching or internship courses. Candidates in the LBS I specialization take the Learning Behavior Specialist I content test and candidates in the Visual Impairment emphasis take the content test on Teacher of Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.. Candidates in other specializations or who are seeking endorsement also may be required to complete content area tests before enrolling in student teaching or internship courses. The graduate advising staff will assist candidates in identifying required tests for each area of specialization. Advising staff track course grades at the end of each semester and verify passing scores on the content area and general education curriculum test prior to student teaching. In addition to meeting all Graduate School and College of Education standards for retention, students must meet the Council for Exceptional Children Code of Ethics and Standards for Professional Practice for Special Educators.
All other rules regarding academic regulations follow those described by the Graduate School.
Advisement
A candidate is assigned a graduate adviser when admitted to the program. The candidate also is assigned to a faculty mentor. Courses of study are developed for each candidate in consultation with the graduate adviser. Advising staff track course grades at the end of each semester and verify passing scores on the content area and general education curriculum test prior to student teaching. It is always the responsibility of the candidate to be aware of university policies and regulations affecting his or her program. Candidates should, therefore, familiarize themselves with the Graduate Catalog early in the program.
Requirements
Each candidate must select a specialization. Each specialization requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of study which must include a research course approved by the adviser. Specific courses required for each specialization are listed below. Elective courses are selected with the approval of the candidate’s adviser. A candidate wishing to write a thesis may, with the approval of the adviser, include 3-6 semester hours of credit in SESE 699 in the elective portion of the program.
For a candidate whose undergraduate major was in special education, course work in other appropriate fields may be substituted for a portion of the special education course work, with the approval of the candidate’s adviser. However, in all cases, at least 50 percent of the semester hours required for the degree must be in special education. For candidates whose undergraduate major was not in special education or who have limited background in their chosen specialization, deficiency requirements may be established by the department. Deficiency course hours will not be counted toward the minimum 36 semester hours of the master’s degree program.
All M.S.Ed. program candidates are required to pass a comprehensive examination. Information about this exam will be provided by the graduate adviser and faculty mentor.
Candidates must pass the Safety Tutorial and Mandated Reporter training prior to the first early field experience. Additionally, candidates must pass the Illinois Assessment of Professional Teaching test (APT) and Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) prior to receiving an initial professional educator license with endorsement in Teacher of Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired or Learning Behavior Specialist I. The edTPA is completed during student teaching.
Field Work
In cases in which candidates’ backgrounds in their chosen specialties are limited, they may be required to fulfill deficiency requirements established by the department. Deficiency course hours are not counted toward the minimum semester hours of the master’s degree program.
The LBS I endorsement is a cross-categorical endorsement that encompasses all categories of disability from kindergarten through high school. As a result, early clinical experiences and student teaching practicum involve working with students with mild-moderate disabilities in both elementary and secondary settings. Student teaching in the LBS I endorsement, SESE 609 and SESE 610, consists of two eight-week (Monday - Friday) full-day placements, one at the elementary level and one at the secondary level. Candidates fulfill various instructional and assessment responsibilities as well as completion of the edTPA during student teaching practicum. These placements range from full-inclusion classrooms to residential schools and serve a diverse student population in in urban, rural, and suburban settings. Candidates who seek to add the LBS I endorsement to an existing teacher educator license may have some early clinical and student teaching requirements waived. This will be determined by the candidate’s graduate advisor and faculty mentor.
Internship Program
The Department of Special and Early Education currently utilizes internship programs in some areas of special education. All internship placements are arranged and supervised by the department. For further information and internship possibilities, see course descriptions.
Specialization in Advanced Special Education Practices
This specialization focuses on study to strengthen the professional development of licensed candidates who have a professional educator license with endorsement in special education. Candidates enrolled in this M.S.Ed. program may incorporate requirements for one or more Learning Behavior Specialist II or Director of Special Education licenses of graduate study in their programs of study.
Specialization in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy
This specialization prepares candidates to instruct individuals with visual impairments in independent living skills and to obtain national licensure as rehabilitation teachers from the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Specialization in Early Childhood Special Education
This specialization prepares candidates to obtain early childhood special education approval to teach young children with special needs in early childhood (ages 3-6) settings. Candidates must hold or obtain a professional educator license with endorsement in special education or early childhood education in order to apply for early childhood special education approval. Candidates who wish to obtain one of these endorsements in addition to the M.S.Ed. with a specialization in early childhood special education must complete course work required for the type of endorsement desired. This course work will be identified through advisement.
This specialization also may prepare candidates to apply for an early intervention credential to work with infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. Information about this credential and requirements will be provided through advisement. Required courses in this specialization are:
Specialization in Learning Behavior Specialist I
This specialization prepares candidates to obtain an initial Illinois professional educator license with the crosscategorical Learning Behavior Specialist I endorsement. Candidates who successfully complete the program requirements and pass the state mandated Teacher Performance Assessment will have completed all required ISBE and CAEP standards for receiving university recommendation for licensure and special education endorsement in Learning Behavior Specialist I. This includes completing the Safety Tutorial prior to the first early clinical course, passing the Learning Behavior Specialist I content test and the General Education Curriculum test prior to student teaching, completion of the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) during student teaching, and passing the Illinois Assessment of Professional Teaching Test (APT), which may be completed after student teaching. Successful completion of the program without receipt of a passing score on the state mandated Teacher Performance Assessment may result in the candidate receiving a degree without university recommendation for licensure.
Candidates who already have a professional educator license may have courses and program requirements waived based on prior course work and experience. This will be determined by the candidate’s graduate adviser and faculty liaison. A minimum of 36 hours of graduate course work is required for the master’s degree. Required courses for this specialization include:
Specialization in Orientation and Mobility
This specialization prepares candidates to instruct individuals with visual impairments in the concepts and skills related to independent travel, and to obtain national certification as orientation and mobility specialists from the certification body of the Academy for Certification of Vision, Rehabilitation, and Education Professionals. Candidates may combine this specialization with the specialization for Vision Rehabilitation Therapy and/or Visual Impairments.
Specialization in Visual Impairments
This specialization prepares candidates to obtain an Illinois teacher license with endorsement in vision impairments. Candidates may combine this specialization with the specialization for Orientation and Mobility and/or Vision Rehabilitation Therapy. Candidates who successfully complete the program requirements and pass the state mandated Teacher Performance Assessment will have completed all required ISBE and CAEP standards for receiving university recommendation for licensure and special education endorsement in Visual Impairments. Successful completion of the program without receipt of a passing score on the state mandated Teacher Performance Assessment may result in the candidate receiving a degree without university recommendation for licensure. Candidates who already have an educator license may have courses and program requirements waived based on prior coursework and experience. This will be determined by the candidate’s graduate adviser and faculty liaison.
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Return to: College of Education
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