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Dec 05, 2025
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2025-2026 Graduate Catalog
Master of Science in Education in Special Education
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Specializations
The specializations in Advanced Special Education Practices is designed to serve the needs of individuals who are seeking to gain additional competencies and/or endorsements. See the individual program descriptions for information about requirements for these programs.
The specialization in Behavior Analysis leads to the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credential with a master’s degree. The BCBA specialization can be combined with the Learning Behavior Specialist I specialization to earn an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL). Candidates who already hold a master’s degree can apply for admission to doctoral program in Educational Psychology with a Specialization in Behavior Analysis (see Doctoral Program). If accepted, candidates can complete up to 21 credit hours of BCBA coursework as specialization requirements in the doctoral program.
The specializations in Learning Behavior Specialist I and Vision Studies (Teacher of the Visually Impaired focus area) are designed for individuals with baccalaureate degrees who wish to obtain an initial Illinois Professional Educator License with endorsement in Learning Behavior Specialist I or Teacher of Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. In some cases, candidates working toward both the PEL and master’s degree may need to complete additional semester hours to meet the requirements for both licensure and the master’s degree.
Candidates seeking licensure must successfully complete licensure tests mandated by the State of Illinois and any other tests required by their licensure field. See also “Educator Licensure” section of the Graduate Catalog.
The specialization in Vision Studies (Vision Rehabilitation Therapy and Orientation and Mobility focus areas) is 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).
No more than six credit hours of graduate NIU coursework completed as a student-at-large may be applied to an advanced degree in SEED. Check departmental information for any additional requirements.
The student learning outcomes for this degree are located at the Divison of Academic Affairs website.
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Admission
In addition to the standard requirements for graduate admission to the Graduate School at NIU, the Special Education programs have additional requirements for graduate admission. Advanced Special Education Practices, Behavior Analysis, Learning Behavior Specialist I, and Vision Studies programs requires degree-seeking applicants to submit the following materials: -
Higher Undergraduate GPA - Statement of Purpose
- Your statement of purpose should be approximately 250 to 750 words in length. It should outline your preparation for graduate study in your chosen field, as well as your goals for graduate school and beyond. It should also explain why you believe the program at NIU can best help you meet those goals.
- Letters of Recommendation
- Two (2) letters of recommendation from individuals speaking to your ability to be successful in the completion of a graduate-level degree program at a large, public institution. Your recommenders should be individuals who have a professional or academic relationship with you as the applicant.
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 must maintain a cumulative overall GPA of 3.00 to remain in good standing in the Graduate School. 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. Candidates in the BCBA specialization must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Examination after completing all required coursework. The graduate advising staff will assist candidates in identifying required tests for each area of specialization. Advising staff review 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, candidates 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 advisor when admitted to the program, and will also be assigned a faculty mentor. Candidates are strongly encouraged to contact their faculty mentors early in their degree program. Courses of study are developed for each candidate in consultation with the graduate advisor. It is always the responsibility of the candidate to be aware of university policies and regulations affecting their 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 30-36 semester hours of study which must include a research course approved by the advisor. Specific courses required for each specialization are listed below. Elective courses are selected with the approval of the candidate’s advisor. A candidate wishing to write a thesis may, with the approval of the advisor, 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 advisor. 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 30-36 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 advisor and faculty mentor. Candidates in teacher licensure specializations must pass the Safety Tutorial and Mandated Reporter training prior to the first early field experience. Practical Experiences
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 age 21. As a result, early clinical experiences and student teaching practicum involve working with students with mild- and 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. 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 alternative specialization on a program of study to strengthen the professional development of candidates. Candidates will work with their academic advisor to develop a unique plan of study that meets their professional development needs. Specialization in Behavior Analysis
This alternative specialization is designed for experienced educators and other behavioral professionals who wish to broaden their expertise in Applied Behavior Analysis. Candidates in this specialization are prepared to support people with broad and wide-ranging needs as they learn socially important behaviors. The Association for Behavior Analysis International has approved this program of study as meeting coursework requirements to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analysis (BCBA) examination. In addition to successfully completing the courses below, candidates must meet supervised experience requirements to be eligible for the BCBA certification. Specialization in Learning Behavior Specialist I
This alternative specialization prepares candidates to obtain an initial Illinois Professional Educator License with the cross-categorical 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. 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 advisor and faculty mentor. Specialization in Vision Studies
This alternative specialization prepares candidates to instruct individuals with visual impairments. Candidates must complete the required core courses and must choose additional coursework from one or more of the alternative below. Required Core Courses (24):
Assistive Technology for Persons with Blindness or Visual Impairment (9)
This focus area prepares candidates to instruct individuals with visual impairments in the concepts and skills related to assistive technology for persons with visual impairments and to obtain national certification as assistive technology instructional specialists for people with visual impairments from the certification body of the Academy for Certification of Vision, Rehabilitation, and Education Professionals. Orientation& Mobility (15)
This focus area 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. Visual Rehabilitation Therapy (18)
This focus area 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. Teacher of the Visually Impaired (18)
This focus area 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 receiving an initial endorsement in TVI will have to take additional coursework required by ISBE in Foundations, Assessment, Child Development, Multicultural Education, and Reading Methods. Candidates who already have an educator license may have courses and program requirements waived based on prior course work and experience. Candidates may also be required to complete prerequisite courses prior to enrolling in specific graduate courses. This will be determined by the candidate’s graduate advisor and faculty mentor. |
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