Special Education (M.A.)

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Program Overview

The master’s in special education is intended for individuals wanting to work with special needs students. Students may select from one of two specializations. The Advanced Specialist in Disabilities specialization prepares current special education teachers with advanced knowledge and skills to meet the unique needs of each and every learner. The Multicategorical K-12 SPED specialization is a nationally accredited program that prepares students for initial teacher licensure as a special education teacher. Whether you’re already a special education teacher or are seeking to become one, this program will prepare you with the skill set to make a difference in children’s lives.

NOTE: Students who are not currently certified special education teachers may only pursue the Multicategorical specialization. Those seeking initial teacher licensure will need to complete additional coursework and certification requirements, including the successful completion of a series of Praxis exams.

Students pursuing initial teacher certification must:

Pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test for admission to the Teacher Education Program. Students may be fully admitted to the Special Education Multicategorical program, however, admission to Teacher Education is provisional until the content knowledge test is successfully passed.
Pass the Praxis subject-specific Content Knowledge test to be eligible to student teach.
Pass the Principles of Learning Test (PLT) for successful program completion and teacher
Students who are seeking teacher certification are encouraged to meet with an advisor in Teacher Education for clarification of requirements for initial teacher certification.

DELIVERY: On campus

Master of Arts, Special Education Plan B (non-thesis): Total 30-34 credit hours

M.A. in Special Education - Advanced Specialist in Disabilities (ASD) Specialization Plan B (Non-Thesis): Total 32 credit hours

Major Area Coursework

ASD specialization core required course work:
SPED 702 - Diagnostic Teaching 3 cr
SPED 709 - Special Education Collaboration Or Consultation in the Schools 3 cr
SPED 519 - Medical Issues in Special Education 2 cr
EDAD 720 - Special Education Law for School Administrators 3 cr
Select one of the following courses for 3 credit hours:
SPED 794 - Internship (M.A.) (C) 1 to 8 cr
SPED 795 - Practicum in Special Education 1 to 6 cr
Specialized coursework:
SPED 711 - Educating Students With Cognitive Disabilities 3 cr
SPED 737 - Educating Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders 3 cr
SPED 741 - Educating Students With Emotional & Behavior Disorders 3 cr

Supporting Area Coursework

EDER 761 - Graduate Research & Design (C) 3 cr
Electives approved by advisor (Plan A students can take 4 hours of Thesis credits) 6 cr hours

Accelerated Master’s Program: B.A. or B.S./M.A.

Up to 12 credits applied toward the B.S. program may be used to satisfy graduate credit in the Special Education, M.A.-Advanced Specialist in Disabilities (ASD) specialization, M.A., Plan B (non-thesis) option. This accelerated option is available only to those currently enrolled in a USD B.A. or B.S. program.

The following restrictions apply:

Dual-listed courses taken at the 500-level can be applied to both the B.A. or B.S. and M.A. degrees. Dual-listed courses must be taken at the 500-level.
The student must apply to, and be admitted to, the acceleratedogram prior to taking courses to be credited toward the accelerated program.
No courses taken prior to admission to the accelerated program may be counted toward an accelerated graduate degree.
Courses that are “double counted” must be approved by the program coordinator for inclusion in the program of study prior to registration for the course or the credits will not be applied toward the accelerated graduate degree.
Only courses taken at the student’s home institution are eligible for accelerated program credit. No transferred courses from other institutions will be allowed to count toward the accelerated master’s degree.
Students admitted to the accelerated M.A. Program may be allowed to register for all courses included in his/her program of study and these credit hours may apply to both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.

M.A. in Special Education - Multicategorical SPED K-12 (MSEK-12) Specialization Plan B (Non-Thesis): Total 30-42 credit hours

Multicategorical Specialization Endorsement in Special Education & Initial Teacher Certification

Major Area Coursework

MSEK-12 specialization core required course work (14 credit hours):
SPED 517 - Vocational-Transitional Programming (C) 2-3 cr (2 cr hrs required)
SPED 703 - Education of Persons With Exceptional Needs 3 cr
SPED 715 - Behavior Management 2 to 3 cr (3 cr hrs required)
SPED 731 - Educating Students With Learning Disabilities 3 cr
SPED 780 - Assessment of Persons With Disabilities 3 cr
Select one disability curriculum and instruction course. (3 credit hours)
SPED 711 - Educating Students With Cognitive Disabilities 3 cr
SPED 737 - Educating Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders 3 cr
SPED 741 - Educating Students With Emotional & Behavior Disorders 3 cr
Courses for Initial Certification (0-19 credit hours) *
SPED 688 - Student Teaching 1-8 cr (6 cr hrs required)
SPED 795 - Practicum in Special Education 1 to 6 cr (1 cr hr required)
EDFN 575 - Human Relations (C) 3 cr
EPSY 735 - Child/Adolescent Learning and Development 3 cr
INED 511 - South Dakota Indian Studies (C) 3 cr
TET 715 - Sociological and Philosophical Foundations of Education 3 cr
* Courses in this section are only needed if you are seeking initial certification. Undergraduate courses can be taken for initial certification and the graduate courses would not be needed.

Supporting Area Coursework (6-13 credit hours)

EDER 761 - Graduate Research & Design (C) 3 cr
ELED 757 - Assessment and Interventions for Struggling and Dyslexic Readers 3 cr
SPED 794 - Internship (M.A.) (C) 1 to 8 cr (Not needed if completing initial certification route) 0-1 cr hr
Elective 0-6 crs (Not needed if completing initial certification route)

General Application Requirements

Completed application
$35 application fee
Official transcripts*
Letters of recommendation*
Statement of purpose
Resume/CV*

*Requirements for admission vary by program and may require different documentation and have different deadlines. This list is not all-inclusive, to view specific program requirements and submission deadlines, follow the “Admissions Information” hyperlink at the top of this page OR visit the specific program/dept. page found here: link.usd.edu/grad-catalog

Courses or Programs Leading to Professional Licensure or Certification

The educational curriculum for your academic program may or may not meet educational prerequisites for professional licensure or certification in states other than South Dakota. If you are planning to apply for licensure/certification in a state other than South Dakota after completion of your program, please review that state and your program on USD’s Licensure-Track Programs webpage. Licensure-Track Programs

If your learning placement course (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) or your online course will be taken outside South Dakota, please reference USD’s State Authorization webpage.

State Authorization

Questions?

Division of Teacher Residency and Education
605-658-6639 | tre @usd.edu | usd.edu/tre

Graduate Admissions
605-658-6140 | gradadmissions@usd.edu | usd.edu/grad